Elena Duggan

Elena Duggan became an inspiration to all Australian artists when she was announced the 2016 winner for MasterChef Australia.

Growing up in Noosa, Elena adopted her family’s love for all things cooking and diving. With her family running a scuba diving business, Elena spent much of her childhood around water and home-cooked seafood. 

Elena would cook with her beloved nan from as young as two years old, and before long she was preparing entire meals by the age of eight. Blessed with artistic talent, Elena uses both cooking and art to express herself creatively.

After relocating to Sydney at 17, Elena went on to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts UNSW, before completing her post-graduate degree in teaching from University of Technology. She has also completed a year of Foundation Psychology at Macquarie University, with the final goal of pursuing art therapy.

Elena’s life would change when she competed in the seventh season of MasterChef Australia. Drawing inspiration from her favourite chefs like Jock Zonfrillo, Maggie Beer and Marco Pierre White, Elena would not only take home the title of MasterChef Winner in 2016, but also meet her spouse Eric Dedovic whom she now lives with in Sydney.

Off-screen, Elena has been the head teacher of the creative and performing arts department in Galston High School for nearly a decade. Teaching visual arts, photography and digital media, Elena inspires her students to pursue their creative ambitions.

In the future, Elena hopes to collaborate with the wider community by owning her own farm café.