EXCLUSIVE: The fan favourite opens up about competing on back-to-back seasons.

MasterChef’s Snezana Calic.

MasterChef’s Snezana Calic opens up about competing on back-to-back seasons. Photos: Channel 10

It wasn’t long after last year’s season of MasterChef wrapped up that Snezana Calic was asked to return for Back To Win. The fan favourite chef, who had finished 15th, was one of three contestants competing on back-to-back seasons alongside Sav Perera and Darrsh Clarke.

Yet while her co-stars were among the first 10 contestants eliminated, Snez beat out restaurateurs, business owners, and former finalists to crack the top 10 and finish in seventh place. She tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she’s thrilled to have made it as far as she did in the competition, not only as someone who was the eighth person eliminated last season, but also because she had limited time to get ready.

“I didn’t have much time to prepare, but I used it wisely, practising French techniques at home and volunteering at a beautiful Sardinian restaurant to learn new skills. I also spent time at the fish market practising how to clean and fillet fish quickly,” she details.

The 42-year-old admits she was “honestly surprised” to be one of the few people asked back from season 16, but felt “incredibly honoured and nervous” knowing she would be cooking alongside MasterChef legends.

“Honestly, I didn’t have big expectations this season. I just wanted to beat my own record and do better than last time, and I would’ve been happy with that,” she remarks. “But once I achieved that, my confidence grew, and I set my sights on making the top 10. I’m so proud I got there.”

MasterChef’s Snezana Calic.

Snez says her confidence grew once she beat her own record, and she’s ‘so proud’ she made the top 10. Photo: Channel 10

Snez shares that her biggest struggle this season was the team challenges, although they were also the most rewarding.

“With so many strong and passionate cooks, it wasn’t always easy to align on decisions,” she explains. “But I learned so much from working alongside such talented people. It pushed me to grow, adapt, and communicate better in the kitchen.”

Meanwhile, having been sent home on a pressure test last season, Snez says it felt like a “full-circle moment” being able to thrive in the notoriously difficult challenges.

“What surprised me this season was how well I handled the pressure tests and how quickly I could think on my feet to get out of tricky situations,” she shares. “I kept thinking, ‘Who is this? Is this the new Snez?’. I even started enjoying pressure tests!”

Snez’s exciting post-show plans

Post-show, Snez is currently focused on finishing a cookbook she began writing after leaving MasterChef last season and is seeking a publisher.

“I’d also love to create a TV cooking show that shares the food and stories from the region I come from, a cuisine that’s not widely known in Australia but deserves to be explored and celebrated,” she adds. “Telling stories through food is something I’m really passionate about.

“I’m also keen to run cooking demos, classes, and pop-ups in restaurants. Whatever form it takes, my goal is to stay in the food industry because it’s what I really love.”

As for who she thinks will win this year’s season of MasterChef and the $250,000 that comes with it, Snez believes “it’s anyone’s game”.

“Every cook that’s left in the competition is incredibly strong and the level of cooking this year has blown me away,” she says. “But if I had to pick someone to cheer for, it’s my girl Depinder [Chhibber]. She’s not only an amazing cook but a great friend.”

MasterChef Australia: Back to Win. Watch + Stream Free Sundays at 7pm, and Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on 10.