Emelia Jackson (born 1989) is an Australian pastrycook, reality television contestant and marketing co-ordinator.
After finishing third in ''
MasterChef Australia 2014'', she returned to win ''
MasterChef Australia: Back to Win'' in 2020.
Early life
Jackson was born in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
in 1989 to an Australian father and a mother of Macedonian heritage. She attended
Siena College
Siena College is an American private Franciscan college in Loudonville, New York. Siena was founded by the Order of Friars Minor in 1937. The college was named after Bernardino of Siena, a 15th-century Italian Franciscan friar and preacher. St ...
for secondary school.
At age 14, Jackson was seriously injured after being struck by a car while catching a tram. After years of rehabilitation, during which time she missed a year of secondary school, her mother stated that the accident changed her personality to make her more driven toward her goals. Later, she attended
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...
, where she obtained a Bachelor of Psychology & Management.
MasterChef Australia
Jackson appeared as one of the top 24 contestants in the Australian reality television program ''
MasterChef Australia 2014''. She finished in third place on 27 July 2014.
Jackson was then invited to join the top 24 returning contestants in ''
MasterChef Australia: Back to Win'' in 2020. She was declared the competition winner over runner-up Laura Sharrad on 20 July 2020, winning $250,000.
Jackson and Sharrad (then Cassai) had both appeared in the 2014 series, where Sharrad finished second and Jackson third. Jackson and Sharrad had also both attended
Siena College (Camberwell)
, motto_translation = Truth
, city = Camberwell
, state = Victoria
, country = Australia
, coordinates =
, established =
, type = Catholic, day school
, denomination = Roman Catholic ( Dominicans)
, gender = ...
as teenagers, although not in the same school years.
In 2021, Jackson and partner Craig Gersbach had a daughter.
In November 2022, Jackson published a book of pastry techniques and recipes titled ''First, Cream the Butter and Sugar''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Emelia
1989 births
Living people
MasterChef Australia
Participants in Australian reality television series
Reality cooking competition winners
Monash University alumni
Australian television chefs