Age: 29

State: South Australia

Occupation: Events Manager

Instagram: @jackhosking__

Food is what gets Jack Hosking out of bed each morning. His passion is unrelenting, often thinking about the next meal before he’s finished the current one. He loves the satisfaction of bringing joy to people when they eat his food.

Growing up in Canberra in a family of five, sport was a major focus, and Jack played basketball at a high level, wakeboards whenever he can, and is an avid gym goer.

A massive MasterChef Australia fan, Jack has watched the show for as long as he can remember and even recreated the infamous Snow Egg aged just 11. He looked up to a young Callum Hann in series two as someone who made cooking cool.

Now based in South Australia, Jack has since met his former idol as an adult, and it was with Callum’s encouragement that Jack took the leap to apply for the competition, quite the pinch-me moment! Judge Poh Ling Yeow may also recognise Jack as one of her biggest fans, visiting her Jam Face stall in Adelaide most Sundays.

For Jack though, it’s his Nan Shelly who remains his biggest inspiration in the kitchen, having taught him how to cook. While she recently faced a tough battle with cancer, his Nan is currently in remission, and it will mean everything to her to see Jack chase his dreams on the national food stage. She and the rest of Jack’s family back home will be cheering him on, along with partner Liv, and he hopes to make them all proud.

By day, Jack runs his own marketing company, managing social media campaigns for clients. He also manages a catering company, but leaves the cooking here to the professional chefs. Used to multitasking, leading teams and performing under pressure, laid-back Jack knows that these are all skills he’ll find useful in the MasterChef kitchen.

With a love of seafood and a passion for emulating the fine-dining creations of heroes like Hugh Allen and Peter Gilmore, Jack’s eye is most definitely on the prize as he locks in to making the most of the competition. While he’d love to open his own restaurant one day, he also hopes that he can inspire more young guys out there to pick up the pans and cook good food.