She's been vilified for her constant crying, but MasterChef's Joanne Zalm has exited the show without so much as a pout following a nail-biting face-off with elimination survivor Jonathan Daddia.
And she's used her departure to hit back at her detractors.
In a decision that is sure to please scores of MasterChef fans, Zalm was told to pack her bags after failing to impress the judging panel, including London-based Australian chef Brett Graham, with a complex pigeon dish.
The 37-year-old Sydney mother of two served up an almost-raw onion tart and over-cooked winglets when she and former teammate Daddia were tasked with recreating one of Graham's dishes in his own kitchen at the Michelin-starred The Ledbury restaurant.
"I was horrified when I saw the pigeon," Zalm said afterwards.
"I'm quite squeamish and I don't like to see dead things. The first thing I thought of when I saw the pigeon was 'Oh no, they're going to make us break down the bird and I'm going to have to cut its head off.
"When I was told I was going home, I was actually quite happy.
"For me it wasn't depressing; I actually left on a high note in London. I have faced some of my cooking fears on the show and it has given me the confidence to walk away and say that I can do anything."
The pair was relegated to the elimination round after a disappointing effort in Wednesday's Amazing Race-style pressure test in Paris.
It was familiar territory for these two Masterchef contestants; Zalm having faced six eliminations and Daddia now seven.
Criticised throughout the series for her frequent waterworks, signature pout, cooking ability and perceived lack of accountability for team mishaps, Zalm this week found herself the target of an online hate campaign that saw Channel Ten threaten to ban fans from posting abusive comments about her on its official website.
An anti-Zalm fan group set up on social networking site Facebook was removed by its own creators on Wednesday night when things turned particularly nasty.
Addressing the criticism of her for the first time tonight, Zalm said she didn't care what other people thought.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion," she said.
"I'm loved by my family, my husband, my daughters and my friends. And at the end of the day, that's all that matters.
"I've had lots of good feedback in the street and people are generally lovely and really interested in the show."
Post-MasterChef, Zalm has completed work experience as a pastry cook and is hoping to break into the food magazine business, food styling and developing recipes.
She also hopes to one day open a cooking school on her parent's farm.
"I'm just keeping it real at the moment, take it for what it is and not get ahead of myself."
Source: theage.com.au
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