Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin thought they knew MasterChef finalist Petro Papathomas — until an online search after the semi-final uncovered an entirely different side of him. Their stunned reaction made it clear this was no ordinary hidden hobby.
MasterChef Judges Make an Unexpected Discovery About Petro Papathomas After the Semi-Final
MasterChef Australia finalist Petro Papathomas had already impressed the judges with his creativity and composure in the kitchen. But shortly after the semi-final, Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin stumbled across an entirely different side of the contestant — and neither could hide their surprise.
The 30-year-old Victorian chartered accountant, who has reached the grand final alongside Vinnie Gibaldi, has another creative pursuit away from cooking that had somehow escaped the judges’ attention throughout the competition.
An unexpected search after the semi-final
The discovery came after filming wrapped on the MasterChef semi-final.
While travelling away from the set, Sofia revealed that she had heard Petro could sing and decided to search for him online. She and Poh then listened to some of his work, only to realise that Petro had already released original music on Spotify.
Sofia later joked on social media that she still could not believe they had reached the semi-final without knowing about that part of his life.
Poh’s immediate reaction showed just how unexpected the discovery had been.
“He’s really good,” she said before describing Petro as a “legit proper muso”.
More than an occasional hobby
What surprised the judges most was that Petro’s musical interest appeared to go well beyond casually singing or playing guitar at home.
The finalist has released an EP and several singles, revealing a creative path that had largely remained separate from the story viewers had followed inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Sofia responded by playfully questioning why Petro had been “keeping this” from them, prompting a brief and amused reply from the contestant.
Although the judges had only just discovered his music, Petro had previously spoken publicly about playing guitar and acknowledged that some of his fellow contestants were also surprised when they first heard him perform.
Petro’s co-stars join the teasing
Once Poh and Sofia shared their discovery, several members of the MasterChef cast quickly joined the conversation.
Aaron Kher described Petro as a “man of many talents”, while Luke Harris jokingly asked whether there was anything his former roommate could not do.
Petro’s range of interests has already become a running joke among his co-stars. Annabel Lloyd previously referred to him as “boyfriend material”, while Luke described him as “probably the most eligible bachelor in Australia”.
The comments were clearly light-hearted, but they also reflected the strong friendships that developed among the contestants during filming.
A glimpse of MasterChef away from the competition
The playful exchange offered viewers a rare look at the cast and judges after the pressure of a major challenge had ended.
Rather than focusing solely on scores, eliminations or mistakes in the kitchen, the moment showed Poh and Sofia enthusiastically supporting something Petro had created away from the competition.
Their reaction also demonstrated that, despite spending months together on set, the judges were still discovering unexpected details about the contestants as the season approached its conclusion.
Petro prepares for the grand final
Attention will now return to the MasterChef kitchen, where Petro is set to face Vinnie Gibaldi for the 2026 title and the $250,000 prize.
The pair secured the final two places following the semi-final that resulted in Aaron Kher’s elimination. The grand finale is scheduled to air on Sunday, August 9, at 7pm on Channel 10 and 10 Play.
Regardless of the final result, Poh and Sofia’s discovery has revealed that Petro’s creative ambitions may extend considerably further than viewers first realised.