There was no holding back in front of the cameras during Charlene McGechan’s elimination from top-rating show MasterChef. In what has become the most touching moment on the season so far, Charlene knelt on the floor of the MasterChef kitchen after her elimination and clapped her hands as is traditional Fijian custom, before uttering the words “Vinaka Vakalevu”. This translates to “thank you”, and was a sign of respect for the judges, her fellow contestants and the production crew.
Meanwhile on the sideline, her usually calm and composed competitor-turned-friend, Ana Schwarz, was weeping openly in front of the looming cameras. The pair had been standing side by side in the bottom two, and their emotional goodbye would become a moment that would define the very real friendship the pair shared on the reality show – and that continues off-camera.
“It was the hardest thing for me to leave Ana, as I felt like part of me was just ripped out,” says Charlene (34). “We wanted an Ana/Charlene final, but I let her down and I let my family down, just by having one bad day.”
“It was really emotional for me,” adds Ana (40). “I’ll probably start crying again talking about it now. Not only was she the rock in the house and a really good friend, but I felt like I had robbed her of a position in the top four.” When the pair meet up with the Weekly they’re having a day of pampering at Auckland’s Lucy and the Powder Room beauty salon. It’s a far cry from Charlene’s elimination scene, and the two women are full of energy.
Although both women come from different backgrounds – Charlene is a former Fijian beauty queen, and Waiheke Islander Ana has a background in interior design – in the MasterChef house they quickly formed a close relationship. Both are mothers – Charlene to Hannah (5) and Andrew (3), and Ana to Mia (8), Jai (7) and baby Sienna. The pair say they have helped each other deal with being away from their families while on the show.
“I tried to be there for my kids and be part of their day,” says Charlene, who talked to her family every night by phone from the MasterChef house. “She would sing to her kids every night,” adds Ana. “Sometimes I could hear Ana and Chantelle [O’Brien] singing along with me,” says Charlene. “When each of us had a bad day, we’d bring out the positive in each other.”
The whole show was tough from the start, with Ana’s lowest point happening when it was Sienna’s first birthday. “When Sienna had her birthday, I was really struggling and I was really down that day,” Ana says. “I felt so guilty not being there. I don’t think I had felt any guilt up until then.”
“When I walked into her room I knew something was wrong,” says Charlene. “Then I clicked that it was Sienna’s birthday.” Ana says Charlene helped her get through this tough time.“We have an unspoken thing, which is really cool.”
The like-minded foodies have a similar sense of humour and hope to one day work together. But their friendship will face a new obstacle with the news that Charlene is moving overseas. With Charlene now gone from the competition, Ana says she felt a wake-up call to get her head back in game. “It was really hard with her leaving, but I had to tell myself I had a job to do. It has made me even more determined.”
