The show provided the perfect ingredients for romance.

When Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary stepped back into the kitchen to film MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, they instantly connected.

Now, they have gone from strength to strength as a couple, living together happily in Melbourne.

Speaking to our sister publication TV Week, Sarah said they were “one big family” with her 14-year-old son Phoenix, and Declan’s dog Sol.

“Phoenix is totally obsessed with Sol,” she said. “They’re playing until the moment they go to bed; it’s been really special for him.”

While she’s known for her skills in the kitchen, and as a recognisable face from MasterChef, the 38-year-old likes to keep her personal life out of the spotlight.

“It can be difficult when your career and your personal life start to mesh into one,” she told Stellar in June. “It’s something I’ve been quite private about. So it’s nice to feel we want to talk about this relationship. It’s been really special.”

While there is an 11-year age difference between them, age is just a number.

“Not only is she the most grounded, intelligent, and creative person I’ve ever met, she has always appreciated me for who I am,” Declan said.

“We connected through life experience; we’ve both been through a lot. We share the same values. There’s great chemistry between us. She keeps me classy, and I keep her a bit cheeky. Age is just background noise.”
Sparks flew when Declan and Sarah met on MasterChef, which led to their relationship. (Credit: Instagram)

Connecting on MasterChef

He said that while they filmed the show, they instantly bonded.

“Nothing was ever rushed or forced – we just enjoyed spending time together. And Sarah, being from Melbourne, knew all the places to go. So we’d go to the beach, or go-karting, and we went out for lots of dinners,” he explained.

As the competition progressed, they got closer.

It wasn’t until Sarah was facing elimination that Declan realised he had feelings for her.

“I was [panicking]: ‘Oh sh*t. I’ve been spending all this time with this bloody amazing chick and now she might be leaving!” he said.

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“And so, as she’s walking into the elimination [challenge], I said, ‘Sarah, can I ask you something? Would you like to go on a date with me?’ And she just looked at me and said, ‘You’re a bloody idiot!’”

However, after she survived that elimination, the MasterChef fan favourite reconsidered his offer.

“After I got through the stress of the elimination and had a couple of days to recover, I realised it made sense,” she said. “It was a nice progression [of our friendship] and I wanted to go for it.”
Since MasterChef, Sarah and Declan have taken the next steps in their relationship. (Credit: Instagram)

Life away from MasterChef

So, what has life looked like for the pair?

For their first date, they spent a weekend in Grampians National Park, where they immersed themselves in regional markets and restaurants. The couple also hiked to the top of a mountain at dawn and shared breakfast that Declan had made.

Since he packed his bags and moved from Sydney to Melbourne, the 27-year-old has been happy living with Sarah and Phoenix.

“I’m cooking real wholesome food for them,” he said.

“[Phoenix] was a bit crook the other day, so I was up at 5am making chicken soup from scratch. I just wake up naturally at 5am – being a builder, it’s in my blood. So while the other two are lounging in bed, I’m making the sambos or the soup.”
Sarah and Declan have moved in together in Melbourne. (Credit: Instagram)
For the three-time MasterChef contestant, her son was at the front of her mind going into this relationship.

“We have such a close bond, and we’ve been through a lot throughout the years,” she says of her son.

“I’m very mindful of that. I don’t bring people into his life and then take people away. It’s unfair for a kid to go through that. The nice thing about this relationship is that they had gotten to know each other a little bit and built that bond before being thrown in the deep end.”

Since they went public with their relationship, Declan shared the post about the article to his Instagram stories and wrote: “In a world full of noise, you are my calm.”