Diana Chan
{{short description|Malaysian-born Australian cook|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{for|the American social worker|Diana Ming Chan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Diana Chan
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Diana Chan, 2023.png
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption = Chan in 2023
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1987–1988
| birth_place = Setiawan, Perak, Malaysia
| nationality = Australian
| other_names =
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| education =
| alma_mater = Deakin University
| occupation = Celebrity cook, television personality
| years_active =
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| television =
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| partner =
| awards = Winner of MasterChef Australia 2017
| website = {{URL|dianachan.co}}
| module = {{Listen voice|filename=Diana Chan voice.mp3|recorded=March 2023}}
}}
Diana Chan (born 1987 or 1988) is a Malaysian-born Australian cook. In 2017, she won MasterChef Australia series 9, defeating the runner-up Ben Ungermann by one point in the final. After her win, she left her job in accounting to work with food, including as a brand ambassador, a cooking show host and a cookbook author.
Early life
Chan was born in 1987 or 1988{{cite web |date=2 October 2017 |title=Diana Chan's homecoming celebration |url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2017/10/02/diana-chans-homecoming-celebration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250626141301/https://thesun.my/archive/diana-chans-homecoming-celebration-NTARCH488852 |archive-date=26 June 2025 |accessdate=26 June 2025 |website=The Sun |quote=Chan, 29,}} in Setiawan in the state of Perak, Malaysia as the youngest of three children. The family soon moved from their guava farm home to Johor Bahru, where she attended Convent Johor Bahru. Chan learned to cook by watching her parents prepare Peranakan and Cantonese food.{{Cite web |last=Fung |first=Amanda |date=18 July 2022 |title=A Taste of Home: MasterChef Australia Champion Diana Chan Shares Her Favourite Eateries in Malaysia |url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/tastemakers/a-taste-of-home-masterchef-australia-champion-diana-chan |archive-date= |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=Tatler Asia |language=en}}{{cite web|url=http://www.star2.com/food/food-news/2017/06/19/masterchef-australia-malaysian-connections/|title=MasterChef Australia contestants with Malaysian connections - Star2.com|date=19 June 2017|website=star2.com|accessdate=25 July 2017|archive-date=25 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725160924/http://www.star2.com/food/food-news/2017/06/19/masterchef-australia-malaysian-connections/|url-status=dead}} At age 17, Chan moved to Kuala Lumpur to complete her Cambridge A levels. Upon matriculating a year later, she moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Deakin University in 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/groove/2017/06/250320/diana-chans-tasty-no-fuss-favourites|title=Diana Chan's tasty no-fuss favourites|date=19 June 2017|website=nst.com.my|accessdate=25 July 2017}}
Career
After qualifying as a chartered accountant, Chan worked for Deloitte as a senior analyst.{{cite news |last1=Vickery |first1=Colin |title=Diana Chan is confident that she has the talent to win the MasterChef Australia Grand Final |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/diana-chan-is-confident-that-she-has-the-talent-to-win-the-masterchef-australia-grand-final/news-story/b1de7fb5b4d624d602e03c0523b50ab7 |accessdate=19 August 2018 |work=news.com.au |date=23 July 2017}}
= MasterChef Australia =
Chan competed in the ninth series of MasterChef Australia, which filmed from November 2016 to late May 2017.{{Cite news |last=Carmody |first=Broede |date=24 July 2017 |title=MasterChef Australia 2017: Diana Chan wins by one point in surprise nail-biter |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/reality/masterchef-australia-2017-diana-chan-wins-by-one-point-in-surprise-nailbiter-20170724-gxhjwm.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250626152501/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/masterchef-australia-2017-diana-chan-wins-by-one-point-in-surprise-nailbiter-20170724-gxhjwm.html |archive-date=26 June 2025 |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}{{Cite news |last=Guertin |first=Lachlan |date=14 July 2023 |title=MasterChef's Diana Chan admits she was 'broke' when she won the show |url=https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/masterchefs-diana-chan-admits-she-was-broke-when-she-won-the-show-020034358.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250210224037/https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/masterchefs-diana-chan-admits-she-was-broke-when-she-won-the-show-020034358.html |archive-date=10 February 2025 |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=Yahoo Lifestyle}} She approached the competition calmy and methodically, performing well in mystery box challenges to the point of winning one, and was praised for her innovation. Chan captained her team to win the first team challenge of the year.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2017/06/masterchef-reaches-top-10-for-2017.html|title=MasterChef reaches top 10 for 2017|date=26 June 2017|website=tvtonight.com.au|accessdate=25 July 2017}}
On 24 July 2017, the finale aired. Chan won, beating runner-up Ben Ungermann by one point. Her prize was $250,000 and a column in delicious. magazine; she said she intended to use the money to open a casual, Malaysian-influenced restaurant. The pressure of competing in the final left her sick for a week.{{Cite magazine |last=Dunk |first=Tiffany |date=24 July 2017 |title=Diana Chan wins MasterChef Australia 2017 |url=https://www.nowtolove.com.au/entertainment/tv/diana-chan-wins-masterchef-australia-2017-39408/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207062331/https://www.nowtolove.com.au/entertainment/tv/diana-chan-wins-masterchef-australia-2017-39408/ |archive-date=7 December 2024 |access-date=26 June 2025 |magazine=TV Week |via=Now To Love}} To get time off work to compete, Chan had taken unpaid leave; by the time she won, she had run her savings down and had to return to work immediately. She kept working as an accountant for the next few months until the results were announced.
= After Masterchef =
Chan has spent her time since Masterchef working with brands in Australia and Asia, including Kewood and St. Regis Hotels. She designed the in-flight menu for Malaysia Airlines, acting as their ambassador.{{Cite news |date=24 January 2021 |title=Diana Chan serves up more home-style Asian dishes in second season of TV show Asia Unplated |url=https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/diana-chan-serves-up-more-home-style-asian-dishes-in-second-season-of-tv-show-asia-unplated-ng-b881774622z |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250626134933/https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/diana-chan-serves-up-more-home-style-asian-dishes-in-second-season-of-tv-show-asia-unplated-ng-b881774622z |archive-date=26 June 2025 |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=The West Australian}} She has also worked on tourism across Asia. A collaboration with the dumpling brand Golden Wok on a frozen dumpling product line has been very successful: sold in supermarkets through Australia, {{Currency|10 million|AUD}} sales were generated in 2020, making it the best selling product in its category in the country. As of 2023 the company was beginning to sell the dumplings in Asia.{{Cite news |last=Rocca |first=Jane |date=22 May 2023 |title=‘It’s a little known secret’: Diana Chan on her food and drink favourites from Melbourne to Malaysia |url=https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/tips-and-advice/it-s-a-little-known-secret-diana-chan-on-her-food-and-drink-favourites-from-melbourne-to-malaysia-20230522-p5dabw.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250626144221/https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/tips-and-advice/it-s-a-little-known-secret-diana-chan-on-her-food-and-drink-favourites-from-melbourne-to-malaysia-20230522-p5dabw.html |archive-date=26 June 2025 |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=The Age}}
For eight months in 2018, Chan ran Chanteen, a pop-up restaurant in Melbourne.{{Cite news |last=Webster |first=Anna |date=9 February 2018 |title=Melbourne hawker market HWKR opens with pop-ups from MasterChef stars Diana Chan and Reynold Poernomo |url=https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/eating-out/melbourne-hawker-market-hwkr-pops-up-with-stalls-from-masterchef-stars-diana-chan-reynold-poernomo-20180209-h0vtob.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250626161219/https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/eating-out/melbourne-hawker-market-hwkr-pops-up-with-stalls-from-masterchef-stars-diana-chan-reynold-poernomo-20180209-h0vtob.html |archive-date=26 June 2025 |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=The Age}} In 2024, she released The Golden Wok, a cookbook covering wok-cooked Malaysian dishes.{{Cite web |date=27 November 2024 |title=Recipe: Diana Chan’s Assam Pedas Gives Full-Throttle Flavour |url=https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/recipe-diana-chans-assam-pedas-tamarind-fish |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203015844/https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/recipe-diana-chans-assam-pedas-tamarind-fish |archive-date=3 December 2024 |access-date=26 June 2025 |website=Broadsheet}}
A tv show hosted by Chan, Asia Unplated with Diana Chan, was released on SBS on 19 December 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2019/11/22/trailer-diana-chan-joins-sbss-foodie-fam-with-her-debut-tv-series|title=TRAILER {{!}} Diana Chan joins SBS's foodie fam with her debut TV series|website=Australian Television News - TV Blackbox|access-date=2019-11-28|archive-date=18 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218184917/https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2019/11/22/trailer-diana-chan-joins-sbss-foodie-fam-with-her-debut-tv-series|url-status=dead}} The show saw her cooking with friends, including fellow Masterchef contestant Khanh Ong, and was commissioned among several food shows on SBS. Production was the outcome of six months of Chan petitioning for funding and organizing.{{Cite news |last=Rigden |first=Clare |date=11 December 2019 |title=Armchair gluttons: our insatiable appetite for food and travel shows |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/armchair-gluttons-our-insatiable-appetite-for-food-and-travel-shows-20191205-p53h6a.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250626134555/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/armchair-gluttons-our-insatiable-appetite-for-food-and-travel-shows-20191205-p53h6a.html |archive-date=26 June 2025 |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} The show was renewed for a second season, which was released in 2021. This contained ten episodes, filmed in Melbourne under strict movement restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests included a returning Ong, and other former Masterchef contestants Sarah Todd and Karlie Verkerk.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Facebook|diana.chan.1420|Diana Chan}}
{{MasterChef Australia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Diana}}
Category:MasterChef Australia winners
Category:People from Johor Bahru
Category:People from Melbourne
Category:Australian people of Chinese descent
Category:Australian people of Malaysian descent
Category:Australian television chefs
Category:Australian accountants