With Mother’s Day almost upon us, we discover what motherhood means to these TV favourites

Rhiannon Anderson

‘Tuna mornay was mum’s favourite’

This Mother’s Day, Rhiannon will be remembering her late mum Sue, who sadly lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2021. The inspiration behind her love of food, Rhiannon, 48, was 11 when her mum became a chef and taught her everything she knows, pushing her to go on MasterChef Australia.

“Mum sadly lost her battle with ovarian cancer before she could see that dream happen, but I know she’ll be in the kitchen with me every step of the way,” says the mother of five.

“My mum’s favourite dish would be a roast lamb with duck fat potatoes, broccoli, gravy and cauliflower in white cheese sauce. Mum taught me so many things about cooking – the last dinner I ever made her was a requested tuna mornay.”
Rhiannon with her late mum Sue and daughter Monique.
With her own daughter Monique and four stepkids, Rhiannon says she always dreamed of being a mum.

“It completely changed my perspective on life,” she enthuses. “The love you have for them is like no other. One thing we always did was sit down at the table every night and talk about our day.

“I have always cooked so many different cuisines to make the kids culturally aware through food.”

Alana Lowes

‘IVF was tough but my kids are everything!’

Alana is hoping for hot, freshly baked crumpets in bed this Mother’s Day – and her husband Rob, plus kids Walter and Florence, will be doing the cooking!

“Fresh, homemade crumpets dripping with butter and honey is a firm family favourite,” says the 45-year-old. “Honestly, though, I just dream of a perfectly simple snuggle and a coffee!”

Becoming a mum wasn’t straightforward for Alana.She explains, “My journey to motherhood wasn’t easy at all, but it’s my story and I love it!
The kids’ joy in little things keeps Alana and hubby Rob happy.
“It took us five years to have Florence [now seven] via IVF. After years of doctors, needles, ectopic pregnancies, Fallopian tubes removed and miscarriage, she finally arrived with a mop of dark hair! Walter only took a few months of IVF, thankfully.”

Embracing the chaos, “learning to love fiercely” and “always finding room for laughter” are the lessons motherhood has taught her, while sitting down to eat together is also crucial.

“It’s paid off because they’re adventurous eaters and even love a bit of spice,” shares Alana. “Florence and Walter also love getting involved in the cooking. Florence has been on TV with me cooking up recipes. They have their favourite tasks in the kitchen – Walter is a gun at cracking eggs, while Florence loves whisking and eating cream!”

Steph de Sousa

‘I love being a foster gran’

Known for her family-friendly recipes, air-fryer queen Steph is a mum to four kids, a foster grandmother and is soon set to be a biological grandmother too, so there’s no doubt she knows a thing or two about motherhood!

“My journey with motherhood has been long!” laughs the TV cook, who became a mum at age 22 while living in Vanuatu.

“My first baby is about to turn 30 and my baby Noah is about to turn 17, so I’ve been a mum for a long time now. Lucky for me, I’m a foster grandma and about to be a blood grandma.

“I just love both roles. I’m one of the lucky ones who sailed through pregnancy and birth, maybe that’s why I went back four times.
Hubby Neville’s chilli eggs are a family favourite!
“I think the biggest change for me was being a mum made me brave. Before children, I found it difficult to stand up for myself, but once my kids came along, I found this strength inside me to be my kids’ biggest advocate.”

Luckily for Steph, 52, her kids have inherited her love of food and are great cooks.

“Cooking and eating are central in our family – I love that now my children are passing these recipes on to their families,” says Steph, adding that her dream Mother’s Day meal is her hubby Neville’s special chilli eggs on sourdough.

MasterChef Australia: Back To Win screens 7.30pm Monday to Wednesday on TVNZ 2 and streams on TVNZ+.