Poh Ling Yeow was brought to tears on Wednesday night as she broke down in tears for her late mother Christina on MasterChef Australia.
The celebrity cook, 50, broke down on the Channel 10 competition as she revealed the touching moment her mother first said she was proud of her.
Wiping away tears, the Malaysian-born presenter said her mother struggled to show affection towards her daughter until Poh rose to fame on MasterChef in 2009.
The heartbreaking moment began when contestant Nat revealed that her mother told her she was proud of her for the first time when she landed a spot on the show.
Nat, 28, of Thai descent, said her cultural heritage made it difficult for her family to be close to each other, but MasterChef broke down those barriers.
As the Melbourne-born barista began to cry tears of joy over her new relationship with her mother, Poh began to cry too.
“Nat, I just wanted to say something,” Poh said in a broken voice.
‘After participating in MasterChef, it was one of the first times my mother told me she was proud of me.’
Poh Ling Yeow, 50 (pictured), was reduced to tears on Wednesday night as she broke down in tears for her late mother Christina on MasterChef Australia.
Struggling not to break down further, she continued: ‘I think that’s why when I’m in this kitchen I get so emotional because it affected so much of my life outside of the kitchen.
‘Cooking became something that brought us together because we had that very Asian characteristic of having trouble expressing our love.
“It’s really amazing how this cuisine connects us in so many different ways,” she concluded.
Poh’s mother tragically passed away in November 2022.
“After I participated in MasterChef, it was one of the first times my mother told me she was proud of me,” Poh said. She is pictured with her mother Christina
The cookbook author revealed to Refinery 29 Australia Last month, the pain of her mother’s death still hits her at times when she least expects it.
“I find it appears at the most unexpected times. When your mind is not active, for example, when you are doing something fairly mundane, like driving,” he said.
“It’s almost like when you’re busy and doing things, it’s a way of keeping (the pain) hidden, but when you least expect it, it shows up to say hello.”