The food writer reveals the heartbreaking illness that devastated her family

Speaking about her beloved late father, MasterChef Australia judge Sofia Levin confesses, “It’s Dad’s idiosyncrasies I miss most – his sturdy but quiet presence in every room, the way he gritted his teeth when there was a cute animal nearby and his fervent sharing of whatever made him laugh until he cried.” Sofia’s beloved father Greg tragically passed away from motor neurone disease (MND) in July 2024 at age 65.

Losing his voice, but not his spirit

She admits, “I miss calling him at least once a day with a pointless question.”

A photographer, doctor and father-of-three. Greg received an MND diagnosis in January 2022 — a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive muscle weakness. Within 30 months, he lost the use of his arms and upper body. He also lost the ability to walk, swallow, eat, talk and eventually breathe.

Despite the challenges, Sofia, 35, says her dad refused to let the disease take over his life. Celebrating his passion for photography with an exhibition that raised funds for charity MND Victoria. Which Sofia is now an ambassador.

Why MND deserves more attention

Sofia shares, “It’s an unimaginably cruel and incurable disease with an average lifespan of two years from diagnosis, and it’s increasing in frequency. Every day, two Australians are diagnosed with the disease and another two die from it.”

Proportional to population, the statistics are similar in Aotearoa. With around three Kiwis diagnosed and two dying from the condition each week.

“MND is rarely spoken about compared with many other illnesses, yet it arguably requires the most physical, financial and emotional support,” explains the MasterChef judge.

“You can’t underestimate how much you need someone to hold your hand when a family receives a diagnosis. “Caring for someone with MND is beyond a full-time job – it’s an impossible task. Regardless of how well you develop a routine, it will change weekly as the person’s body and abilities waste away. Regardless of how much you love someone, they will die. “I remain in awe of how my mum cared for Dad, how he swallowed every skerrick of pride to let her and how they still laughed every single day.”

A legacy of love and light

As her family approaches the anniversary of Greg’s passing, Sofia says, “We remember him every day, in almost everything we do.” In his memoir Glass Half Full, Greg wrote that although he didn’t believe in the afterlife, he believed his family and friends were Heaven for him.

Sofia shares, “He was our Heaven too. Losing Dad has cemented what I have felt my whole life. That, up until his diagnosis, we really were the luckiest family. Never has that felt truer than without him here. “In some twisted way, it’s also taught me how resilient I am, and that there is joy and lightness to be found no matter what life throws at you. We never left anything unsaid as a family, so my advice to others is to cram as much into this one life as you can with the people you love.”

MasterChef Australia: Back To Win screens 7pm Sundays and 7.30pm Monday to Wednesday on TVNZ 2, streaming on TVNZ+.

For support or more info about MND, visit mnd.org.nz.

Bread saved my life

Happy-go-lucky Theo Loizou wasn’t always the fit, fun MasterChef contestant we see on our screens.

“I was very heavy when I was younger,” says the 39-year-old.

“I hurt my back very badly and had two prolapsed discs that pushed on nerves. I was in a lot of pain and I couldn’t walk for two months. I was depressed and I put on a lot of weight – I was 135 kilos when I was 19.”

After he healed, Theo lost 45kg through exercising and working as an electrician. Following in the footsteps of his father, who had emigrated to Australia from Cyprus.

“It was a good job, but another part of me wanted to explore more,” he says, referring to his move into baking. “I was really stuck, but when I found bread, it saved my life. I didn’t know what passion was before that.”

Theo, then 33, packed up his life in Melbourne and moved to Paris to work in a boulangerie. Despite not speaking a word of French. Eight months later, he booked a flight back to Australia. Just before he left the City of Love, her met his fiancée Laure.

“I wanted to propose from the moment I saw her,” he gushes.

“I’d booked my ticket home, then we had one date and I thought, ‘No, I’ll stay and see how this goes.’”

Theo continues to follow his dreams – he’s opening a bakery and thinking of publishing a cookbook.

“I’m thinking of calling it Around The World In 80 Breads!” he smiles.