Elena Duggan facts for kids

Elena Jo Duggan (born 1 June 1983) is a talented Australian cook. She became famous after winning the 2016 season of MasterChef Australia. Elena is known for her creative cooking style and her passion for food.

Elena's Early Life

Elena Duggan was born in Cooroy, a town in Queensland, Australia. She went to Noosa District State High School. After high school, Elena studied at the College of Fine Arts at the University of NSW. She earned a degree in Fine Arts.

Later, she studied teaching at the University of Sydney. Before becoming a TV cook, Elena was a teacher. She taught Visual Arts and was even the head teacher of creative and performing arts at Galston High School in Sydney.

Becoming a MasterChef

Elena first tried to join MasterChef Australia in 2015, but she didn't get in. She didn't give up! She applied again in 2016. This time, she impressed the judges with her audition dish: classic fish and chips. She was accepted into the competition.

Elena worked hard throughout the season. On 26 July 2016, she reached the grand finale. She competed against another great cook, Matt Sinclair. Elena won the series by making a fantastic dessert. She scored 86 points, just beating Matt's 84 points.

After winning, Elena returned to season 11 in 2019. She was a special guest mentor for one of the teams. During this time, she also shared the exciting news that she was expecting a baby!

Hosting My Market Kitchen

In 2019, Elena became the host of My Market Kitchen. This is a national TV show about cooking. It is filmed at the famous Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne.

Elena took over from a previous MasterChef winner, Emma Dean. She co-hosted the show with Khanh Ong, who was a finalist in MasterChef Australia season ten. They shared many cooking tips and recipes with viewers.