"No one grows up choosing to be an outcast." Everything we know about MasterChef's Khanh.

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Khanh Ong is the opposite of what you’d expect from someone constantly immersed in the pressure cooker of an environment that is the Masterchef kitchen.

Vibrant, vivacious and a beacon of smiling joy.

Watch: Khanh redeems himself with the dish that got him eliminated in his first season, during Sunday night’s episode. Post continues below video. 

Outside of the Masterchef cauldron, 27-year-old Khanh’s talents are as varied as they are vast. Not only is he a successful chef, but he also works as a DJ and clothing designer.

Here is everything we know about Masterchef’s Khanh Ong’s life.

Khanh’s upbringing.

 

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Throwback to when I was born, happy mothers day mum, I know you have a creeper instagram @dungchau7 where you only follow me and auntie @pohlingyeow ahahahahhahah

A post shared by Khanh (@khanhong) on May 9, 2020 at 9:07pm PDT

Khanh was born in an Indonesian refugee camp, where he spent the first couple of years of his life. His family resettled in Australia during the early 1990s, finding their home in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, according to Channel 10.

Khanh attended high school at Haileybury College, where he found his love for making clothes. While in Year 12, he started his certificate in pattern making, garment construction and fashion business from the Melbourne School of Fashion.

Khanh briefly lived in London after school, before studying Fashion Design back in Melbourne. Ever the high-achieving creative, he also was growing his DJ career, playing in countries including Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore.

His love for food was inspired by his mother’s cooking talents, with his parents owning a butcher’s business when he was a kid.

Khanh’s t-shirts.

 

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Thanks for the Asian mystery box @fooderati #MasterChefAU @masterchefau

A post shared by Khanh (@khanhong) on Apr 22, 2020 at 2:47am PDT

Khanh’s love for making clothes eventuated in his famous tees, which he wears every night on MasterChef in a different shade, which read: “you are loved”.

Fans have been inundating him with messages about them, and just as a PSA: You can buy the shirts online, with $10 from each shirt going to LGBTQIA+ youth charity Minus18.

Speaking to 10 Daily, Khanh explained the meaning behind the shirts.

“It’s somewhere that I used to go to when I was younger and when I was underage,” Khanh shared with the publication, explaining he would attend some of their social events and educational and advocacy workshops.

“There was a space where they threw events that made you feel welcomed, and I feel like that’s really important to support something that really helped me when I was younger,” Khanh said of the Minus18 community.

‘It’s hard growing up gay.’

In 2018, during the 10th season of Masterchef when Khanh placed third, he spoke to TV Week about a few of his struggles growing up.

“Being gay in our culture isn’t really a thing, so that was hard for me,” Khanh shared with the publication. “You go through the first half of your life pretending you’re not gay; that what you’re feeling isn’t normal.”

But Khanh said that his struggle with his sexuality was compounded by also being a refugee.

“It’s hard enough growing up gay, but then there’s this whole refugee element,” Khanh explains. “No one grows up choosing to be an outcast or picked on – it just happens.”

Social life.

If you think Khanh comes across as fun on your screen, wait till you scroll through his Instagram feed.

He’s just as fabulous as you would expect.

 

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Throw back to when it wasn’t Monday and my brows/lashes were fresh from @browandlashco and my hair was snatched from @rachelvitullo ????????????

A post shared by Khanh (@khanhong) on Feb 16, 2020 at 10:40pm PST

 

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It’s 8:45 on a Monday morning and I already need a champagne ????????????

A post shared by Khanh (@khanhong) on Feb 23, 2020 at 1:51pm PST

 

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Christmas parties with @ejpelli13 and @becjudd

A post shared by Khanh (@khanhong) on Dec 22, 2019 at 1:53am PST

 

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@bumble_australia throne shot number 3! Thanks @effiekats for dressing me! ????????????

A post shared by Khanh (@khanhong) on Nov 6, 2019 at 8:22pm PST

 

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Can we just go back to it being the weekend please?

A post shared by Khanh (@khanhong) on Sep 16, 2019 at 2:39pm PDT

To conclude, we love Khanh. 

Read more about MasterChef 2020:

• “People didn’t realise it was me.” Everything we know about MasterChef’s Reece Hignell.
• A health scare and a career sacrifice: Everything we know about MasterChef’s Sarah Tiong.
• A ‘MasterChef injury’ and a new romance: Everything we know about fan favourite Brendan Pang.
• “There is pressure to get engaged.” Everything we know about MasterChef’s Reynold Poernomo.

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