Originally from Melbourne, Julie moved to Sydney six years ago and now calls it home. At 43, Julie is a true blue Aussie who enjoys spending time at home, watching every reality TV show possible with her two cats Mr Terrorist and Blue (who were inherited from a past next door neighbour) and entertaining friends when and wherever possible. She loves exploring Australia and has recently returned from her dream holiday to New York. A good planner, with an unforgettable laugh whose motto is to live life to the fullest with no regrets!
Gail manages a medical practice of ophthalmic surgeons which she has done for the past 15 years. Her passions in life are food, kitchenware and shoes. It is often said that she would rather spend her days off work in a growers market searching and buying fresh produce then returning home to cook and serve it. Gail adores shopping for divine kitchenware to use when she shares her passion for cooking with family and friends. Her shoe fetish is evident by the number of shoes in her wardrobe, giving her the nickname ‘Imelda’.
People are often surprised when Ben tells them he is a lawyer. He finds they believe a lawyer who surfs and cooks must be deemed a kook and should be treated with the utmost suspicion. Ben considers himself to be staid and professional when required, but at all other times is relaxed and gregarious. He doesn’t like to take life too seriously and generally sees the humour in any situation. Ben has a voracious lust for life which he is comfortable expressing at work, in the surf, at the footy or when he’s cooking and entertaining his family and mates. Ben thinks life is short and you are a long time dead, so you might as well have a good crack at it, eh?!
Born in Mexico City in 1973, Jennifer has been working since the age of 16 and considers herself a workaholic! She was a co-host on a national television show in Mexico for eight years, getting to meet celebrities such as Ricky Martin and Robbie Williams. After breaking her leg she had to quit the program and returned to university to study graphic design and complete a masters degree in marketing. Jennifer has pursued her marketing career in Mexico, Italy and now in Australia. Jennifer loves Australia, its friendly people, quality of life and her job. She believes in destiny and good luck, is passionate about her job, good friends and dogs. She wants to stay in Australia for about five more years before going wherever life wants her to go…
Richard is 43 years old and loves entertaining and having lots of friends around to join in the fun. Originally from the UK he now lives in Sydney with his partner of 16 years, and his Norwich Terrier "Beau". Richard used to be the lead singer of pop bands Kiss Like This and Indecent Obsession but walked away from music 10 years ago to start his own boutique advertising/graphic agency.
Trudi is married and a stay at home Mum of two boys. As a young girl, she remembers food, family and friends always being part of her life. Having 30 first cousins was a feat in itself when the family would get together for Christmas and Easter. Trudi remembers there was always enough food to feed the masses, those delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen tantalising her nostrils and the vividness of the room with festive colours and polished cutlery. She knew from that moment the day was already a success. Trudi takes those memories and applies the same principles when she hosts her own event. Her organised personality shows when she indulges her passion for friends, food and entertaining.
Luke is the Chief Operations Manager at his family’s business – Harris Farm Markets and is the middle of five brothers. He has a true passion for growing, selling and most importantly, eating fresh food. He loves hearty, home-style food as long as the ingredients are of good quality and fresh – it’s always about what’s in season. Luke lives with his two dogs and girlfriend, who describes him as the next Jamie Oliver! He describes himself as the world’s keenest ocean swimmer and a lover of the surf, sun and swimming.
Anne-Maree was raised in Sydney as an only child. She started working in 1975 as a junior typist and continued with clerical work specialising in accounts receivable. Her first big adventure overseas was in 1980 but after three months she got home sick and came home early! She then moved to Perth and got engaged, but realised she missed Sydney more than she loved her fiance so moved back. Anne-Maree currently works part-time and is looking for a new challenge as a voice-over artist. She is single and is looking for someone special who can share her love, life and joy.
Angela has been married for over 29 years and looks forward to reaching her 50th wedding anniversary with her adored husband. They have two children in their twenties. Angela is a creative, bubbly personality and successfully juggles family, career and personal pursuits. After she had her first child she realised staying at home was ‘not her thing’ and she entered the workforce in marketing and promotion. Angela has many other loves including travel where she experiences different cultures and gets to eat unusual foods. This has inspired her own cooking and she has introduced different cooking methods from all over the world into her home. It’s difficult for Angela to relax – she is always zooming around at a million miles an hour. The energy she uses in work and leisure reflects her personality. She has admitted to being a “control freak” on occasion but tempers this with a relaxed and liberal attitude at home. Angela loves hosting dinner parties and isn’t adverse to taking risks and challenging her guests with new and exciting flavours.
Alex started dancing at the age of 11 and immediately became passionate about it. He discovered his talents quickly and after only one year of training with his first partner, they achieved the title of Juvenile Champions of NSW and Juvenile Champions of Australia. When Alex had achieved all there was to in Australia he moved to England where he had a successful career as a professional competitor and dance teacher. Four years later he returned to Australia where he has continued to compete and teach. His biggest passion is coaching students and helping them achieve their goals, whether it be competitive or social dancing. He tries to teach his students to enjoy dancing by developing their understanding of rhythm and music and it gives him great pleasure to see them succeed. Throughout his career Alex has trained many successful dancers and champions, his greatest achievement being his daughter Karina. Alex has trained Karina since she was seven and watched her recently reach the semifinals with her celebrity partner on Dancing with the Stars.
Bryan is a part-time actor, property developer and full-time animal lover! As an actor he has appeared in Rafferty’s Rules, Willing and Abel, Water Rats, Forensic Investigators and Living with the Law starring opposite Russell Crowe, he also played Dr Wilson on Home and Away for four years. He has worked as a TV and radio presenter for networks around Australia and is a sought after voice artist. Bryan began buying property at the young age of 16 and today has a multi-million dollar portfolio in Australia and the UK. In-between acting jobs Bryan runs a foster home for homeless and abandoned animals
Mel was born in Indonesia and grew up in Australia. After graduating from university she started work in music television before moving on to produce and write a national radio show. Mel has also been managing bands since she was 16 years old and is now adding to that by opening an art gallery exhibiting art with music at its heart. Mel has always been obsessed with music and food. She is a pop culture queen – ask her about anything in pop culture but if it’s to do with politics, sports and world affairs then she’ll most likely get it wrong!
Rita grew up as a farm girl in an Italian family. Her mother cooked hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and by the age of 12 Rita was cooking for the farm staff after school and on weekends. Cooking soon became her passion, along with riding dirt motorbikes, music and entertaining! She started an entertainment company working as a professional magician and children’s performer. Rita has traveled to almost 40 countries, sampling all the cuisines they have to offer and tries to recreate the meals at home. She entertains her friends with performances and dinners around two times a week.
Set and costume designer James has numerous design credits under his belt and his creativity often extends to his dinner parties. He is also involved with teaching stage design to students, in particular at The Australian Institute of Music and is a regular judge for the National Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. James was costumier for the Human Nature National Tour and was associate designer for the musical Shout! He is currently designing for the Sydney Theatre Company.
Nicole has been married for 13 years and has a seven year-old daughter. While admitting she’s not the best cook, Nicole entertains at home as often as she can and finds it a great pleasure to show hospitality to family and friends. Nicole works two jobs and still finds time to fit the gym in four times a week where she regularly participates in spin classes, which is to try and counteract her passion for great food and wine… Travel is Nicole’s major passion and she enjoys it for relaxation and for the cultural experience. She considers herself adventurous in her approach to food and will try most things – even if only once!
Tony is a single dad with three busy primary school kids. His ex does the morning shift so he can get into work early and spend the afternoon and night with the kids. His day job is his investment practice – he looks after portfolios of a select group of wealthy families and not for profit organisations. His work hours are flexible which means he has plenty of time to seek out the best coffee and food inspiration! His passion is to use his work skills helping organisations that help young people. Tony recently won 15 dinners in 15 top restaurants at a charity auction so is currently working his way through some of Australia’s best chefs’ ideas!
Celeste is married with three children. She works part time as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist, helping children with special needs.She runs her own business which has won numerous Business Awards. Celeste strives to achieve excellence in all that she does and this is also reflected in her passion for food. She loves entertaining and a dinner invitation to her house is rarely declined! Celeste enjoys cooking modern Australian cuisine and adores Asian flavours. She is experienced in a wide range of cooking techniques and enjoys tackling multiple process recipes. She hopes Come Dine With Me Australia will encourage others to enjoy fine food and entertaining friends.
Nicole is a criminal defence lawyer who loves her job! Her clients are interesting to say the least and she always feels challenged with confronting cases. She loves that she gets to make a contribution to people’s lives. Cooking for Nicole means fun and excitement. It is her passion – she loves that food brings people together and is something that everyone does, every day, for their whole lives. Nicole likes to think of her cooking as flavourful, fresh, colourful and sexy. She believes that knowing how to cook great food really adds to the experience of life.
Stephen is a Financial Services Industry negotiator. Stephen and his wife built their large five bedroom and four bathroom home four years ago, ready to fill it with a modest family in the future. Stephen is a self declared ‘foodie’ and has developed his interest in food and entertaining from years of fun events at home with friends and through extensive dealings with the top-end chefs and restaurateurs in Australia over the last 12 years.
Sheeneagh is a single mum who has owned her own business since 1984, which manufactures and produces promotional products. Anything you want your logo on – caps, clothing, corporate giveaways, sporting goods – she’ll do it. She loves her clients and everyone she works with – even after 25 years! Sheeneagh loves to start her day with a walk on the beach, followed by breakfast at her favourite coffee shop, before heading to work to run the empire. Sheeneagh has a wonderful group of girlfriends who are always there for support and to keep her in check. She loves a good laugh, good food and good wine!
Working mum Helen kicks off the week with an Arabian themed dinner party. As soon as the guests arrive a belly dancer performs and when everyone is expected to join in, they find it ‘confronting.’ Former Royal Marine Ray isn’t impressed when Helen confesses her Mum helped her cook her koupes starter. Helen claims her lamb with feta main got her a marriage proposal however nobody at the table falls in love with it. The off-the-wall comments of dream analyst Joan has everyone in disbelief. Journo student Taylor says “I just can’t believe that you exist.” Helen goes for the big whiz bang but will she end up fizzling?
Ex-Royal marine Ray is used to high pressure situations but when it’s his turn to host, he is literally dripping in sweat. Dream weaver Joan is horrified saying “You can’t have a dinner party with someone with the sweats.” He gets such a ‘dab on’ he has to change his shirt. Adding to his guests’ nausea, his all-British menu features scallops and black pudding towers as an entree. There’s table tension when Paula and Helen laugh at a cockroach climbing the wall and Joan mistakenly thinks they are laughing at her and calls them ‘bimbos.’ The fact that Ray bought the meringues for his dessert doesn’t earn him extra points but will his outpouring of effort be worth it?
On her night, host dream analyst Joan, finally reveals to everyone what she does for a living. Helen isn’t impressed by Joan’s job or her most famous client, Princess Diana, claiming “I don’t dream” and that Joan must have “low self-esteem” to mention her royal connections. Joan serves salmon with creamed potatoes for her main and again, Helen sees a negative saying it is raw. The table laughs hysterically when Ray recites the lyrics of an iconic Beatles song pretending he dreamt it. Can Joan still pull out a good score, or is that a pipe dream?
Firefighter Paula is the quiet one of the group and everyone hopes that on her night she’ll finally come out of her shell. Paula’s pork and crackling main makes the usually critical Helen rave, “About time I got fed a decent meal.” But as much as her food is appreciated, the mood at the table is flat with Ray describing it as ‘morbid.’ Things liven up when journo student Taylor accuses Helen of being two-faced by denying she has ever said anything negative about Joan. Paula’s dessert of miniature rosewater pavlovas go down a treat but will she lose points because of the lacklustre atmosphere?
On the final night, 18 year-old journo student Taylor, has a retro 50’s rock n’ roll theme. In the messiest prep in Come Dine With Me Australia history, he almost falls apart, and literally uses string and sticky tape to keep various kitchen appliances together. In another first, he uses his fist as a meat tenderizer. The ever-critical Helen seems determined to find something negative about every aspect of Taylor’s night. He offers to heat up his entrée of vichyssoise soup but she declines then complains about it being cold. Used to Helen’s constant criticisms by now Taylor is determined to enjoy his night regardless. He finishes the night with warm sticky date pudding but how will he finish in the final scores?
Sports mad Jesse is the first of the cosmopolitan city chefs to play host. Jesse’s game plan is a laid back barbeque at the home he calls ‘Hotel Hibiscus’. But it comes a little unstuck when guest Kyoko says his beer “tastes like wee wees” and adman David and fashionista Jane find incriminating reading material during the bedroom snoop. Dirt biking mum Sharon thinks chatterbox Jane is a bit “fancy”. When it comes to the food Jesse’s risotto is a bit too “Australian” for Jane but almost everyone enjoys dessert. And the icing on the dessert cake is a song sung by Jesse about his daughter. It helps the Hotel Hibiscus host win Jane’s heart and score points,
Tonight’s host is dirt bike loving Sharon. Sharon calls herself a “yummy scrummy mummy” but it’s the yumminess of her food that is questioned at the dinner. Kyoko is worried Sharon’s Cajun chicken strips will smell like smelly armpits. Sharon gets flustered in the kitchen and Jesse thinks she doesn’t do many dinner parties. Smooth adman David says her cocktails taste like lukewarm perfume, while Sharon’s main is tough and her dessert sloppy. She hopes she can win some points back with a get-to-know-each-other party game.
Host Kyoko divides the group when she puts on a traditional Japanese menu. The kimono clad guests are a little scared when Kyoko greets them with a board breaking karate demonstration. But it’s nothing like the shock BBQ loving Jesse and Sharon have when confronted with dried squid and seaweed dishes. David and Jane can’t get enough of Kyoko’s exotic dishes and David declares her traditional food faultless. Being squeezed into a tiny dinner table has Jesse saying he feels like an elephant on a penny farthing bicycle and the too close closeness makes David feel he’s on a family holiday in a caravan. Jesse has a clash with David about wine knowledge but it’s the sake that Jesse hates; “you can have it warm, you can have it cold, it’s crap.” Only the scores will tell if Kyoko has been too adventurous with her menu.
Confident adman David puts on his chefs jacket to cook up a fine dining menu. He doesn’t think having a nice home is an advantage in the competition but his guests are gob smacked by David’s designer home. And they’re in awe of his food. Kyoko declares the entrée better than sex but Jesse struggles with the seafood. Italian loving Jane can’t stop gushing about the dishes and almost swoons over David’s roast potatoes. She also loves his outdoor entertainment, a gypsy jazz violin duo that gets everyone dancing. David thinks he has put on a winning night, but will he get the points he thinks he deserves?
What else would Italian loving Jane put on but an Italian themed night - from the food, to the drink, to her latest Versace designed dress! So the Italian menu is not a surprise, but David is worried there’s “too much protein”. Jane’s prep happens in record time thanks to help from her beloved “Bimbi” kitchen device. Sharon arrives with a gift for Jane, who says she’s got a “better one in the other room”, which annoys Sharon. As the foodie divide opens up again across the dinner table, Kyoko amuses with her kookiness, and Sharon inspires an admission from Jesse after she tells everyone about her boob job. So will “Italianista” Jane prove to be the hostess with the mostess and take the points to win the $2,000 prize?
Self-described ‘belle of the ball’ Dominic, aka Dom, kicks off the week of dinner parties with an all-Indian menu. He opens the door to a lively bunch and quickly discovers there are three Leo’s in the group! Tradie Tom upsets the female guests almost immediately with his constant swearing. Dom too is wary and tells Tom he doesn’t have any hard liquor in the house when the tradie asks to do shots. The three curries Dom serves for the main appear to go down well, and there’s also plenty of spicy conversation at the table thanks to certified accountant Michelle who tells stories about her online dominatrix character. Tom continues to swear and trainee stylist Yolanda fires up at him. Dom tries to smooth things over, but will it be enough to get a good score?
Michelle may be an accountant by day, but is a historical re-enactor in her spare time and plans to share her passion with a medieval feast. She greets her stunned guests in full medieval garb and serves up her first unpronounceable fourteenth century dish of mortrews & chese. Digging into their main with unwieldy medieval cutlery Tom declares her dried out chicken “was like some sort of weapon.” Michelle’s partner and son stage a re-enactment that turns scarily real. Michelle makes the mistake of serving Tom vodka shots half way through the night and his self-proclaimed “evil twin” comes out insulting Dom over dessert. Dom leaves the room and the night comes to an abrupt end. Michelle put in a mighty medieval effort but will it be enough?
Trainee personal stylist Yolanda serves a big, fat Greek feast. The atmosphere is tense when Tom arrives but when he asks for water instead of alcohol everyone relaxes. Dom who has never enjoyed cheese in his life adores the saganiki in Yolanda’s mezethes platter. He also says her moussaka is “one of the best moussakas I've ever eaten.” With Tom being quiet tonight, Michelle steps in with more stories of her colourful internet dating past. The old Tom resurfaces again when he shows everyone a photograph of his mum and her new boob job. As Greek coffee is served the conversation turns spiritual. Yolanda tries to read the grounds in the coffee – will it reveal her final score?
Tradie Tom’s mum watches over him as he prepares for his night, determined to make sure he is a good boy. When everyone is gathered on the balcony Tom apologises to the group for his behaviour at the beginning of the week. Trying to keep the good vibes going he has a surprise, a caricaturist has come to sketch everyone. Medieval Michelle enjoys Tom’s main of rib eye fillet so much she wants to gnaw on the bone. Tom manages to be on his best behaviour up until dessert when he confesses he bought his apple strudel from a restaurant. Even though Yolanda finds Tom’s charm ‘fake’, has he redeemed himself enough to do well in the scoring?
On the final night marriage celebrant Deb, aka Mrs Sparkle, hosts. With her home polished to a high shine Deb welcomes her guests with a starter nibble plate. Perhaps sensing he’s running out of time, Tom is determined to make Yolanda like him. He tells her “this is the real me” however Yolanda is still not convinced. As everyone tucks into Deb’s beef wellington Tom tries to impress Yolanda by telling her how he got food poisoning from shellfish contaminated with sewerage. Dom raves that Deb is serving restaurant quality food. When Deb serves up her sticky date pudding Michelle has an overwhelming urge to lick her plate clean. Will Deb clean up in the final scores – time to roll out the scroll and find out!
Competitive rock chick Megan kicks off the week of dinner parties with an all-Asian menu. A lack of beer upsets Harley loving guest Mark. But flirty Mark is soon distracted by giggly mum-of-four Kate. Foodie Karen is annoyed that Megan didn’t make her own pancakes. After party loving David announces he is “heterosexual to the waist”, Mark reveals he hasn’t worn underwear since he was 15. At the end of the night Megan’s happy with her food but will the others give her the scores she’s after?
Party loving host David takes a devil-may-care approach in the kitchen. He adds a secret ingredient to his beef curry - chocolate Freddo Frogs. His guests are shocked to be greeted by David’s glamorous kitchen helper, Sheila Blige. But it’s David’s chocolate curry that produces the biggest shocks of the night. Afterwards Karen feels queasy and Mark wants to throw up. He bluntly tells David he’s had enough of his cooking. The dinner has been a disaster but an entertaining one and good natured David takes Mark’s criticism on the chin.
Karen’s night gets off to a bad start when bad boy guest Mark throws her hors d’oeuvres off the balcony. She soon puts him in his place and Mark turns his attention back to yummy mummy Kate. There’s table tension between competitive Megan and devil-may-care David. She jokingly calls him a bitchy queen at the table and afterwards David confides that she is a cold fish. Karen impresses everyone with individualised pastry Beef Wellingtons for each guest. But things slide downhill when her dessert melts before it reaches the table. Her night of fine dining is left hanging in the balance with the scores.
Giggly host Kate thinks she’s on a winner hiring animal costumes for each guest. However her guests are less than impressed with the idea. Mark turns up dressed as a giant chicken on his Harley and Megan refuses to wear her bumble bee costume. Only Pink Panther David seems to get into the spirit of the evening. It’s Kate’s revealing tiger costume that gets most of the attention, at least from Mark and David. A pre-preparation confession from Kate annoys Megan who calls it cheating. Things only get worse for Kate when Karen finds an unwanted ingredient in her main. However it’s being left out of the group that really upsets quiet Karen, who breaks down in tears. Can dessert and a game of cards help Kate salvage her night?
Final host Mark has bagged everyone’s food all week and the others are out for revenge. But the group’s resident bad boy has a simple strategy to win. Get everyone so drunk they won’t care what his food tastes like. Mark really pours on the drinks, and provides some family rock band entertainment. His menu goes down well, with a very competitive Mark doing a hard sell at the table. But he also tries to pull the wool over their eyes, passing off store bought food as homemade. His little white lies start to add up. Is everyone too merry to notice or will he get his just desserts?
Leonie is a Mum to two now grown up “kids” and a very proud Grandma to one. Leonie was an operations manager in the security industry for 25 years until deciding recently on a career change. Leonie now paints daily, teaches piano, and has also been enjoying researching her family ancestors. Leonie has always been psychic. She has seen quite a few apparitions and is frequently contacted by spirits on the other side. She also reads tarot cards and practices psychometry. Leonie says she owes all of her culinary skills to her Grandma, who was a great mentor, a brilliant cook and a fantastic hostess.
With 20 years experience in the funeral industry Lance is an embalmer of some credit. He is involved in vocational training within the industry and the mentoring and examining of embalming students. Lance has a fascination for the history of funeral culture and specialises in the creation of death masks. He hopes, in time, society may be ready to embrace some of his more unusual concepts for memorialisation.
Mary is a recently retired office administrator, beauty therapist and interior decorator, who is now an aspiring writer and poet. Mary decided that pursuing her passion in life outside the hours of nine-to-five held a lot more satisfaction for her. She began writing love poems several years ago and now her dream is to one day release them as Valentine’s Day greeting cards. Her latest project is a book which she is currently working on about the do’s and the never do’s within a relationship intended for both men and women. Mary has a son, a daughter and three adorable grandchildren.
Shane is a single easy going guy who enjoys sport, playing golf and watching Rugby League. Shane gets great joy from his toy; a turbo charged GTP FPV V8.
Ammie lives with her partner of five years. She thoroughly enjoys cooking and says it’s her escape from the world. Ammie’s dream would be to work full time as a chef and ultimately to one day open her own restaurant called "Lush". Ammie also works in the entertainment industry as an impersonator of Lady Gaga, calling herself Baby Gaga and also Britney Spears.
Cheryl has travelled around the world which has given her the opportunity to taste many unusual foods. Cheryl has honed her skills in cooking from living and eating with the locals in Asia and on a recent trip to Vietnam she picked up a few good new recipes. Cheryl keeps herself busy and is currently studying a diploma in event management and also performing in a band, The Purrfect Pussycat Show Band, impersonating divas such as Cher, Tina Turner, Bette Midler and Marilyn Monroe.
Donna is a sales executive in the software industry, who loves socialising and dining out with her friends. Donna enjoys singing and travelling the world and has spent the last 20 years visiting many exotic locations. Travelling gives Donna a wonderful sense of how diverse food and culture can be teaching her to experiment with new ingredients and flavours. Donna’s family and friends are what make her life special and she loves nothing more than hosting dinner parties for them believing the key to any successful dinner party is love. In Donna’s opinion, no dinner party is complete without a beautiful selection of wine, cocktails and her favourite French champagne.
Tony has two beautiful children and currently works as a freight train driver which he thoroughly enjoys. He’s also worked in the field of antique restoration, a job he held for 25 years. These days it is just a hobby along with playing guitar and oil painting. Tony likes to cook and experiment with different recipes switching them around to make them his own when having dinner parties with friends and family. Tony’s pride and joy is his 34 year old Mercedes Benz.
Doreen is a qualified hairdresser, personal trainer and aerobics instructor who owns her own hair salon business which she runs from home. Doreen’s family is very competitive by nature with her two teenage sons racing go karts, holding eight state titles and three Australian titles between them. Their dedication inspired Doreen to compete in female body building competitions with her greatest achievement coming 3rd in the world titles in 2008 in New York. Even when Doreen isn’t competing she trains at the gym five days a week and power walks every day. Doreen is always looking for new challenges and is always determined to complete them, she never give
Lachlan is a real estate agent and is incredibly passionate about the industry with nearly seven years experience in residential sales and auctioneering. Lachlan is lucky enough to have travelled to most parts of the globe, living for extended periods of time in Sydney and London. Outside of work, Lachlan is very active and enjoys most sports including football, golf and running, along with many hobbies such as cooking, cars, and playing with his dog Maya. Lachlan’s friends would describe him as outgoing, gregarious and articulate.
Vanessa is a Canadian by birth and an Australian at heart. She has been a small animal veterinarian for eleven years and loves her job. Vanessa lives with her partner and their three dogs, Monty, Buster and Oliver as well as their two cats, Chicken and Noodle. Her passions include her work, her pets, keeping fit and her partner. She is outgoing, enthusiastic and always on the lookout for fun. A self confessed average cook, she loves to eat and drink and socialise with friends. Her partner does most of the cooking at home so Vanessa loves to get her time in the kitchen to play!
Sheila owns her own businesses importing, wholesaling and retailing lingerie, club wear, costumes and shoes to Australia and New Zealand. Sheila is also a professional freelance model. Sheila has been married for 34 years and works together with her husband everyday. They have three grown up children and are now enjoying some “me time” having travelled for the last two years to different regions in Italy. A healthy lifestyle is important to Sheila and she practices hot Bikram Yoga five days a week and enjoys healthy food and exercise. Sheila thoroughly enjoys cooking for family and friends, often hosting dinner parties.
Anita loves her home and when she’s not there she feels homesick. Anita enjoys cooking for family and friends and gets a thrill from seeing people enjoying her food. Being the director of a security company Anita is kept very busy but always makes time for fresh air and walks as part of her daily routine. Anita loves to have a laugh and enjoys her Champagne and wines. Anita is a confident woman who loves challenges
Lachlan is a science, health and physical education teacher who loves surfing, cooking, music and spending time with his family and friends. His favourite thing to do is spend dreamy days down at the beach surfing all day with his mates, dining at amazing restaurants and topping off the day with a few cold beers and a live band. Lachlan recently spent six months in Indonesia surfing, fishing and volunteering at schools teaching environmental education and English which he found very rewarding.
Warren lives with his partner, his daughter and their hyperactive ‘Jack Russell’ dog named Bella. Originally from New Zealand, Warren also has a daughter and son who live in New Zealand. Warren and his partner run two Art Galleries, while Warren also regularly performs as a stand-up comic. Even though their days are busy, they are enjoying the slower paced lifestyle of coastal living. The kitchen is Warren’s domain and he cooks most nights finding it a good way to wind down for the day.
Suze has worked within banking for seventeen years, spending seven of those years in Vanuatu where she also indulged in her love of scuba diving. She lives with her husband who she recently married in Las Vegas. Suze has obtained a one square foot of land in Suffolk UK, which entitles her to a “Ladyship” and she is now known as a Lady! Suze loves to entertain and is renowned for her “Lady’s Lunches” and is the glue that keeps “The Ladies” together.
Jacki works ‘behind the scenes’ in the emergency department at a major Hospital. Before Jacki started her current job she was lucky enough to transport Super Yachts around the world which she found incredibly challenging as well as super exciting. Jacki has a spectacular group of friends, most of who are living vicariously through her eyes! Jacki tends to keep her ‘attached’ friends in the ‘loop’ by writing about her dating life which keeps them entertained. Jacki loves to go out for a nice bite to eat and you will usually find her in a great wine bar on a Friday or Saturday night. Jacki likes to think of herself as a bit of a foodie with cooking and entertaining at her home for friends and family one of her favourite things to do.
Gerald has been a cook for approximately nine years and considers himself one of the luckiest people to get paid for a job he loves to do. Gerald’s interests include ten pin bowling, golf, playing the occasional game of poker and watching AFL on weekends while having a few drinks with his friends. Gerald says he enjoys the simple things in life, having a good laugh and happy people around him.
Bromwyn lives with her husband and two children. She has been a florist for over fourteen years and has been styling weddings, functions and window merchandising for over six years. Bromwyn says being a Capricorn makes her a perfectionist when it comes to work – if anything is not perfect, she can’t rest until it is. Being on a gluten free diet due to her coeliac disease, Bromwyn wants to showcase some of the foods she can eat that don’t taste like cardboard. Bromwyn says generally when she eats at restaurants the only thing that is safe are salads and they can be quite boring! Bromwyn has a sweet tooth and loves a good chocolate cake or slice
MaryAnn is a life coach who works with individuals and organisations. She loves to travel and lives to fill her life with experiences. Whether this is dining in Italy or merely beholding the beauty of a flower, she appreciates the perfection of each moment. MaryAnn is married with a combined family of six children. She loves large family get togethers, cooking and experimenting with food, trying to re-create and improve upon dishes she has seen or tried. She feels that food should be considered as a preventative medicine. We are what we eat so MaryAnn encourages people to eat wisely.
Mike, Kiri, Danielle, James
Derek, Natalie, Amaya, Myles
Andrew, Roxanne, Peter, Sharon
Todd, Eve, Tom, Ebony
Ellen, Harry,Alexi, Sami
Loosen your belt, fix yourself a cocktail and settle down for the return of the LifeStyle Channel’s Come Dine with Me Australia, which sees Australian celebrities battling it out for the title of the ultimate dinner party host.
What happens when you take four competitive celebrities, opinionated Australian fashion designer, Peter Morrissey, witty broadcaster Gretel Killeen, fashion writer and daughter of racing royalty Kate Waterhouse & a celebrity landscape designer Charlie Albone and they each host a dinner party? Mayhem!
There are plenty of shocks in store as four Queenslanders go head to head with Aussie darling Lisa Curry, showgirl Carlotta, Brisbane Bronco's Sam Thaiday and musician James Morrison all competing to see who can dish up the ultimate feast.
Olympic gold diver Matthew Mitcham, entertainer Maria Venuti, presenter Sophie Falkiner and X Factor Presenter Luke Jacobz all battle it out to win $2000 for their charity. Will Luke's added striptease be enough to take top prize?
Mark Holden and Red Symons act as a comedy duo, fitness guru Tiffiny Hall refuses to eat pork and Christie-Whelan Browne puts on a spectacular night despite never cooking, but will Mark's dessert stunt win him votes?