“My nerves come from the fact that my skillset is very different to other people’s skillset and you know how in life you compare?” said Quinn.
“So the most nerve-racking thing was the fact that I’m going up against these amazing cooks. it’s so important to back yourself and have that self-confidence that you really need to do well.”
Meanwhile, season seven star Reynold Poernomo said that while he is hoping to win, he realises that there are some seriously talented cooks in the competition this season.
“There’s a lot of talent, I’m not going to say I will win but we all hope we will win. I really want to end up in the top 10 at least,” he said.
“I think my style of cooking has changed because when I wasn’t sure in season 7, I pigeonholed myself by mostly focusing on desserts,” he said.
“I was known as the desserts guy, any chance I could I’d do a dessert. This time around ever since opening my dessert bar with my brothers I just evolved, I grew. I’ve done more savoury dishes. At first I wanted to be a pastry chef but now I just want to be a restaurateur.
This year, longtime judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston will be replaced by newcomers, Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo.