October 12, 2025 • 61 mins
Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary first met on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, a high-pressure, career-focused environment that unexpectedly sparked a romance. In this episode, they share the story of how their friendship grew into love, navigating the challenges of reality TV, an 11-year age gap, and blending their lives together—including introducing Declan to Sarah’s 14-year-old son, Phoenix.
From their first mountaintop breakfast date in the Grampians to moving in together in Melbourne, Sarah and Declan open up about the highs, the anxieties, and the everyday moments that have shaped their relationship. They also reveal the details of some very exciting news...
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CREDITS:
Guests: Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary
Host: Kate Langbroek
Executive Producer: Naima Brown
Senior Producer: Bree Player
Producer: Tina Matolov
Audio Producer: Jacob Round
Video Producer: Josh Green
This episode of No Filter was recorded at Session In Progress studio.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a mom and mea podcast. Mama Mea
acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters that this
podcast is recorded on.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I couldn't be more excited, like about what are you
excited about having a baby, but like the buns in
the ovens and it's kind of it's all I've ever
wanted in life.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hello, and welcome to No Filter. I'm Kate lane Brook
and today, oh this is so great. We're talking about
a love story that no one saw coming. Sarah Todd
and Declan Cleary met in one of the most high
pressure kitchens in Australia, Master Chief Back to Win, and
(01:02):
they were supposed to be competitors, not soul mates. But
somewhere between the pressure tests, the plating and the late
night cookoffs, something.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Else began to simmer.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Sarah is a chef, a restaurateur and TV personality who's
made a global name for herself, and Declan is a
tradee who became a fan favorite on the show for
his talent and warmth. And together they've gone from competitors
to partners, from a shared kitchen to a shared home,
(01:38):
and now they have got some very very very big
news to share. This is a story of how a
reality competition turned into reality a real life love story,
and how Sarah and Declan are about to embark on
their most exciting chapter yet. Sarah Todd Declan Cleary, Welcome
(02:04):
to No Filter.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I've been so looking forward to meeting you too, although
you two is not really right, but.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We'll get to that. How delightful to have you two here.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
It's special to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's good to be back in Melbourne because I feel
like we've been on the run for months.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
You know, we've had a really busy schedule and then
you know, we've wanted to enjoy these past few months
to ourselves and with our family, and just so happened
that we were on the road the whole time.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Just yeah until.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Now, Yes, until yesterday.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
And I said to you, you too, love a pressure test.
You have really jumped headfirst into really everything good that
life can offer, which is food, obviously love unexpected.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Who was it more unexpected for?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I think I can speak for the both of us
in saying I think we both went in with no
intention and find love.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Master Chef is not a dating show.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Fact.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I don't know if there have been any other Master
Chef couples.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
I think, yeah, I think that.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
We know of you know, because it's one thing. You know,
It's kind of like actors as well, that when you
in a situation like that, when you you're experiencing something
that has an intensity and a club like nature, that
you do tend to make connections, quite strong and deep connections,
(03:49):
but they don't always last.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
We're both very passionate about what we do, and I
think we went into Master Chef wanting to win the show,
and I think that we both threw everything at it,
and in the early days we kind of became each
other's sort of little safe place that was ay from
all of that intensity.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So how long? How long was the filming?
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Six months?
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:15):
So we started wow December last year, and you know,
you know what it's like. It's can be ten to
twelve hour days. You're filming for only a few of
those hours. The rest of it is just outside of
you know, the kitchen and hanging out and finding ways
to kind of keep our sanity.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I of yees yes, and find someone because in those
situations you need some sort of pressure release, You need
to feel that you have an ally of some kind,
and so you two struck up a friendship pretty early.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
How early on.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I think straight away, I think for Sarah's third time
coming back, and then my second I definitely pulled, you know,
two friends out of the first series that I was on.
I was lucky enough to come out as best friends
with Rhianna and Anderson.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Yeah, from my series, and that was which was.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Like too, you were choose yeah seasons.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, so filming in twenty twenty two into twenty twenty three, right,
and then you know, just like love just big long
days hanging out with her and the vo having a
cup of tea and where do you live?
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Like what's the setup for that?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Well, just coincidentally, Rhiannon became a friend of mine before
the show, So going into Master Chef, I instant instantly
was like, find my person, and it was Rhiannon. And
because they had such a strong friendship, it's kind of
drew us together. It was kind of like, you know,
that taking down that barrier because I'm a pretty inteler person,
(05:49):
even though I'm really.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Very contained, very contained, in fact, quite intriguing to watch
very beautiful, very graceful declan you are none of those things,
because he's completely but you are internal. Declan, you are external, definitely,
and it's one of the many differences between you, aside
(06:12):
from background. What was your background, Sarah, Like, how did
you grow up?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
I'm a country girl.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
I'm from a small town two thousand people called Scrubby
and grew up just outdoors and just like you know,
a really beautiful childhood, two brothers and with a really
solid family.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I think that I'm really blessed.
Speaker 6 (06:35):
I have just not only my immediate family unit, but
a very big family which Declan's just had the pleasure
of meeting almost all of them. And what's what was
the cultural makeup of your family Australian? Yeah, so I think,
you know, for me growing up very ausy, very you know,
(06:58):
Australian upbringing.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
But those whole Indian slash French thing.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
So I my son's half Indian, and so I fell
in love with the culture. And I think that, you know,
we're really blessed in Australia to be very open minded.
And as soon as I was, you know, made aware
of his culture. And I also felt like, being a mother,
it was my responsibility to understand that culture as well,
and I just you know, totally immersed myself into Indian
(07:26):
culture and you.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Ended up running a restaurant in Goer.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yes, is that was North Goer Yeah, yeah, maybe I've
been to South go oh Okay beautiful quite quite a
few times.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
Yeah, amazing. Yeah, it's a beautiful place. I'm sure you
would have realized. Injury is a place where they just
welcome you with open arms. And we just did a
trip recently to go over to India and it was
Declan's first time, and it's a place for me that
you know, I've spending five months minimum a year in
India for the last eleven years.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
And you take Phoenix back there, you're yeah, he.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
Comes back and forth with me, and you know, I
think that they have just really welcomed me with open arms.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
And I just threw myself into it. And I love it.
I love in Dear and I love the culture.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
I love the food, the people, and you know, I
wanted Phoenix to feel proud too if he has to
take a parato and his lunchbox to school, that he's
not going to be picked on or embarrassed about it.
You know, I think it's my responsibility to do that.
So yeah, it was really nice to kind of.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Be opened up to this whole new world and.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Decline your background Australian.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Yeah, growing up in fresh water run on Sydney's northern beaches.
So yeah, just full full lossie and traveling lots as
a kid through dad's work. So I had the luxury
to you know, he was in television.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
Yeah he was. Yeah, So.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, Mum and dad met in television and now.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And then and you're a trade and then so.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
I'm a build a carpenter by trade and kind.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Of again very handy. You don't want a soft handed
paper push up. What you need is someone who can
undo the pressure cooker.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Yeah, exactly when he definitely does that.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
So so much like Sarah, like just a really close family,
two sisters, so stuck in the middle of sometimes I
say the rose between the thorns. I am with an
older and young I bet the love it. But like
they're you know, prior to Sarah coming into my life,
(09:38):
there's still like some of the most prominent women in
my life, my mum and my two sisters, so very
very strong relationship with them, and I think, you know
that that was really important in my upbringing and my
sort of like my ethos with life, you know, growing
up in a household with no shortage of women.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
And you like to tilt and win mills, so you
like to go this may seem impossible to some, but
this is what I want to do.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Yeah. In regards to work and cooking, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I've always like liked pushing the boundaries with myself with
things that I'm doing. And you know, I'm not the
kind of person that likes to be indoors and not
doing anything. I think, you know, as soon as I
could get on the job site and be a trade
working outside, I thrived on that and I think the
creativity kind of came in par with cooking.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
It was very similar.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I never thought I'd get Top three on Master Chef
Australia and then go on to you know, finding the
love of my life on the shows.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
And then when you were both invited back, yeah, for
the for the back to win the series, what was
Can you remember the moment when you first saw Sarah.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
I was just like, oh, this bloody bombshells on the show.
It's going to be hard to keep my eyes off her, and.
Speaker 7 (11:02):
Really like it was like she's gorgeous, She's stunning, and
and you know I was there with no intentions of
anything other than to win the show.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So and you were both emotionally unencumbered when you came
to Yeah, yeah, definitely so, which which was really special.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
And I think, you know the foundations of our relationship
were built on a friendship and we were spending a
lot of time hanging out as friends with with no
intention speaking for myself.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
But I didn't have.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Well you know, I know, of course I can I
ask this, was there no intention because you thought my
priorities have to be on the people?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Always was that no intention? Because you were like, I
don't have a chance.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
No, I just in the scheme of life, and I
think I've got a chance.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
Remember the first time, you know, really no seeing Declan
and he came down and he sat down and was
sitting in the green room and he just came down
and it just hit me straight with questions and like
started trying to you know, get to know me. And
I was I really admired that. I think someone who
you know, can just he's so himself and it's and
(12:21):
I loved seeing that. I think there's you know, there's
no barriers. He's not hiding who he is. He's really
proud and he sat down and he just had a
good old chat with me, and it was really amazing.
I was like, oh, this is great, Like I really
appreciated it.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Should be or not, you know.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
And also, I think increasingly in the world people are
scared to show themselves for a myriad of reasons. But
you have always been totally yourself and that's a very
lovable quality.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
It's really beautiful. But I was wondering.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
How onto the growing bond between you two the people
who were making the show were, because I noticed in
the Maggie Beer episode. In fact, I took a screenshot
of the moment they did a cutaway to YouTube. Okay,
do you see that? No, I just went, I'll show
you it's and I'm like, hello, are you showing each
(13:21):
other goosebump?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
We are?
Speaker 5 (13:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Maybe is amazing.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Yeah, and that's a very rare honor to cook, you know.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Yeah, really sweet.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
But they did a quick cutaway to YouTube. And then
increasingly I was sort of noticing that you two were
often together.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah, definitely, I think that the friendship that started. We
always felt comfortable around each other on set because there's
you know, there's one hundred, one hundred and fifty people
on set every day, only twenty four contestants, so you
do really want to find you know, your group and
whether it was us, you know, going out to exercise
(14:03):
to kill time, because in television there's.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
A lot of hurry up and there's a lot of
waiting around.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So it's like, you know, we'd film an episode where
you had a seventy five minute cook but it would
be a fourteen hour yeah, yes, yes, yes, So just
trying to keep saying in that in doing having healthy
habits on set, you know, whether it's exercising, whether it's
finding a TV show to binge out on, whether it's
studying notes together or you know, kind of brainstorming ideas.
(14:31):
I think that was important in trying to find the
normality of a situation that really isn't normal to anyone.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And it's this may seem, you know, like a sudden thing,
but I think when you've been in circumstances like that, Yeah,
any reality TV has this. Really it is like the
pressure cocker because things happen more quickly.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
You know, the meat gets tender, I see very quickly.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
You're seeing all sides of a person.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Ultimately, it's a competition exactly you're seeing people at breaking
point as a highs and you know you're also surrounded
by people who want to win, so you do need
to find someone who you feel like is someone you
can trust in a way, and someone who's sort of
like minded.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
And I think we got to the point.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
Where we wouldn't have minded if either one of us won,
you know, and I think it's nice to actually build
a friendship beyond that competitive nature.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
So I think we got to that point.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
When have you watched the show back together?
Speaker 6 (15:30):
We watched glimpses, like we haven't watched every single episode
just because we it's pre filmed, and then we were
already jumped into.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Work and other comments.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
But we see moments.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Yeah, well it was my mum. She's like, sorry, you've
gonna go and put this on you and.
Speaker 6 (15:46):
Declan, you've had this moment and you've got to see it.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
And they really when they because we did our announcement
with Stellar Magazine, which which was so nice to say
the narrative from us and get those beautiful shots together
which will cherish for a lifetime, but it was it
wasn't really until then that Master Chef jumped on board
(16:09):
and they're like you know, we'll actually work this into
the narrative because we were so respectful to each other
on the show. It's like, yeah, you saw us standing
next to each other, but you know, I'd be standing
next to Rhiannon and there was no chemistry there. It's
like we were always respectful to that on the show.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
But they.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Worked. They would have gone back.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Respectively, because it was also some of them even before.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Before we were we were friends.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Obviously at a little push or something.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
If I touched him that would make it into.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Well because I sent a message to Pose, I was
speaking to you, and so I sent poem message and
I said, did you know about the romance?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
And she sent me I'll tell you what you and
it was you know post.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
So she's such a beautiful She's amazing, non gossipy sort
of person, but very astuu and you know, sees.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
What goes on.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
She said, Yeah, she said, Okay, I'm such a clueless twitt.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I missed it in tirely.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
I think everybody did.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, she said, I only found out the same time
as everyone else did. Although I have a friend who's
a contestant who told me after. It was all kind
of general knowledge amongst the other contestants and they didn't
hide it.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
Yeah, like you know, we we didn't hide hanging out.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
We hung out all the time when I was at
the complex, like where we stayed. You'd all get a
bus in together and you'd get a bus home where
Sarah had you know, some of the Melbourne people stayed
at home and made their own way to say, right,
so you know, i'd leave set with Sarah or i'd
rop up with Sarah, and then I had those core
people within the group that you know, we're still staying
(17:59):
at the.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Complex, which was still only quite far along.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
It was yeah, yeah, we had been spending a lot
of time previous to that, so I think, yeah.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
It's.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
It's funny, but were all, this is a producer's dream.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
It was fantastic that would have been wrapped.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
So when Declan went out, which I think was week
eleventh thirty two series, because it was an enormous scope
of a series at that point, how were you, Well.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
It was really funny.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
It was the first day where we sort of like
sat next to next to each other and like had
physical contact.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
Right, was that that episode.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
After the eviction or during it?
Speaker 6 (18:54):
It was before eviction and we you know, obviously it
already started to develop at that point and we were close,
but we're also really mindful that we're in a work
situation and respectful.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Of other people.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
And that was the first day, and so it was
really quite devastating because it was like, oh gosh, like
we just felt comfortable to be ourselves.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
And and what when you sat was the first moment
that you'd had a physical like that free song public
So what was it a handhold.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
Or maybe just like.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Remember like on the couch and then it's just like
laying on it with my arm around.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Because I was like, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Food and love.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
It, and I think, you know, the whole respect thing,
like I didn't want to cross any boundaries and you know,
make Sarah feel uncomfortable on set and vice versa. So
you know, it was we'd spend a lot of time
with each other, but I'm not going to go it's
not going to on set or something like that, like
because it's it's just not professional. And then I think,
you know, we're it was nice to finally feel that
(20:01):
comfortable where we can just throw our arm around each other.
You know, we're we're like spending staying living with each
other at.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
That point pretty much.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
So it's like we'd still go into the professional situation
and you know, and be professional.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
And also I think things like Declan leaving, then you
have to be much more clear. You can't take for
granted the fact that you're going to be seeing each other,
you know, maybe for teen more weeks or whatever.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
How did you feel them? Like, what was that Apex?
Speaker 5 (20:35):
I was with her right?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
No longer because you were about to go, Well, you
did say I was moved in.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Yeah, he was staying with me at that point.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
So basically my family, my family, So my family.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Were taking turns to help with Phoenix.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
So right, I was at home, you know, I had
to we would film from I'd have to leave home
at seven am, and I'd get home at sort of
I don't know. Some nights could be ninety eight or
seven or whatever, and he had to get dropped to
school and picked up.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
So my mum would take turns.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
Then my dad came down, took turns, and then there
was a period where my dad.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Had just left.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
And this is when Declan like that transition eliminated, eliminated,
so then he.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
I don't have to come now because they did like.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Oh, he's a nice boy.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Mum was there for six weeks and then she helped
and then and then Sarah's dad, Steve came for six weeks,
so it was really nice. I got to have those
interactions with them as well, so you know what I'm going,
there's banter and you know, like as friends. And then
they saw that grow. So then it was time where
I got eliminated. And it's like, you know, we've created
(21:56):
this bond and this and we were you know, we're
already together kind of at that point. And and then
it's like, oh, well, yeah, like I'll just take Phoenix
to school.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Out of the family by that point.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, and how was Phoenix because of is he thirteen
or fourteen?
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Yeah? Look, it was really subtle. I think for us.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
What was beautiful was that, you know, we were spending
like Declan's dad came down and visited, his mom, came down,
his sister, and then my dad, my mom, and so
we slowly just started building this friendship or relationship whatever
you want to call it.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
And it evolved over time. So we were hanging out.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
Before anything had happened, you know, before we'd really you know,
taken that next step and they're down playing paddle at
the beach and we're you know, having dinners and barbecues
at home and all these different, you know, regular situations.
So it was nice to see even Declan and my
son Phoenix's.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
Bond grow just naturally. Before it wasn't like here's a boyfriend.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
No, And also because particularly when there's a child involved,
but also families very protective, yeah, very and so they
would have been like, who's this guy. He's considerably younger,
he's eleven years younger than you.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Is he a blow in? Is he or whatever?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
And then so you Declan had the chance to show
your character, which was of service, capable, reliable, honest and committed.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
Yeah. I think.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
It speaks for the kind of person Sarah is. I
don't think Sarah would ever like bring someone into her life,
like really like and Phoenix is so mature and such
an intelligent boy, and I think he would know that
he's like, you know, Mum's not going to bring in
some dickhead like and just like so it was like,
you know, I on the outskirt, like I've come from
(23:58):
a broken home and you know, dealt with you know,
step mums and that kind of stuff, So I know
how I felt as a fourteen year old boy, so
I was very empathetic as to how he might be feeling.
And you know, as always, like i'd always just go
to Sarah and just say, I'm guided by you on
how you want to do this, Like I love being
(24:21):
the decision maker and making decisions, but with this kind
of stuff, you know, it's it's your professional career. I've
been in this industry for two three years. Sarah has
been in it for you know, well over a decade.
It's your professional career, it's your son, it's it's your
you know, I'm guided by you. I want you to
(24:41):
be comfortable with however you want to go about this
kind of thing.
Speaker 6 (24:45):
So yeah, and you know, even though it may look
like it's fast, it's been very thought out.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
You know, each step that we take and everything that we.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
Do and decision we make, we've talked about it endlessly
and thought about it.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
And even this you know, slow.
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Transitions with Phoenix and you know that essence that's all
been spoken about before you know, making any decisions.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
So everyone's comfortable. And he is a smart boy.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
He's really intelligent, both intelligence but also emotionally and he
you know, you do have to be delicate with that.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
He's fourteen year old boy, and.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
I don't want to be bringing people in his lives
in his life.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
And taking itching them away.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
He doesn't deserve that.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Yeah, so, you know, I think there's been a lot
of thought that's gone into all of it.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
So you've left, but you're immeshed in the family. You're
continuing to cook. You're continuing to cook astoundingly by the way,
oh thank you, and looking beautiful while you do it,
which is not necessarily important, but it is television and
very beautiful to watch, Like, I've never seen anyone run
(25:56):
to a pantry and look graceful.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Sort of did.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Amazing to make these extraordinary to take these risks with
food when you do you think that part of the
reason that you were so alive in the show was
because you had the extra wind beneath your wings.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
Oh absolutely, I think that I am, even though I
don't often show it. I'm a highly emotional person and
for me, that balance needs to be there in order
for me to perform and to do these crazy things.
And there was days where it sucks so much creative
energy and emotional energy out of me that I did
(26:42):
need to refuel and walk back into the kitchen and
I'd come home and it was it was like walking
even though it is my home. It was walking into
a home where it felt like, you know, it was
full and it was really beautiful. It was Decline, it
was sol the dog. It was Phoenix, it was dog.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
From I was like, what sort of dog.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
Here's a Hungarian vislock.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Really hunting dog, pointing.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
Yeah, right, yes, but it was yeah, like I was.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
I was there to drop Sarah off on set in
the mornings, you know, so she could get all the
makeup done in the car on the way and we're
up the bay, so it was it's about an hour
drive on a good day to get to the studio.
So you know, like Sarah leave it saying getting there
at seven, you know, you'd leave at six in the
morning and then coming home at nine at night, but
(27:37):
there've been food there, like, you know, so she can
refuel or like you know, brainstorming ideas and staying up
to all hours of the night like helping her you know,
think or practice like I remember us, you know, making
buddy milk buttons at eleven pm at night, which you know,
I like just and it was that and I just knew,
I'm like this, this is only for a short period,
(27:58):
Like it doesn't matter if I'm burning myself to the
absolute end. I know the grand finale date is on
this date, whether she's in it or not, Like I can,
you know, I can absolutely drive her to the end.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
This is interesting because you've had such you know, as
Declan said, you had a very established life, but a
lot of it you had.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Done on your own.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Was how did it feel and what was the point
at which you went? You know that a part of
you can relax into the fact that there's someone there
that is solid and stable and there for you.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Was there a moment.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Where you where you just felt the ease of that.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
I think there's kind of two sides to it.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
I feel like that was very hard for me to
do because I have always done everything and managed everything
and found a way, no matter what it did to
me physically emotionally, I'd always get up and you know,
put the pieces back together. And there was the other
side where it was like, you know, I felt like
(29:05):
this was just so real and it was like it
was this kind of one side trying to let go
and relax into it. But the other side just going no,
I can't, I can't let myself do that because I've
never done it before and it was really nice, and
it's it's like probably still happening now.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
Like like.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
That that a relationship takes a kind of surrender.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Yeah, it does.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And if you're someone who's been fiercely independent, that requires
a different set of muscles.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Absolutely, And in.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
What way were you resisting that, do you think? Oh?
Speaker 4 (29:48):
Probably in every way.
Speaker 6 (29:49):
Like I think just like letting him just make the dinner,
you know who, like even as small things, and then
for him to you know, pick Phoenix up from you know,
from school. I was like, I've never I've never asked
anybody to do that before other than you know, my
mom or my dad. That's the only people I've ever asked.
(30:11):
I've never had babysitters or anything. You know, it's kind
of in Australian blood to just go you have to
do it all yourself, you know, it's not only just
being single, it's an independent it's also our makeup. Yeah,
so I think, yeah, like it's still kind of happening.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
And so Declan strikes me as being quite patient. Yeah,
or did he move things along in that regard.
Speaker 6 (30:37):
Look, he's just I think that everything that Declan does,
he does it without expecting anything in return.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
He just genuinely and.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
It's not just for me. I see it with all
of his friends, his family. You know, he'll give his
time and he'll do these small things, whether it's you know,
a little message in the morning to you know, brighten
your day, or something extra for his family, Like, he'll
always go out of his way to do that.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
A lot more would so.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
He gets a special Yeah, because you said something really
lovely in the episode where Declan left, and that was
interesting as well, that the only person that they asked.
I mean, obviously probably it was edited that way, but
they left your.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Commenting and I wrote it down. I didn't get a word.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
For word, but it was so beautiful what you said
when they asked you to discuss what Declan had meant
to the show, and you said, he's a light for
everyone in the room and he lifts everyone up. Yeah,
that's such like I find this quite moving. Your that
surrendering thing I think is very hard for women who
have been stoic and used to doing things.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
On their own. Yeah, definitely and I see.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
I'm aware that how hard that is for Sarah because
I can see it at times, you know, her wanting
to do everything. And I've come from a family with
three fiercely and independent women as well, so I think
that's kind of helped me adjust to that. And I
let her do things like and then you know when
when she see I let her see herself exhausting herself
(32:15):
that little bit more, maybe in a way where I
could have helped, and then she's like, oh no, I
might let deck do that, or I might ask just
once and say I'll do this, and if she says no,
like I respect that, but then she might come to
me the next week and be like, oh, maybe you
can do that.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
Like I don't want to be.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Controlling in any way whatsoever, but I feel like, you know,
like Sarah said, we're still figuring all this out, yes,
and I think it's like we, you know, we really
just threw ourself into the thick of it.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Don't go anywhere. Sarah and Declan have plenty more to
share right after this. So then the show finished, You're
obviously on this path now. I mean, you've gone to Factor,
You've gone to Factory and then.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
You go overseas together.
Speaker 5 (33:07):
Yeah, we move in, we go oversee And what was.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
The trip originally? Was it a trip that was that
you had planned together? Was a trip you were originally
going to have or how did that work?
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Well?
Speaker 2 (33:19):
How many.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Of Paris? I know?
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Paris, Europe, Dubai, India.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
We've just spent three weeks on the road driving around Australia.
Speaker 6 (33:30):
We've kept the first trip was actually a work trip
of mine, and then it was to India. And I
was like, you need to come and experience India because it.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
So because you're massive, because Master she is a huge
India and you're huge in India.
Speaker 6 (33:50):
Wells, yeah, I mean I have a big, long career
in India. And it was nice to I think that
I have such a love of India and I've been
seeing it through my eyes for so long. It was
really beautiful to show decline and to see it for
the first time through his eyes. And just I think
that we had the most beautiful trip and the places
(34:13):
that have become familiar to me.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
And what do they.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Call us again, the jujiuji as husband of a sister.
Speaker 6 (34:21):
Yeah, so I'm they calling me a sister of India.
And him like, you know my husband, which is I
was like, oh my gosh, well that was kind of
a moment for me to realize that India is calling
me a sister. Yeah, I feel and they're like, oh,
you know, it's like, you know, I've been there always,
and I think that the food scene I've been you know,
(34:44):
speckled through it for the last eleven twelve years and
it was nice to yeah, to kind of just see
the response of Declan coming to India and yeah, and
it was beautiful, Like I think it was really well
received also by the media and and you know, everyone
(35:05):
reaching out to us while we're there.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
It felt really special.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
And because you know, sometimes I think relationships that have
started in a covert sort of way because you know,
it wasn't for public consumption at that time, sometimes when
they step into the open, the nature of the relationship
changes because the secrecy has added an extra little fits
on to it, and when you are walking in the light,
(35:34):
it can change a little bit. Did you have any
moments where you were like or you were like, oh,
this is an unexpected aspect of this person.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
I think that's the special thing is from the moment
I met Sarah we were just in sync and that
we obviously have differences, but you know, whether it's our values,
our morals, like her speaking of what I do in
the morning, she does it as well. And she is
such a fiercely independent woman. I feel lucky that you
(36:05):
and I've swept off her feet and I've.
Speaker 5 (36:08):
Ended up with her.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
But it's just like it's it's honestly so special to
have met someone that is so on the same page
with me with morals of life, with values, which I
think is really important in the cause of a relationship,
Like is you know you want to be best friends?
Speaker 5 (36:31):
And I can call herm a best friend. Like it's like,
you know, we do.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
We're we've thrown ourselves in the deep end where we're
working together, we're living together, we did the show together,
we're traveling together. Like there's not not and you know,
don't get me wrong, I'm sure I drive her up
the bloody wall sometimes.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
I did see in one of yours you're saying him,
don't be lazy.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
Yeah, it's just banter.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
And it's like we have such a such a good friendship,
which I think is something I haven't had in the past,
and it's going into Master Chef without those intentions to
find someone, and I was kind of on a journey
of like not wanting to be in a relationship for
a little while.
Speaker 5 (37:16):
I was like, all right, and then and then.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Sarah, and just focus on the bistro dream.
Speaker 5 (37:21):
Yeah that, but just focus you know.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
I absolutely love building, and it's like I just didn't
want I went on Master Chef and then I'm like sweet, Like,
you know, if I win this, I can really get
a quarter of a meal behind myself to capitalize on that.
But my goal is to you know, have a portfolio
on build my homes and like you know, build a
(37:43):
family and stuff like that. And it's you know, I'm
I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to be on
Master Chef.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
This is my first podcast I've ever been on as well.
I've never done anything like this before. But I come
in here with a couple of butterflies.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Holy shit, much like Sarah, like never never spoken so
personally about my life, which I think this is this
is a big step for us.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
When you were saying before the things that you've shared together, yeah,
you left something out. Yeah, When I said, hell, are
you too? When you walked in, yeah, that was not
strictly true.
Speaker 5 (38:27):
No, I couldn't be more excited, like and.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
About what.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Are you excited.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
About having a baby?
Speaker 2 (38:38):
But like the buns in the ovens and it's it's
kind of it's all that I've ever wanted in life,
and I can just see an endless future with Sarah
and us growing together and starting this beautiful family together.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Was this intentional int well, that was the pregnancy, do
you know what I mean? Were you like, let's let's
make a baby or do happen? And it was it
a happy accident.
Speaker 6 (39:07):
We've spoken about everything, and I think we spoke about
you know, obviously you mentioned age as well, and you know,
if we start this journey together in a relationship, and
you know we obviously Declan wants to build a family
and I, you know, I know how beautiful it is
having my son, and I've always wanted more children, and
(39:27):
we spoke about all aspects and you know.
Speaker 5 (39:30):
I think from an early stage, yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (39:33):
You know, it was really beautiful.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
Like Declan also said, like, we spoke about the options
if I couldn't as well, and you know there was
both sides, so we we really did speak about everything,
and you know, we knew this is what we wanted.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Well, it's interesting because your age difference is similar to
me and my husband, so I do believe.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
For me, it's really kind of a non issue. But
when we first meet, we were in such different stages
of our life. I just started working in television and
he was working in a cafe and he was really
clucky at this.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
He really sounds very simil.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And I was frond him in a vague yeah one
day and then now.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
We've got four children, amazing.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
But it was because there was a driver of us
and Peter was very similar to Declan in background as well,
really in that he was like, this is what life
is about.
Speaker 6 (40:25):
Yeah, and that's exactly what Declan says. And I believe
it as well. And you know, I think the you know,
family is everything.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
And who did you tell first?
Speaker 4 (40:35):
Oh my gosh, who did me?
Speaker 5 (40:36):
I think my mum?
Speaker 4 (40:38):
Yeah, yeah, And that was a big moment as well.
Speaker 6 (40:42):
I think, you know, I think we have been so
overwhelmed with how how many beautiful messages from our family
and friends and how happy everyone is for us. But
it's like it's such a big thing and it's a lot,
you know, again like going back to the fact that,
like I'm sure you know, I'm a very close person.
I don't share a lot of my personal life and
(41:04):
and you know this is all new to us to
now be sharing it all, and there's so many people
to share, so.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
Many people are invested in it, which is beautiful. And
also because the story of you two, I mean, you're
so Yin and Yang, You're so the the energy is
so male and so female.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
It's so lady in the tramp, do you know what
I mean? Yeah, sharing that.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
That beautiful thing that it's a very beautiful story that
a lot of people, like I said, are invested in.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I think neither of us expected that we'd come into
each other's lives. And it goes back to the part
where you know, we've created this friendship before even you know,
having a kiss or something. Ca Serah goes into an
elimination and then I'm like, ship, this could be the
last time I see her.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
I just got to bite the bullet and do this.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
And I'm walking in, I'm walking in, She's walking in
front of me, and I'm like, do this, let's do it, let's.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
Do it, And what did you say?
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And just tap her on the shoulder and I'm like, like,
we're walking in a group of twenty thirty and then
I'm like, oh, I'm like Sarah, I'm like I just
want to ask you, like, you know, in case you
get eliminated today, did you maybe want to go on
a date with me?
Speaker 5 (42:24):
And then she just looks at me and she's like
she's like what. And I'm like, you want to go
on a date with me? And she's like you're an idiot?
Like you ready to go in for it?
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Why was he an idiot?
Speaker 6 (42:37):
Well, it was just like it's like thirty seconds before
I'm about to get eliminated.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I was like this, yeah, and that.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Was there's like people side by side, and once you
get eliminated, you're out the door, you pack your bags
and you go yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
And Sarah and you're taking Phoenix to school. This was yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Good.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
So this was you know, very early, and I'm like,
I can't skip on this opportunity. And I'm like I
always my whole life have told myself, do you just
need twenty seconds of curry with whatever it is you're doing,
whether it's applying for that job, quitting that job, you know,
asking someone on a day to Kis. So you know,
all it is is just shut out everything in your
(43:19):
life and just have twenty seconds of courage to do it.
Speaker 5 (43:23):
And I had that twenty seconds of courage and she.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Left me, you know, yeah, and then I went back
that night because she didn't give me an answer, and
I was up all night and I was just laying
in bed staring at the roof, like laughing at myself, like, wow,
I just asked Sarah Sarah Todd on a date and
she laughed at me, got me.
Speaker 5 (43:41):
And then it wasn't until.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Like uncomfortable like situation, And then how was that night
for you?
Speaker 1 (43:48):
What was going for your mind?
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (43:49):
Like you know, I was still kind of yeah, I
was still like is that what he meant?
Speaker 4 (43:55):
You know, I was kind of like, is it a date?
Speaker 2 (43:58):
Date?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (43:58):
He was like really okay, you know, because I feel like,
you know, we had become friends, but obviously, you know,
we had moments where I like, I was excited for
him to be there, you know, doing something, and he
walks in the room and you know, I knew that
the spark was there, so.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
He knew that you had those feelings.
Speaker 6 (44:17):
Yeah, definitely, it wasn't just a mate. Yeah, exactly. You know,
you don't know where that might go, or you know.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
When did you get back to him? When did you
get back to the idiot?
Speaker 4 (44:30):
I don't know exactly when, but.
Speaker 5 (44:33):
Yeah, just two days later, vividly remember two days later.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
But it was like, you know, I just I sent
her a message and I was like, I apologize, like
if it was very forward. She obviously didn't get eliminated,
and we had to spend you know, the next indefinitely
seeing each other, like I don't want to make you
feel uncomfortable, and I hope you know, I just want
to remain your friend. I'm sorry if I was an idiot.
(45:00):
And then she come up to me and she's Sarah's
like she's like, oh, no, what you asked me the
other day? Like, yeah, I'd love to go on a
date with you.
Speaker 5 (45:09):
And then and then you.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Had to plan a date, yeah, which was so.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
I drove my car down from Sydney to be on
the show and packed it with all my knickknacks and
my books and my posters and made my room feel
like a home, not wanting to live out of a
suitcase for six months.
Speaker 5 (45:25):
And then so I had my car and I was
had a.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Weekend booked in at the Grampians, and then so I'm like, oh,
I'm actually going to the Grampians this weekend. Do you
want to jump in the car and just come for
the ride? And then and then we went away for
two nights and stayed in the lodge in the middle
of the Grampis.
Speaker 5 (45:48):
Yeah, and then it was history from there.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Okay, So you you've shared with us that you're expecting
a baby.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
Yeah, what was the moment when you did? You obviously, first.
Speaker 2 (46:03):
You're the one trying to squeeze into it dress and
bloody boobs first.
Speaker 6 (46:07):
Of all, bos so before you did a teaste, Yeah,
my boobs grew. But I had to go over for
a trip, a work trip to India, and then we
were meeting in cans for like a trip at the
end of my India trip, and I'm going through customs
in the airport and out of nowhere, I just vomit
(46:30):
in a binh.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
Like, is this coviding?
Speaker 6 (46:38):
And so that was kind of yeah, the moment where
I was like, oh gosh, I just vomited in a bin.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
So at this point you.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Were coming back to cans I was there waiting up
in cans, and I'm like, I'll go to the pharmacy.
I'll buy one of those bloody tests and.
Speaker 6 (46:55):
Really fancy one with like the weeks on it and
everything up the toilet.
Speaker 5 (47:01):
And then she comes out of that at the yeah, pregnant,
holy ship.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
Well would you jump on the water skis because we're
meant to go water yeah?
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
And we're there with friends like Rhianna and everything.
Speaker 6 (47:17):
We've just figured out this news and we've gone there
to go waterskiing.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
Right, and so I go straight on the water.
Speaker 6 (47:23):
Ski and then it like I fall back and it
just scrapes all the way in between my legs.
Speaker 4 (47:29):
And I've got these.
Speaker 6 (47:30):
Gigantic like dashes.
Speaker 5 (47:32):
On my Maybe we shouldn't do that.
Speaker 4 (47:33):
Yeah, just hold off on this now.
Speaker 1 (47:36):
Wow? And then when did you share? Did you share
it with them on that trip?
Speaker 5 (47:40):
I kept it. It was really between family, you know.
Speaker 4 (47:44):
A little was one of the first people we told.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
How was she so excited?
Speaker 5 (47:51):
Everyone, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Everyone's been so excited and it's been such a nice response,
and I'm so excited for all the little moments, you know,
the late night feeds, you know, getting up with sair
even now.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
The leg eggs and all of that started. I slipped
about two hours last night as well. The sleepless I
just kicked.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
That's so cruel, it's so so weird. And that's nature preparing.
Why can't nature prepare?
Speaker 1 (48:20):
Yeah, getting good sleep?
Speaker 5 (48:22):
Yeah, so no, it's I'm so excited for it all.
Speaker 1 (48:27):
Coming up.
Speaker 3 (48:28):
Sarah and Declan reveal how they went from Master Chef
rivals to building a family together and so like, geographically
now you're going to be a family, where are you
going to be based to Melbourne?
Speaker 7 (48:46):
Right?
Speaker 6 (48:47):
Yeah, so we're bayside and yeah we've got a bigger
house now and everyone settled in.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
But every every day honestly just feels like a dream
and a dream come true.
Speaker 5 (48:59):
Like it's so it's so special.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
We've got you know, we we bit the bullet and
got a bigger house together. And you know, I moved
from Sydney to Melbourne and is in school in Melbourne.
So I'm prepared to stay here for you know, until
he finishes his school certificate, but you know, I'd love
to love to move eventually. And you know then now
(49:22):
I've got another little one on the way, like I think,
you know, having them experience the rest of the world
or the rest of the country. It's the opportunities are endless.
But we're both also open to change, which is really nice.
And this is obviously the biggest change in both our
life is trying to merge our families together.
Speaker 6 (49:42):
And people think our lifestyle is crazy, but we're very
similar and we love it and I.
Speaker 4 (49:46):
Think it's so nice.
Speaker 6 (49:48):
We both love the small things in life. Yeah, those
little in between moments, and I feel like it's, yeah,
we've we're very like minded in that sense. So we
can do totally different holidays if it's a campavan or
something like that. You know, it's it's been really special
and I think, yeah, we've had a really fun jam
(50:10):
packed ye.
Speaker 3 (50:11):
I mean, obviously you've got a massive project coming up.
How far off, by the way, roughly when it wins
your baby.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
A summer a summer baby.
Speaker 6 (50:22):
Yeah, around around the end of the year, right around
like early early next year.
Speaker 3 (50:27):
Yeah, right, yeah, And so what have you envisaged what
you know, what you'll be like when you're hunkered down
for that or is are you going to hit the
road with with the with the whole circus.
Speaker 6 (50:42):
Yeah, I think for us, we we definitely like I'm
a person that trusts my intuition and I'm not going
to set anything in stone in terms of what we're
going to do. Who knows what it might look like
at that moment. So I think we're both open to
whatever might come our way. But in saying that, you know,
(51:03):
we we obviously have, you know, different things that we
want to do and what we think and prefer, yeah, professionally,
what we would like to kind of get back into
and you know, worked out in a way that you know,
if it's Decklan's work, that we all go together and
he does his work or vice versa, so to manage
(51:23):
it in that way that we'll be doing it as
a family.
Speaker 3 (51:26):
And how has the pregnancy been, by the way, because
the experience, so it's fourteen years ago, Yeah, how is
it this time?
Speaker 1 (51:34):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (51:34):
Definitely different.
Speaker 6 (51:35):
I think I was we were driving below the Eiffel
Tower and I'm puking in.
Speaker 4 (51:42):
The gutter in all sorts of places.
Speaker 6 (51:47):
So I've definitely got a lot of mourning sickness this time.
And yeah, like just different, Like it's definitely Also I
feel like you probably know this after the first baby.
You only remember the good stuff. I don't remember any well,
otherwise no one would.
Speaker 4 (52:03):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (52:05):
So it's a remarkable thing about the human psyche. It's
a really brilliant thing that we only remember the book.
Speaker 6 (52:12):
Yeah, so I think back I was like, oh, I
had a beautiful pregnancy.
Speaker 1 (52:15):
Nothing.
Speaker 4 (52:15):
Yeah, yeah, maybe it did, I just can't remember now.
Speaker 6 (52:18):
So there's definitely been ups and downs with how I've
been feeling. But I, you know, just surrender my body
to it and whatever happens and needs to happen. I
know my body will kick in and do what it
has to. So just letting that happen.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
And doing such a good job.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
And what are you thinking about being a dad?
Speaker 2 (52:37):
I'm so excited, especially, you know, being a parent with Sarah.
I think it's I've never envisioned it to be like this,
and it is. It's all I've kind of ever wanted.
And this baby is already coming into a house that's
so full of love.
Speaker 4 (52:56):
There's so much love.
Speaker 5 (52:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Yeah, And I feel like Sarah is already such a
great parent, and she's it's only going to become a
better parent day by day. But I think, you know,
I look at things that I put my parents through
and it makes me a little bit nervous of you.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
Know what, it's not straight.
Speaker 5 (53:17):
No, I'm so.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Excited for you know, just like having a little baby
in my arm and you know, being being able. I
think Sarah is a bit a bit nervous she's not
going to get enough time. Yeah, it's it's so beautiful
and I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else other
than Sarah.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
And I just who was the first person that said
I love you? Have you not said it every day?
Speaker 5 (53:46):
Yeah? Yeah, I went with that moment that.
Speaker 2 (53:49):
Was Sarah went were laying in bed and and she's like,
I love you, and I'm like it hit me and
it's like I just say you idiot, but I just said,
I'm like it's I don't want you to say this,
and it's like it's got a lot of power. Mind it,
(54:09):
and Cheese like you're an idiot. I love you And
I'm like I love you too. And you know, we
we say it, you know, all day every day to
each other, and we just remind each other like, you know,
it doesn't matter how many times I say I love
you or how many times I say you beautiful, I
always will mean it, Like I never want it to
(54:30):
just become something you say out of habit. I want
you to know that every time I look at you
and I say you're gordgeous, you're beautiful, I love you.
I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
Speaker 6 (54:40):
And I think it's you know, for me, obviously the
words mean a huge amount, but it's mostly actions for.
Speaker 4 (54:47):
Me and feeling it.
Speaker 6 (54:48):
And I feel it, and I feel that love in
our house and from Declan, and.
Speaker 4 (54:53):
It's yeah, it's really beautiful.
Speaker 3 (54:56):
How extraordinary that both of you went looking for something
and ended up with something completely different and yet exactly
what was meant for you.
Speaker 5 (55:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (55:09):
I think it's just a reminder, you know, to everyone,
you can't put yourself on time limits, or you can't
tell yourself you have to do this by this age
or have.
Speaker 5 (55:18):
This accomplished in your life by now.
Speaker 2 (55:21):
I think just like everyone needs to chill out a
bit and just enjoy the little things, because you know,
we've all lost friends, we've all lost family, we've all experienced.
Speaker 1 (55:33):
You know, times are tough.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
Yeah, and it's like what, you can't wake up every
day and be moaning and groaning.
Speaker 5 (55:39):
You need to wake up every day and just be.
Speaker 2 (55:42):
Grateful that you know, our feed are on the floor,
we've got roof over our head hopefully, and food on
the table. And I think, you know, we're both very
driven with our work ethics, and you know, there'll never
be a moment where I wouldn't provide that for my family.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
I love it. You just such a delight. I'm very
happy for your happiness.
Speaker 5 (56:03):
Thank you to you.
Speaker 3 (56:05):
So do you disagree on things? Oh, definitely, of course,
like micro macro.
Speaker 6 (56:11):
Oh, it could be everything. You know, We've got a
lot kind of going on. But yeah, Declin is a
good communicator, and I think that I'm a very probably
I don't know, quite diplomatic. I suppose I like to
look at all situations and sides of the story, and
I think we just talk.
Speaker 5 (56:31):
Yeah, we're just talking.
Speaker 2 (56:32):
I think communication is key and and and well that's it.
Speaker 3 (56:37):
It's interesting watching you two. Neither of you really seem
to have a temper. Yeah, that's interesting because some people
are very reactive.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
But yeah, both of you seem to be quite sort
of considered.
Speaker 5 (56:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (56:51):
Yeah, I think I've like since becoming a man, like
I used to be very angry person and a very
rattled young man, and I've put so much effort into
becoming the man I am today.
Speaker 5 (57:07):
I've certainly had to, you know practice.
Speaker 1 (57:09):
Do you think that anger was to do with the family,
and that the.
Speaker 2 (57:13):
Definitely I think, you know, as a as a young
hormonal fourteen year old boy, thirteen year old boy that
I was when I went through that, you know, could
jumping back and forth from homes and you know, having
one parent say one thing about the other and just
being a middleman at that age, Like I think, you know,
having sisters you wanted to.
Speaker 5 (57:32):
Look after, and I think all of it.
Speaker 2 (57:35):
But I think, you know, I've really put so much
effort into self development and you know, physical emotional empathy,
and you know, Mum always just instilled that in me,
like you know, look up empathy, look up humility, and
that's what I'll be saying to you know, my kids
in the future.
Speaker 5 (57:54):
And you know what gets thrown around the house is.
Speaker 4 (57:57):
Yeah, I think I was probably the opposite.
Speaker 6 (58:00):
I was very quiet, bottle it all up and deal
with it myself and find a way to kind of
figure things out. And I guess I realized that that's
not a good way to be. You need to just
hit problems head on, sort it out, communicate, you know,
if one of us is feeling a little bit you know,
maybe hurt or you know, you don't want to say
something in frustration and anger that you can't take back.
(58:23):
So I'm always the one to kind of say, you know, well,
let's take a breath and have a think about what
we really want to say to each other and what we.
Speaker 4 (58:31):
Mean, yeah, and then talk about it and you know,
get to the bottom of it.
Speaker 2 (58:36):
And I think, you know, living together, holidaying together, doing
business together, and there's certainly big things to come in
the future, you know, outside of our personal life, going
into work and stuff like that. Like, I think you're
always going to come across hurdles and it's just how
you deal with it.
Speaker 5 (58:53):
And there's there's no point in being.
Speaker 2 (58:55):
Speaking from anger or speaking from a place of hurt
or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (59:00):
And I think life has very high eighths and very
low lows, and it's okay to feel really really low.
And I think, you know, we don't force each other
to instantly just be happy.
Speaker 5 (59:11):
Yeah, that's a big thing.
Speaker 3 (59:12):
And also I think in relationships, I mean, everyone's good
when it's good times. Yeah, it's how you navigate the
bag exactly. And when there's a challenge how you rise
to meet the other person and you.
Speaker 4 (59:25):
Have to deal with it.
Speaker 6 (59:26):
You can't just you know, fight it out, or you
can't just push it under the rug. You have to
feel low, you have to feel frustrated, work on it,
see what the problem is, and find a way out
of it.
Speaker 4 (59:37):
And that makes you take time.
Speaker 6 (59:40):
But I think we both also have really spoken about
that a lot, that we want to work through the
hard times.
Speaker 4 (59:45):
We don't want to run away when it's difficult.
Speaker 6 (59:47):
We want to make sure that we both understand that
relationships take work and that we will hit hurdles and
that will be you know, days where things happen that
you know, are really hard to cope with, and we're
going to try our best to just hit it head
on and figure it out.
Speaker 5 (01:00:06):
So many good days.
Speaker 2 (01:00:07):
I think you know why I'm so attracted that to
Sarah is her ethos on life and it and it
resonates with mine.
Speaker 5 (01:00:13):
And and yes, I can't wait to spend the rest
of my life ford.
Speaker 4 (01:00:18):
Back at you.
Speaker 2 (01:00:19):
Yeah, it's probably people saying all there's probably people throwing up, but.
Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
You know, everyone loves love.
Speaker 3 (01:00:30):
Yeah, and you've both been just so exquisite to.
Speaker 1 (01:00:37):
Witness.
Speaker 4 (01:00:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:00:39):
We appreciate it, and we appreciate the support from you know,
our following.
Speaker 5 (01:00:44):
I think it's so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
But we've both lived very interesting lives and and and
here we are. We've found each other and and we're
creating a family together, and it's it's a beautiful period
of our life.
Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
Congratulations. I can't wait to see.
Speaker 4 (01:01:01):
We're so excited.
Speaker 5 (01:01:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01:05):
So that was Sarah Todd and Decklan Cleary, two people
who thought they were signing up for a cooking competition
and ended up finding a whole new life together, from
the Master Chef kitchen to a blended family and now
with a baby on the way. It's clear that for
(01:01:25):
Sarah and Declan, timing really was everything.
Speaker 1 (01:01:30):
And it's so.
Speaker 3 (01:01:32):
Lovely to feel nothing but happiness for other people whose
happiness is infectious. Thank you so much for listening to
No Filter. The executive producer of No Filter is Nama Brown.
The senior producer is Breed Player. Audio production is by
Jacob Brown and video editing is by Josh Green. This
(01:01:52):
episode was recorded at Session in Progress Studios, and I
am your host.
Speaker 1 (01:01:57):
Kateline Brook.
Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
Thank you again for sharing this with us.
You're listening to a mom and mea podcast. Mama Mea
acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters that this
podcast is recorded on.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I couldn't be more excited, like about what are you
excited about having a baby, but like the buns in
the ovens and it's kind of it's all I've ever
wanted in life.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hello, and welcome to No Filter. I'm Kate lane Brook
and today, oh this is so great. We're talking about
a love story that no one saw coming. Sarah Todd
and Declan Cleary met in one of the most high
pressure kitchens in Australia, Master Chief Back to Win, and
(01:02):
they were supposed to be competitors, not soul mates. But
somewhere between the pressure tests, the plating and the late
night cookoffs, something.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Else began to simmer.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Sarah is a chef, a restaurateur and TV personality who's
made a global name for herself, and Declan is a
tradee who became a fan favorite on the show for
his talent and warmth. And together they've gone from competitors
to partners, from a shared kitchen to a shared home,
(01:38):
and now they have got some very very very big
news to share. This is a story of how a
reality competition turned into reality a real life love story,
and how Sarah and Declan are about to embark on
their most exciting chapter yet. Sarah Todd Declan Cleary, Welcome
(02:04):
to No Filter.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I've been so looking forward to meeting you too, although
you two is not really right, but.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We'll get to that. How delightful to have you two here.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
It's special to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's good to be back in Melbourne because I feel
like we've been on the run for months.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
You know, we've had a really busy schedule and then
you know, we've wanted to enjoy these past few months
to ourselves and with our family, and just so happened
that we were on the road the whole time.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Just yeah until.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Now, Yes, until yesterday.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
And I said to you, you too, love a pressure test.
You have really jumped headfirst into really everything good that
life can offer, which is food, obviously love unexpected.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Who was it more unexpected for?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I think I can speak for the both of us
in saying I think we both went in with no
intention and find love.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Master Chef is not a dating show.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Fact.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I don't know if there have been any other Master
Chef couples.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
I think, yeah, I think that.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
We know of you know, because it's one thing. You know,
It's kind of like actors as well, that when you
in a situation like that, when you you're experiencing something
that has an intensity and a club like nature, that
you do tend to make connections, quite strong and deep connections,
(03:49):
but they don't always last.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
We're both very passionate about what we do, and I
think we went into Master Chef wanting to win the show,
and I think that we both threw everything at it,
and in the early days we kind of became each
other's sort of little safe place that was ay from
all of that intensity.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So how long? How long was the filming?
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Six months?
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:15):
So we started wow December last year, and you know,
you know what it's like. It's can be ten to
twelve hour days. You're filming for only a few of
those hours. The rest of it is just outside of
you know, the kitchen and hanging out and finding ways
to kind of keep our sanity.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I of yees yes, and find someone because in those
situations you need some sort of pressure release, You need
to feel that you have an ally of some kind,
and so you two struck up a friendship pretty early.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
How early on.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I think straight away, I think for Sarah's third time
coming back, and then my second I definitely pulled, you know,
two friends out of the first series that I was on.
I was lucky enough to come out as best friends
with Rhianna and Anderson.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Yeah, from my series, and that was which was.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Like too, you were choose yeah seasons.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, so filming in twenty twenty two into twenty twenty three, right,
and then you know, just like love just big long
days hanging out with her and the vo having a
cup of tea and where do you live?
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Like what's the setup for that?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Well, just coincidentally, Rhiannon became a friend of mine before
the show, So going into Master Chef, I instant instantly
was like, find my person, and it was Rhiannon. And
because they had such a strong friendship, it's kind of
drew us together. It was kind of like, you know,
that taking down that barrier because I'm a pretty inteler person,
(05:49):
even though I'm really.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Very contained, very contained, in fact, quite intriguing to watch
very beautiful, very graceful declan you are none of those things,
because he's completely but you are internal. Declan, you are external, definitely,
and it's one of the many differences between you, aside
(06:12):
from background. What was your background, Sarah, Like, how did
you grow up?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
I'm a country girl.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
I'm from a small town two thousand people called Scrubby
and grew up just outdoors and just like you know,
a really beautiful childhood, two brothers and with a really
solid family.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I think that I'm really blessed.
Speaker 6 (06:35):
I have just not only my immediate family unit, but
a very big family which Declan's just had the pleasure
of meeting almost all of them. And what's what was
the cultural makeup of your family Australian? Yeah, so I think,
you know, for me growing up very ausy, very you know,
(06:58):
Australian upbringing.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
But those whole Indian slash French thing.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
So I my son's half Indian, and so I fell
in love with the culture. And I think that, you know,
we're really blessed in Australia to be very open minded.
And as soon as I was, you know, made aware
of his culture. And I also felt like, being a mother,
it was my responsibility to understand that culture as well,
and I just you know, totally immersed myself into Indian
(07:26):
culture and you.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Ended up running a restaurant in Goer.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yes, is that was North Goer Yeah, yeah, maybe I've
been to South go oh Okay beautiful quite quite a
few times.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
Yeah, amazing. Yeah, it's a beautiful place. I'm sure you
would have realized. Injury is a place where they just
welcome you with open arms. And we just did a
trip recently to go over to India and it was
Declan's first time, and it's a place for me that
you know, I've spending five months minimum a year in
India for the last eleven years.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
And you take Phoenix back there, you're yeah, he.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
Comes back and forth with me, and you know, I
think that they have just really welcomed me with open arms.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
And I just threw myself into it. And I love it.
I love in Dear and I love the culture.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
I love the food, the people, and you know, I
wanted Phoenix to feel proud too if he has to
take a parato and his lunchbox to school, that he's
not going to be picked on or embarrassed about it.
You know, I think it's my responsibility to do that.
So yeah, it was really nice to kind of.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Be opened up to this whole new world and.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Decline your background Australian.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Yeah, growing up in fresh water run on Sydney's northern beaches.
So yeah, just full full lossie and traveling lots as
a kid through dad's work. So I had the luxury
to you know, he was in television.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
Yeah he was. Yeah, So.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, Mum and dad met in television and now.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And then and you're a trade and then so.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
I'm a build a carpenter by trade and kind.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Of again very handy. You don't want a soft handed
paper push up. What you need is someone who can
undo the pressure cooker.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Yeah, exactly when he definitely does that.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
So so much like Sarah, like just a really close family,
two sisters, so stuck in the middle of sometimes I
say the rose between the thorns. I am with an
older and young I bet the love it. But like
they're you know, prior to Sarah coming into my life,
(09:38):
there's still like some of the most prominent women in
my life, my mum and my two sisters, so very
very strong relationship with them, and I think, you know
that that was really important in my upbringing and my
sort of like my ethos with life, you know, growing
up in a household with no shortage of women.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
And you like to tilt and win mills, so you
like to go this may seem impossible to some, but
this is what I want to do.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Yeah. In regards to work and cooking, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I've always like liked pushing the boundaries with myself with
things that I'm doing. And you know, I'm not the
kind of person that likes to be indoors and not
doing anything. I think, you know, as soon as I
could get on the job site and be a trade
working outside, I thrived on that and I think the
creativity kind of came in par with cooking.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
It was very similar.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I never thought I'd get Top three on Master Chef
Australia and then go on to you know, finding the
love of my life on the shows.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
And then when you were both invited back, yeah, for
the for the back to win the series, what was
Can you remember the moment when you first saw Sarah.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
I was just like, oh, this bloody bombshells on the show.
It's going to be hard to keep my eyes off her, and.
Speaker 7 (11:02):
Really like it was like she's gorgeous, She's stunning, and
and you know I was there with no intentions of
anything other than to win the show.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So and you were both emotionally unencumbered when you came
to Yeah, yeah, definitely so, which which was really special.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
And I think, you know the foundations of our relationship
were built on a friendship and we were spending a
lot of time hanging out as friends with with no
intention speaking for myself.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
But I didn't have.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Well you know, I know, of course I can I
ask this, was there no intention because you thought my
priorities have to be on the people?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Always was that no intention? Because you were like, I
don't have a chance.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
No, I just in the scheme of life, and I
think I've got a chance.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
Remember the first time, you know, really no seeing Declan
and he came down and he sat down and was
sitting in the green room and he just came down
and it just hit me straight with questions and like
started trying to you know, get to know me. And
I was I really admired that. I think someone who
you know, can just he's so himself and it's and
(12:21):
I loved seeing that. I think there's you know, there's
no barriers. He's not hiding who he is. He's really
proud and he sat down and he just had a
good old chat with me, and it was really amazing.
I was like, oh, this is great, Like I really
appreciated it.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Should be or not, you know.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
And also, I think increasingly in the world people are
scared to show themselves for a myriad of reasons. But
you have always been totally yourself and that's a very
lovable quality.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
It's really beautiful. But I was wondering.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
How onto the growing bond between you two the people
who were making the show were, because I noticed in
the Maggie Beer episode. In fact, I took a screenshot
of the moment they did a cutaway to YouTube. Okay,
do you see that? No, I just went, I'll show
you it's and I'm like, hello, are you showing each
(13:21):
other goosebump?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
We are?
Speaker 5 (13:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Maybe is amazing.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Yeah, and that's a very rare honor to cook, you know.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Yeah, really sweet.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
But they did a quick cutaway to YouTube. And then
increasingly I was sort of noticing that you two were
often together.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah, definitely, I think that the friendship that started. We
always felt comfortable around each other on set because there's
you know, there's one hundred, one hundred and fifty people
on set every day, only twenty four contestants, so you
do really want to find you know, your group and
whether it was us, you know, going out to exercise
(14:03):
to kill time, because in television there's.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
A lot of hurry up and there's a lot of
waiting around.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So it's like, you know, we'd film an episode where
you had a seventy five minute cook but it would
be a fourteen hour yeah, yes, yes, yes, So just
trying to keep saying in that in doing having healthy
habits on set, you know, whether it's exercising, whether it's
finding a TV show to binge out on, whether it's
studying notes together or you know, kind of brainstorming ideas.
(14:31):
I think that was important in trying to find the
normality of a situation that really isn't normal to anyone.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And it's this may seem, you know, like a sudden thing,
but I think when you've been in circumstances like that, Yeah,
any reality TV has this. Really it is like the
pressure cocker because things happen more quickly.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
You know, the meat gets tender, I see very quickly.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
You're seeing all sides of a person.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Ultimately, it's a competition exactly you're seeing people at breaking
point as a highs and you know you're also surrounded
by people who want to win, so you do need
to find someone who you feel like is someone you
can trust in a way, and someone who's sort of
like minded.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
And I think we got to the point.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
Where we wouldn't have minded if either one of us won,
you know, and I think it's nice to actually build
a friendship beyond that competitive nature.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
So I think we got to that point.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
When have you watched the show back together?
Speaker 6 (15:30):
We watched glimpses, like we haven't watched every single episode
just because we it's pre filmed, and then we were
already jumped into.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Work and other comments.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
But we see moments.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Yeah, well it was my mum. She's like, sorry, you've
gonna go and put this on you and.
Speaker 6 (15:46):
Declan, you've had this moment and you've got to see it.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
And they really when they because we did our announcement
with Stellar Magazine, which which was so nice to say
the narrative from us and get those beautiful shots together
which will cherish for a lifetime, but it was it
wasn't really until then that Master Chef jumped on board
(16:09):
and they're like you know, we'll actually work this into
the narrative because we were so respectful to each other
on the show. It's like, yeah, you saw us standing
next to each other, but you know, I'd be standing
next to Rhiannon and there was no chemistry there. It's
like we were always respectful to that on the show.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
But they.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Worked. They would have gone back.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Respectively, because it was also some of them even before.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Before we were we were friends.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Obviously at a little push or something.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
If I touched him that would make it into.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Well because I sent a message to Pose, I was
speaking to you, and so I sent poem message and
I said, did you know about the romance?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
And she sent me I'll tell you what you and
it was you know post.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
So she's such a beautiful She's amazing, non gossipy sort
of person, but very astuu and you know, sees.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
What goes on.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
She said, Yeah, she said, Okay, I'm such a clueless twitt.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I missed it in tirely.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
I think everybody did.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, she said, I only found out the same time
as everyone else did. Although I have a friend who's
a contestant who told me after. It was all kind
of general knowledge amongst the other contestants and they didn't
hide it.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
Yeah, like you know, we we didn't hide hanging out.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
We hung out all the time when I was at
the complex, like where we stayed. You'd all get a
bus in together and you'd get a bus home where
Sarah had you know, some of the Melbourne people stayed
at home and made their own way to say, right,
so you know, i'd leave set with Sarah or i'd
rop up with Sarah, and then I had those core
people within the group that you know, we're still staying
(17:59):
at the.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Complex, which was still only quite far along.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
It was yeah, yeah, we had been spending a lot
of time previous to that, so I think, yeah.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
It's.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
It's funny, but were all, this is a producer's dream.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
It was fantastic that would have been wrapped.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
So when Declan went out, which I think was week
eleventh thirty two series, because it was an enormous scope
of a series at that point, how were you, Well.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
It was really funny.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
It was the first day where we sort of like
sat next to next to each other and like had
physical contact.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
Right, was that that episode.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
After the eviction or during it?
Speaker 6 (18:54):
It was before eviction and we you know, obviously it
already started to develop at that point and we were close,
but we're also really mindful that we're in a work
situation and respectful.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Of other people.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
And that was the first day, and so it was
really quite devastating because it was like, oh gosh, like
we just felt comfortable to be ourselves.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
And and what when you sat was the first moment
that you'd had a physical like that free song public
So what was it a handhold.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
Or maybe just like.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Remember like on the couch and then it's just like
laying on it with my arm around.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Because I was like, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Food and love.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
It, and I think, you know, the whole respect thing,
like I didn't want to cross any boundaries and you know,
make Sarah feel uncomfortable on set and vice versa. So
you know, it was we'd spend a lot of time
with each other, but I'm not going to go it's
not going to on set or something like that, like
because it's it's just not professional. And then I think,
you know, we're it was nice to finally feel that
(20:01):
comfortable where we can just throw our arm around each other.
You know, we're we're like spending staying living with each
other at.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
That point pretty much.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
So it's like we'd still go into the professional situation
and you know, and be professional.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
And also I think things like Declan leaving, then you
have to be much more clear. You can't take for
granted the fact that you're going to be seeing each other,
you know, maybe for teen more weeks or whatever.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
How did you feel them? Like, what was that Apex?
Speaker 5 (20:35):
I was with her right?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
No longer because you were about to go, Well, you
did say I was moved in.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Yeah, he was staying with me at that point.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
So basically my family, my family, So my family.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Were taking turns to help with Phoenix.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
So right, I was at home, you know, I had
to we would film from I'd have to leave home
at seven am, and I'd get home at sort of
I don't know. Some nights could be ninety eight or
seven or whatever, and he had to get dropped to
school and picked up.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
So my mum would take turns.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
Then my dad came down, took turns, and then there
was a period where my dad.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Had just left.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
And this is when Declan like that transition eliminated, eliminated,
so then he.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
I don't have to come now because they did like.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Oh, he's a nice boy.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Mum was there for six weeks and then she helped
and then and then Sarah's dad, Steve came for six weeks,
so it was really nice. I got to have those
interactions with them as well, so you know what I'm going,
there's banter and you know, like as friends. And then
they saw that grow. So then it was time where
I got eliminated. And it's like, you know, we've created
(21:56):
this bond and this and we were you know, we're
already together kind of at that point. And and then
it's like, oh, well, yeah, like I'll just take Phoenix
to school.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Out of the family by that point.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, and how was Phoenix because of is he thirteen
or fourteen?
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Yeah? Look, it was really subtle. I think for us.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
What was beautiful was that, you know, we were spending
like Declan's dad came down and visited, his mom, came down,
his sister, and then my dad, my mom, and so
we slowly just started building this friendship or relationship whatever
you want to call it.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
And it evolved over time. So we were hanging out.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
Before anything had happened, you know, before we'd really you know,
taken that next step and they're down playing paddle at
the beach and we're you know, having dinners and barbecues
at home and all these different, you know, regular situations.
So it was nice to see even Declan and my
son Phoenix's.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
Bond grow just naturally. Before it wasn't like here's a boyfriend.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
No, And also because particularly when there's a child involved,
but also families very protective, yeah, very and so they
would have been like, who's this guy. He's considerably younger,
he's eleven years younger than you.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Is he a blow in? Is he or whatever?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
And then so you Declan had the chance to show
your character, which was of service, capable, reliable, honest and committed.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
Yeah. I think.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
It speaks for the kind of person Sarah is. I
don't think Sarah would ever like bring someone into her life,
like really like and Phoenix is so mature and such
an intelligent boy, and I think he would know that
he's like, you know, Mum's not going to bring in
some dickhead like and just like so it was like,
you know, I on the outskirt, like I've come from
(23:58):
a broken home and you know, dealt with you know,
step mums and that kind of stuff, So I know
how I felt as a fourteen year old boy, so
I was very empathetic as to how he might be feeling.
And you know, as always, like i'd always just go
to Sarah and just say, I'm guided by you on
how you want to do this, Like I love being
(24:21):
the decision maker and making decisions, but with this kind
of stuff, you know, it's it's your professional career. I've
been in this industry for two three years. Sarah has
been in it for you know, well over a decade.
It's your professional career, it's your son, it's it's your
you know, I'm guided by you. I want you to
(24:41):
be comfortable with however you want to go about this
kind of thing.
Speaker 6 (24:45):
So yeah, and you know, even though it may look
like it's fast, it's been very thought out.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
You know, each step that we take and everything that we.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
Do and decision we make, we've talked about it endlessly
and thought about it.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
And even this you know, slow.
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Transitions with Phoenix and you know that essence that's all
been spoken about before you know, making any decisions.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
So everyone's comfortable. And he is a smart boy.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
He's really intelligent, both intelligence but also emotionally and he
you know, you do have to be delicate with that.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
He's fourteen year old boy, and.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
I don't want to be bringing people in his lives
in his life.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
And taking itching them away.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
He doesn't deserve that.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Yeah, so, you know, I think there's been a lot
of thought that's gone into all of it.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
So you've left, but you're immeshed in the family. You're
continuing to cook. You're continuing to cook astoundingly by the way,
oh thank you, and looking beautiful while you do it,
which is not necessarily important, but it is television and
very beautiful to watch, Like, I've never seen anyone run
(25:56):
to a pantry and look graceful.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Sort of did.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Amazing to make these extraordinary to take these risks with
food when you do you think that part of the
reason that you were so alive in the show was
because you had the extra wind beneath your wings.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
Oh absolutely, I think that I am, even though I
don't often show it. I'm a highly emotional person and
for me, that balance needs to be there in order
for me to perform and to do these crazy things.
And there was days where it sucks so much creative
energy and emotional energy out of me that I did
(26:42):
need to refuel and walk back into the kitchen and
I'd come home and it was it was like walking
even though it is my home. It was walking into
a home where it felt like, you know, it was
full and it was really beautiful. It was Decline, it
was sol the dog. It was Phoenix, it was dog.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
From I was like, what sort of dog.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
Here's a Hungarian vislock.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Really hunting dog, pointing.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
Yeah, right, yes, but it was yeah, like I was.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
I was there to drop Sarah off on set in
the mornings, you know, so she could get all the
makeup done in the car on the way and we're
up the bay, so it was it's about an hour
drive on a good day to get to the studio.
So you know, like Sarah leave it saying getting there
at seven, you know, you'd leave at six in the
morning and then coming home at nine at night, but
(27:37):
there've been food there, like, you know, so she can
refuel or like you know, brainstorming ideas and staying up
to all hours of the night like helping her you know,
think or practice like I remember us, you know, making
buddy milk buttons at eleven pm at night, which you know,
I like just and it was that and I just knew,
I'm like this, this is only for a short period,
(27:58):
Like it doesn't matter if I'm burning myself to the
absolute end. I know the grand finale date is on
this date, whether she's in it or not, Like I can,
you know, I can absolutely drive her to the end.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
This is interesting because you've had such you know, as
Declan said, you had a very established life, but a
lot of it you had.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Done on your own.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Was how did it feel and what was the point
at which you went? You know that a part of
you can relax into the fact that there's someone there
that is solid and stable and there for you.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Was there a moment.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Where you where you just felt the ease of that.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
I think there's kind of two sides to it.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
I feel like that was very hard for me to
do because I have always done everything and managed everything
and found a way, no matter what it did to
me physically emotionally, I'd always get up and you know,
put the pieces back together. And there was the other
side where it was like, you know, I felt like
(29:05):
this was just so real and it was like it
was this kind of one side trying to let go
and relax into it. But the other side just going no,
I can't, I can't let myself do that because I've
never done it before and it was really nice, and
it's it's like probably still happening now.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
Like like.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
That that a relationship takes a kind of surrender.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Yeah, it does.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And if you're someone who's been fiercely independent, that requires
a different set of muscles.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Absolutely, And in.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
What way were you resisting that, do you think? Oh?
Speaker 4 (29:48):
Probably in every way.
Speaker 6 (29:49):
Like I think just like letting him just make the dinner,
you know who, like even as small things, and then
for him to you know, pick Phoenix up from you know,
from school. I was like, I've never I've never asked
anybody to do that before other than you know, my
mom or my dad. That's the only people I've ever asked.
(30:11):
I've never had babysitters or anything. You know, it's kind
of in Australian blood to just go you have to
do it all yourself, you know, it's not only just
being single, it's an independent it's also our makeup. Yeah,
so I think, yeah, like it's still kind of happening.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
And so Declan strikes me as being quite patient. Yeah,
or did he move things along in that regard.
Speaker 6 (30:37):
Look, he's just I think that everything that Declan does,
he does it without expecting anything in return.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
He just genuinely and.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
It's not just for me. I see it with all
of his friends, his family. You know, he'll give his
time and he'll do these small things, whether it's you know,
a little message in the morning to you know, brighten
your day, or something extra for his family, Like, he'll
always go out of his way to do that.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
A lot more would so.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
He gets a special Yeah, because you said something really
lovely in the episode where Declan left, and that was
interesting as well, that the only person that they asked.
I mean, obviously probably it was edited that way, but
they left your.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Commenting and I wrote it down. I didn't get a word.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
For word, but it was so beautiful what you said
when they asked you to discuss what Declan had meant
to the show, and you said, he's a light for
everyone in the room and he lifts everyone up. Yeah,
that's such like I find this quite moving. Your that
surrendering thing I think is very hard for women who
have been stoic and used to doing things.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
On their own. Yeah, definitely and I see.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
I'm aware that how hard that is for Sarah because
I can see it at times, you know, her wanting
to do everything. And I've come from a family with
three fiercely and independent women as well, so I think
that's kind of helped me adjust to that. And I
let her do things like and then you know when
when she see I let her see herself exhausting herself
(32:15):
that little bit more, maybe in a way where I
could have helped, and then she's like, oh no, I
might let deck do that, or I might ask just
once and say I'll do this, and if she says no,
like I respect that, but then she might come to
me the next week and be like, oh, maybe you
can do that.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
Like I don't want to be.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Controlling in any way whatsoever, but I feel like, you know,
like Sarah said, we're still figuring all this out, yes,
and I think it's like we, you know, we really
just threw ourself into the thick of it.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Don't go anywhere. Sarah and Declan have plenty more to
share right after this. So then the show finished, You're
obviously on this path now. I mean, you've gone to Factor,
You've gone to Factory and then.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
You go overseas together.
Speaker 5 (33:07):
Yeah, we move in, we go oversee And what was.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
The trip originally? Was it a trip that was that
you had planned together? Was a trip you were originally
going to have or how did that work?
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Well?
Speaker 2 (33:19):
How many.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Of Paris? I know?
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Paris, Europe, Dubai, India.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
We've just spent three weeks on the road driving around Australia.
Speaker 6 (33:30):
We've kept the first trip was actually a work trip
of mine, and then it was to India. And I
was like, you need to come and experience India because it.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
So because you're massive, because Master she is a huge
India and you're huge in India.
Speaker 6 (33:50):
Wells, yeah, I mean I have a big, long career
in India. And it was nice to I think that
I have such a love of India and I've been
seeing it through my eyes for so long. It was
really beautiful to show decline and to see it for
the first time through his eyes. And just I think
that we had the most beautiful trip and the places
(34:13):
that have become familiar to me.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
And what do they.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Call us again, the jujiuji as husband of a sister.
Speaker 6 (34:21):
Yeah, so I'm they calling me a sister of India.
And him like, you know my husband, which is I
was like, oh my gosh, well that was kind of
a moment for me to realize that India is calling
me a sister. Yeah, I feel and they're like, oh,
you know, it's like, you know, I've been there always,
and I think that the food scene I've been you know,
(34:44):
speckled through it for the last eleven twelve years and
it was nice to yeah, to kind of just see
the response of Declan coming to India and yeah, and
it was beautiful, Like I think it was really well
received also by the media and and you know, everyone
(35:05):
reaching out to us while we're there.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
It felt really special.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
And because you know, sometimes I think relationships that have
started in a covert sort of way because you know,
it wasn't for public consumption at that time, sometimes when
they step into the open, the nature of the relationship
changes because the secrecy has added an extra little fits
on to it, and when you are walking in the light,
(35:34):
it can change a little bit. Did you have any
moments where you were like or you were like, oh,
this is an unexpected aspect of this person.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
I think that's the special thing is from the moment
I met Sarah we were just in sync and that
we obviously have differences, but you know, whether it's our values,
our morals, like her speaking of what I do in
the morning, she does it as well. And she is
such a fiercely independent woman. I feel lucky that you
(36:05):
and I've swept off her feet and I've.
Speaker 5 (36:08):
Ended up with her.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
But it's just like it's it's honestly so special to
have met someone that is so on the same page
with me with morals of life, with values, which I
think is really important in the cause of a relationship,
Like is you know you want to be best friends?
Speaker 5 (36:31):
And I can call herm a best friend. Like it's like,
you know, we do.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
We're we've thrown ourselves in the deep end where we're
working together, we're living together, we did the show together,
we're traveling together. Like there's not not and you know,
don't get me wrong, I'm sure I drive her up
the bloody wall sometimes.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
I did see in one of yours you're saying him,
don't be lazy.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
Yeah, it's just banter.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
And it's like we have such a such a good friendship,
which I think is something I haven't had in the past,
and it's going into Master Chef without those intentions to
find someone, and I was kind of on a journey
of like not wanting to be in a relationship for
a little while.
Speaker 5 (37:16):
I was like, all right, and then and then.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Sarah, and just focus on the bistro dream.
Speaker 5 (37:21):
Yeah that, but just focus you know.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
I absolutely love building, and it's like I just didn't
want I went on Master Chef and then I'm like sweet, Like,
you know, if I win this, I can really get
a quarter of a meal behind myself to capitalize on that.
But my goal is to you know, have a portfolio
on build my homes and like you know, build a
(37:43):
family and stuff like that. And it's you know, I'm
I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to be on
Master Chef.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
This is my first podcast I've ever been on as well.
I've never done anything like this before. But I come
in here with a couple of butterflies.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Holy shit, much like Sarah, like never never spoken so
personally about my life, which I think this is this
is a big step for us.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
When you were saying before the things that you've shared together, yeah,
you left something out. Yeah, When I said, hell, are
you too? When you walked in, yeah, that was not
strictly true.
Speaker 5 (38:27):
No, I couldn't be more excited, like and.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
About what.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Are you excited.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
About having a baby?
Speaker 2 (38:38):
But like the buns in the ovens and it's it's
kind of it's all that I've ever wanted in life,
and I can just see an endless future with Sarah
and us growing together and starting this beautiful family together.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Was this intentional int well, that was the pregnancy, do
you know what I mean? Were you like, let's let's
make a baby or do happen? And it was it
a happy accident.
Speaker 6 (39:07):
We've spoken about everything, and I think we spoke about
you know, obviously you mentioned age as well, and you know,
if we start this journey together in a relationship, and
you know we obviously Declan wants to build a family
and I, you know, I know how beautiful it is
having my son, and I've always wanted more children, and
(39:27):
we spoke about all aspects and you know.
Speaker 5 (39:30):
I think from an early stage, yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (39:33):
You know, it was really beautiful.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
Like Declan also said, like, we spoke about the options
if I couldn't as well, and you know there was
both sides, so we we really did speak about everything,
and you know, we knew this is what we wanted.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Well, it's interesting because your age difference is similar to
me and my husband, so I do believe.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
For me, it's really kind of a non issue. But
when we first meet, we were in such different stages
of our life. I just started working in television and
he was working in a cafe and he was really
clucky at this.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
He really sounds very simil.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And I was frond him in a vague yeah one
day and then now.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
We've got four children, amazing.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
But it was because there was a driver of us
and Peter was very similar to Declan in background as well,
really in that he was like, this is what life
is about.
Speaker 6 (40:25):
Yeah, and that's exactly what Declan says. And I believe
it as well. And you know, I think the you know,
family is everything.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
And who did you tell first?
Speaker 4 (40:35):
Oh my gosh, who did me?
Speaker 5 (40:36):
I think my mum?
Speaker 4 (40:38):
Yeah, yeah, And that was a big moment as well.
Speaker 6 (40:42):
I think, you know, I think we have been so
overwhelmed with how how many beautiful messages from our family
and friends and how happy everyone is for us. But
it's like it's such a big thing and it's a lot,
you know, again like going back to the fact that,
like I'm sure you know, I'm a very close person.
I don't share a lot of my personal life and
(41:04):
and you know this is all new to us to
now be sharing it all, and there's so many people
to share, so.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
Many people are invested in it, which is beautiful. And
also because the story of you two, I mean, you're
so Yin and Yang, You're so the the energy is
so male and so female.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
It's so lady in the tramp, do you know what
I mean? Yeah, sharing that.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
That beautiful thing that it's a very beautiful story that
a lot of people, like I said, are invested in.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I think neither of us expected that we'd come into
each other's lives. And it goes back to the part
where you know, we've created this friendship before even you know,
having a kiss or something. Ca Serah goes into an
elimination and then I'm like, ship, this could be the
last time I see her.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
I just got to bite the bullet and do this.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
And I'm walking in, I'm walking in, She's walking in
front of me, and I'm like, do this, let's do it, let's.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
Do it, And what did you say?
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And just tap her on the shoulder and I'm like, like,
we're walking in a group of twenty thirty and then
I'm like, oh, I'm like Sarah, I'm like I just
want to ask you, like, you know, in case you
get eliminated today, did you maybe want to go on
a date with me?
Speaker 5 (42:24):
And then she just looks at me and she's like
she's like what. And I'm like, you want to go
on a date with me? And she's like you're an idiot?
Like you ready to go in for it?
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Why was he an idiot?
Speaker 6 (42:37):
Well, it was just like it's like thirty seconds before
I'm about to get eliminated.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I was like this, yeah, and that.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Was there's like people side by side, and once you
get eliminated, you're out the door, you pack your bags
and you go yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
And Sarah and you're taking Phoenix to school. This was yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Good.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
So this was you know, very early, and I'm like,
I can't skip on this opportunity. And I'm like I
always my whole life have told myself, do you just
need twenty seconds of curry with whatever it is you're doing,
whether it's applying for that job, quitting that job, you know,
asking someone on a day to Kis. So you know,
all it is is just shut out everything in your
(43:19):
life and just have twenty seconds of courage to do it.
Speaker 5 (43:23):
And I had that twenty seconds of courage and she.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Left me, you know, yeah, and then I went back
that night because she didn't give me an answer, and
I was up all night and I was just laying
in bed staring at the roof, like laughing at myself, like, wow,
I just asked Sarah Sarah Todd on a date and
she laughed at me, got me.
Speaker 5 (43:41):
And then it wasn't until.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Like uncomfortable like situation, And then how was that night
for you?
Speaker 1 (43:48):
What was going for your mind?
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (43:49):
Like you know, I was still kind of yeah, I
was still like is that what he meant?
Speaker 4 (43:55):
You know, I was kind of like, is it a date?
Speaker 2 (43:58):
Date?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (43:58):
He was like really okay, you know, because I feel like,
you know, we had become friends, but obviously, you know,
we had moments where I like, I was excited for
him to be there, you know, doing something, and he
walks in the room and you know, I knew that
the spark was there, so.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
He knew that you had those feelings.
Speaker 6 (44:17):
Yeah, definitely, it wasn't just a mate. Yeah, exactly. You know,
you don't know where that might go, or you know.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
When did you get back to him? When did you
get back to the idiot?
Speaker 4 (44:30):
I don't know exactly when, but.
Speaker 5 (44:33):
Yeah, just two days later, vividly remember two days later.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
But it was like, you know, I just I sent
her a message and I was like, I apologize, like
if it was very forward. She obviously didn't get eliminated,
and we had to spend you know, the next indefinitely
seeing each other, like I don't want to make you
feel uncomfortable, and I hope you know, I just want
to remain your friend. I'm sorry if I was an idiot.
(45:00):
And then she come up to me and she's Sarah's
like she's like, oh, no, what you asked me the
other day? Like, yeah, I'd love to go on a
date with you.
Speaker 5 (45:09):
And then and then you.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Had to plan a date, yeah, which was so.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
I drove my car down from Sydney to be on
the show and packed it with all my knickknacks and
my books and my posters and made my room feel
like a home, not wanting to live out of a
suitcase for six months.
Speaker 5 (45:25):
And then so I had my car and I was
had a.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Weekend booked in at the Grampians, and then so I'm like, oh,
I'm actually going to the Grampians this weekend. Do you
want to jump in the car and just come for
the ride? And then and then we went away for
two nights and stayed in the lodge in the middle
of the Grampis.
Speaker 5 (45:48):
Yeah, and then it was history from there.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Okay, So you you've shared with us that you're expecting
a baby.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
Yeah, what was the moment when you did? You obviously, first.
Speaker 2 (46:03):
You're the one trying to squeeze into it dress and
bloody boobs first.
Speaker 6 (46:07):
Of all, bos so before you did a teaste, Yeah,
my boobs grew. But I had to go over for
a trip, a work trip to India, and then we
were meeting in cans for like a trip at the
end of my India trip, and I'm going through customs
in the airport and out of nowhere, I just vomit
(46:30):
in a binh.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
Like, is this coviding?
Speaker 6 (46:38):
And so that was kind of yeah, the moment where
I was like, oh gosh, I just vomited in a bin.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
So at this point you.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Were coming back to cans I was there waiting up
in cans, and I'm like, I'll go to the pharmacy.
I'll buy one of those bloody tests and.
Speaker 6 (46:55):
Really fancy one with like the weeks on it and
everything up the toilet.
Speaker 5 (47:01):
And then she comes out of that at the yeah, pregnant,
holy ship.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
Well would you jump on the water skis because we're
meant to go water yeah?
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
And we're there with friends like Rhianna and everything.
Speaker 6 (47:17):
We've just figured out this news and we've gone there
to go waterskiing.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
Right, and so I go straight on the water.
Speaker 6 (47:23):
Ski and then it like I fall back and it
just scrapes all the way in between my legs.
Speaker 4 (47:29):
And I've got these.
Speaker 6 (47:30):
Gigantic like dashes.
Speaker 5 (47:32):
On my Maybe we shouldn't do that.
Speaker 4 (47:33):
Yeah, just hold off on this now.
Speaker 1 (47:36):
Wow? And then when did you share? Did you share
it with them on that trip?
Speaker 5 (47:40):
I kept it. It was really between family, you know.
Speaker 4 (47:44):
A little was one of the first people we told.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
How was she so excited?
Speaker 5 (47:51):
Everyone, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Everyone's been so excited and it's been such a nice response,
and I'm so excited for all the little moments, you know,
the late night feeds, you know, getting up with sair
even now.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
The leg eggs and all of that started. I slipped
about two hours last night as well. The sleepless I
just kicked.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
That's so cruel, it's so so weird. And that's nature preparing.
Why can't nature prepare?
Speaker 1 (48:20):
Yeah, getting good sleep?
Speaker 5 (48:22):
Yeah, so no, it's I'm so excited for it all.
Speaker 1 (48:27):
Coming up.
Speaker 3 (48:28):
Sarah and Declan reveal how they went from Master Chef
rivals to building a family together and so like, geographically
now you're going to be a family, where are you
going to be based to Melbourne?
Speaker 7 (48:46):
Right?
Speaker 6 (48:47):
Yeah, so we're bayside and yeah we've got a bigger
house now and everyone settled in.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
But every every day honestly just feels like a dream
and a dream come true.
Speaker 5 (48:59):
Like it's so it's so special.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
We've got you know, we we bit the bullet and
got a bigger house together. And you know, I moved
from Sydney to Melbourne and is in school in Melbourne.
So I'm prepared to stay here for you know, until
he finishes his school certificate, but you know, I'd love
to love to move eventually. And you know then now
(49:22):
I've got another little one on the way, like I think,
you know, having them experience the rest of the world
or the rest of the country. It's the opportunities are endless.
But we're both also open to change, which is really nice.
And this is obviously the biggest change in both our
life is trying to merge our families together.
Speaker 6 (49:42):
And people think our lifestyle is crazy, but we're very
similar and we love it and I.
Speaker 4 (49:46):
Think it's so nice.
Speaker 6 (49:48):
We both love the small things in life. Yeah, those
little in between moments, and I feel like it's, yeah,
we've we're very like minded in that sense. So we
can do totally different holidays if it's a campavan or
something like that. You know, it's it's been really special
and I think, yeah, we've had a really fun jam
(50:10):
packed ye.
Speaker 3 (50:11):
I mean, obviously you've got a massive project coming up.
How far off, by the way, roughly when it wins
your baby.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
A summer a summer baby.
Speaker 6 (50:22):
Yeah, around around the end of the year, right around
like early early next year.
Speaker 3 (50:27):
Yeah, right, yeah, And so what have you envisaged what
you know, what you'll be like when you're hunkered down
for that or is are you going to hit the
road with with the with the whole circus.
Speaker 6 (50:42):
Yeah, I think for us, we we definitely like I'm
a person that trusts my intuition and I'm not going
to set anything in stone in terms of what we're
going to do. Who knows what it might look like
at that moment. So I think we're both open to
whatever might come our way. But in saying that, you know,
(51:03):
we we obviously have, you know, different things that we
want to do and what we think and prefer, yeah, professionally,
what we would like to kind of get back into
and you know, worked out in a way that you know,
if it's Decklan's work, that we all go together and
he does his work or vice versa, so to manage
(51:23):
it in that way that we'll be doing it as
a family.
Speaker 3 (51:26):
And how has the pregnancy been, by the way, because
the experience, so it's fourteen years ago, Yeah, how is
it this time?
Speaker 1 (51:34):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (51:34):
Definitely different.
Speaker 6 (51:35):
I think I was we were driving below the Eiffel
Tower and I'm puking in.
Speaker 4 (51:42):
The gutter in all sorts of places.
Speaker 6 (51:47):
So I've definitely got a lot of mourning sickness this time.
And yeah, like just different, Like it's definitely Also I
feel like you probably know this after the first baby.
You only remember the good stuff. I don't remember any well,
otherwise no one would.
Speaker 4 (52:03):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (52:05):
So it's a remarkable thing about the human psyche. It's
a really brilliant thing that we only remember the book.
Speaker 6 (52:12):
Yeah, so I think back I was like, oh, I
had a beautiful pregnancy.
Speaker 1 (52:15):
Nothing.
Speaker 4 (52:15):
Yeah, yeah, maybe it did, I just can't remember now.
Speaker 6 (52:18):
So there's definitely been ups and downs with how I've
been feeling. But I, you know, just surrender my body
to it and whatever happens and needs to happen. I
know my body will kick in and do what it
has to. So just letting that happen.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
And doing such a good job.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
And what are you thinking about being a dad?
Speaker 2 (52:37):
I'm so excited, especially, you know, being a parent with Sarah.
I think it's I've never envisioned it to be like this,
and it is. It's all I've kind of ever wanted.
And this baby is already coming into a house that's
so full of love.
Speaker 4 (52:56):
There's so much love.
Speaker 5 (52:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Yeah, And I feel like Sarah is already such a
great parent, and she's it's only going to become a
better parent day by day. But I think, you know,
I look at things that I put my parents through
and it makes me a little bit nervous of you.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
Know what, it's not straight.
Speaker 5 (53:17):
No, I'm so.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Excited for you know, just like having a little baby
in my arm and you know, being being able. I
think Sarah is a bit a bit nervous she's not
going to get enough time. Yeah, it's it's so beautiful
and I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else other
than Sarah.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
And I just who was the first person that said
I love you? Have you not said it every day?
Speaker 5 (53:46):
Yeah? Yeah, I went with that moment that.
Speaker 2 (53:49):
Was Sarah went were laying in bed and and she's like,
I love you, and I'm like it hit me and
it's like I just say you idiot, but I just said,
I'm like it's I don't want you to say this,
and it's like it's got a lot of power. Mind it,
(54:09):
and Cheese like you're an idiot. I love you And
I'm like I love you too. And you know, we
we say it, you know, all day every day to
each other, and we just remind each other like, you know,
it doesn't matter how many times I say I love
you or how many times I say you beautiful, I
always will mean it, Like I never want it to
(54:30):
just become something you say out of habit. I want
you to know that every time I look at you
and I say you're gordgeous, you're beautiful, I love you.
I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
Speaker 6 (54:40):
And I think it's you know, for me, obviously the
words mean a huge amount, but it's mostly actions for.
Speaker 4 (54:47):
Me and feeling it.
Speaker 6 (54:48):
And I feel it, and I feel that love in
our house and from Declan, and.
Speaker 4 (54:53):
It's yeah, it's really beautiful.
Speaker 3 (54:56):
How extraordinary that both of you went looking for something
and ended up with something completely different and yet exactly
what was meant for you.
Speaker 5 (55:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (55:09):
I think it's just a reminder, you know, to everyone,
you can't put yourself on time limits, or you can't
tell yourself you have to do this by this age
or have.
Speaker 5 (55:18):
This accomplished in your life by now.
Speaker 2 (55:21):
I think just like everyone needs to chill out a
bit and just enjoy the little things, because you know,
we've all lost friends, we've all lost family, we've all experienced.
Speaker 1 (55:33):
You know, times are tough.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
Yeah, and it's like what, you can't wake up every
day and be moaning and groaning.
Speaker 5 (55:39):
You need to wake up every day and just be.
Speaker 2 (55:42):
Grateful that you know, our feed are on the floor,
we've got roof over our head hopefully, and food on
the table. And I think, you know, we're both very
driven with our work ethics, and you know, there'll never
be a moment where I wouldn't provide that for my family.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
I love it. You just such a delight. I'm very
happy for your happiness.
Speaker 5 (56:03):
Thank you to you.
Speaker 3 (56:05):
So do you disagree on things? Oh, definitely, of course,
like micro macro.
Speaker 6 (56:11):
Oh, it could be everything. You know, We've got a
lot kind of going on. But yeah, Declin is a
good communicator, and I think that I'm a very probably
I don't know, quite diplomatic. I suppose I like to
look at all situations and sides of the story, and
I think we just talk.
Speaker 5 (56:31):
Yeah, we're just talking.
Speaker 2 (56:32):
I think communication is key and and and well that's it.
Speaker 3 (56:37):
It's interesting watching you two. Neither of you really seem
to have a temper. Yeah, that's interesting because some people
are very reactive.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
But yeah, both of you seem to be quite sort
of considered.
Speaker 5 (56:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (56:51):
Yeah, I think I've like since becoming a man, like
I used to be very angry person and a very
rattled young man, and I've put so much effort into
becoming the man I am today.
Speaker 5 (57:07):
I've certainly had to, you know practice.
Speaker 1 (57:09):
Do you think that anger was to do with the family,
and that the.
Speaker 2 (57:13):
Definitely I think, you know, as a as a young
hormonal fourteen year old boy, thirteen year old boy that
I was when I went through that, you know, could
jumping back and forth from homes and you know, having
one parent say one thing about the other and just
being a middleman at that age, Like I think, you know,
having sisters you wanted to.
Speaker 5 (57:32):
Look after, and I think all of it.
Speaker 2 (57:35):
But I think, you know, I've really put so much
effort into self development and you know, physical emotional empathy,
and you know, Mum always just instilled that in me,
like you know, look up empathy, look up humility, and
that's what I'll be saying to you know, my kids
in the future.
Speaker 5 (57:54):
And you know what gets thrown around the house is.
Speaker 4 (57:57):
Yeah, I think I was probably the opposite.
Speaker 6 (58:00):
I was very quiet, bottle it all up and deal
with it myself and find a way to kind of
figure things out. And I guess I realized that that's
not a good way to be. You need to just
hit problems head on, sort it out, communicate, you know,
if one of us is feeling a little bit you know,
maybe hurt or you know, you don't want to say
something in frustration and anger that you can't take back.
(58:23):
So I'm always the one to kind of say, you know, well,
let's take a breath and have a think about what
we really want to say to each other and what we.
Speaker 4 (58:31):
Mean, yeah, and then talk about it and you know,
get to the bottom of it.
Speaker 2 (58:36):
And I think, you know, living together, holidaying together, doing
business together, and there's certainly big things to come in
the future, you know, outside of our personal life, going
into work and stuff like that. Like, I think you're
always going to come across hurdles and it's just how
you deal with it.
Speaker 5 (58:53):
And there's there's no point in being.
Speaker 2 (58:55):
Speaking from anger or speaking from a place of hurt
or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (59:00):
And I think life has very high eighths and very
low lows, and it's okay to feel really really low.
And I think, you know, we don't force each other
to instantly just be happy.
Speaker 5 (59:11):
Yeah, that's a big thing.
Speaker 3 (59:12):
And also I think in relationships, I mean, everyone's good
when it's good times. Yeah, it's how you navigate the
bag exactly. And when there's a challenge how you rise
to meet the other person and you.
Speaker 4 (59:25):
Have to deal with it.
Speaker 6 (59:26):
You can't just you know, fight it out, or you
can't just push it under the rug. You have to
feel low, you have to feel frustrated, work on it,
see what the problem is, and find a way out
of it.
Speaker 4 (59:37):
And that makes you take time.
Speaker 6 (59:40):
But I think we both also have really spoken about
that a lot, that we want to work through the
hard times.
Speaker 4 (59:45):
We don't want to run away when it's difficult.
Speaker 6 (59:47):
We want to make sure that we both understand that
relationships take work and that we will hit hurdles and
that will be you know, days where things happen that
you know, are really hard to cope with, and we're
going to try our best to just hit it head
on and figure it out.
Speaker 5 (01:00:06):
So many good days.
Speaker 2 (01:00:07):
I think you know why I'm so attracted that to
Sarah is her ethos on life and it and it
resonates with mine.
Speaker 5 (01:00:13):
And and yes, I can't wait to spend the rest
of my life ford.
Speaker 4 (01:00:18):
Back at you.
Speaker 2 (01:00:19):
Yeah, it's probably people saying all there's probably people throwing up, but.
Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
You know, everyone loves love.
Speaker 3 (01:00:30):
Yeah, and you've both been just so exquisite to.
Speaker 1 (01:00:37):
Witness.
Speaker 4 (01:00:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:00:39):
We appreciate it, and we appreciate the support from you know,
our following.
Speaker 5 (01:00:44):
I think it's so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
But we've both lived very interesting lives and and and
here we are. We've found each other and and we're
creating a family together, and it's it's a beautiful period
of our life.
Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
Congratulations. I can't wait to see.
Speaker 4 (01:01:01):
We're so excited.
Speaker 5 (01:01:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01:05):
So that was Sarah Todd and Decklan Cleary, two people
who thought they were signing up for a cooking competition
and ended up finding a whole new life together, from
the Master Chef kitchen to a blended family and now
with a baby on the way. It's clear that for
(01:01:25):
Sarah and Declan, timing really was everything.
Speaker 1 (01:01:30):
And it's so.
Speaker 3 (01:01:32):
Lovely to feel nothing but happiness for other people whose
happiness is infectious. Thank you so much for listening to
No Filter. The executive producer of No Filter is Nama Brown.
The senior producer is Breed Player. Audio production is by
Jacob Brown and video editing is by Josh Green. This
(01:01:52):
episode was recorded at Session in Progress Studios, and I
am your host.
Speaker 1 (01:01:57):
Kateline Brook.
Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
Thank you again for sharing this with us.
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