Diana Chan | |
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Born | 1988 (age 28–29) Johor Bahru, Malaysia |
Residence | Melbourne, Australia |
Alma mater | Deakin University |
Occupation | Chartered accountant |
Employer | Deloitte |
Television | Winner of MasterChef Australia |
Term | 2017 |
Predecessor | Elena Duggan |
Partner(s) | Tim McNamara |
Diana Chan (born c.1988 in Johor Bahru) is a Malaysian-born Australian chartered accountant and television cook. She is the winner of MasterChef Australia for 2017, having defeated Ben Ungermann in the grand finale.
Chan was raised in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, where she attended Convent Johor Bahru. She is the youngest of three children, having learned to cook by watching her parents prepare Peranakan and Cantonese food. At age 17, Chan moved to Kuala Lumpur to complete her Cambridge A levels. Upon matriculation, she moved to Victoria, Australia where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Deakin University in 2010. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, she subsequently worked for Deloitte as a senior analyst.
Chan was selected in the Top 24 to contest MasterChef Australia in 2017. Her use of mystery box ingredients resulted in her being in the top 3 for tasting on three occasions, one of which she won. She was also in the top 3 for invention tests on two occasions, winning once. Chan captained her team to win the first team challenge of the year. Her dishes were the most tasted in the competition.
Chan won the 2017 competition on 24 July 2017, by one point over runner-up Ben Ungermann. She plans to use her $250,000 prize to open a restaurant serving wholesome meals with fusion flavours and Malaysian influences. She also has an opportunity to promote tourism in Malaysia, and to raise funds for Beyond Blue.