Poh Ling Yeow has opened up about the hidden challenges of fame, revealing she turns down lucrative offers if they don’t align with her values.
Speaking on the Mental As Anyone podcast this week, the MasterChef judge and former contestant described navigating life in the public eye as difficult.
‘It is a treacherous path actually, because I think you have to be very careful about what you say yes to,’ the 51-year-old said.
‘I think you’re as defined by what you’re saying no to, so opportunities will come, but a lot of them are yucky and will leave a little trail of badness.
‘I’ve made mistakes. I’ve said yes to things before and then later regretted it. I have done things before where I’ve … had a weird feeling about that and now I feel like it was a mistake, not huge ones, but just like, probably not as aligned with my brand as it should have been.’
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Poh Ling Yeow (pictured) has opened up about the hidden challenges of fame, revealing she turns down lucrative offers if they don’t align with her values
Speaking on the Mental As Anyone podcast this week, the MasterChef judge and former contestant described navigating life in the public eye as ‘a treacherous path’
Poh revealed she is highly selective about brand partnerships, preferring to keep her platform authentic.
‘It is mainly commercial opportunities that are about money and using my platform,’ she explained.
‘I really make sure that the things that I attach myself to, like endorsements and stuff, are things that I really genuinely love. It is sort of very nuanced but I am very particular.’
The beloved TV cook also keeps a low profile on social media, only using Instagram and an automated Facebook account.
‘I have to really watch that space and make sure that I guard it and that when people look at that grid, they know who I am, not just what I sell. You have to be able to sleep at night,’ she said.
Poh is one of seven stars vying for the coveted Gold Logie this Sunday night, alongside Julia Morris, Ally Langdon, Sonia Kruger, Lisa Millar, Lynne McGranger and Hamish Blake.
While the nomination is a career high, Poh admitted she struggles with the extra attention.
‘I’ve just always been a little bit of a … like I’m on the fringe, my whole life,’ she said.
‘I think you have to be very careful about what you say yes to,’ the 51-year-old said
‘So with this being such an overt sort of acknowledgement of my existence and my work and everything, I don’t know how to receive it because I’m not used to it. I’m used to being ignored. Even though it’s such a high accolade of people basically accepting me, I just still find it really hard to absorb that.’
Despite her fame, Poh has never been motivated by money or extravagance.
‘What’s good is I’ve known how to live off the sniff of an oily rag forever, being an artist, so it doesn’t scare me to have to be really frugal,’ she said.
‘I’ve never stressed out about it (money) … and I don’t need heaps. I’m just really happy with being able to pay the bills. I’m not someone that is extravagant at all.’
It comes after the cook addressed swirling rumours she’s stepping away from MasterChef Australia.
Daily Mail revealed that Poh has signed on to return for the 2026 season, putting an end to recent speculation she was preparing to bow out.
A spokesperson for the popular chef flatly denied the claims, revealing: ‘There’s no truth to the speculation. Poh is loving her time on MasterChef and feels like she’s found her place.’
Poh joined the judging panel in 2022 following the shock death of Jock Zonfrillo and the departures of Melissa Leong and Andy Allen.
