MasterChef star Poh Ling Yeow reveals how her secret talent helped her

Poh Ling Yeow is a woman of many talents, but one hobby in particular helped her navigate a life of emigration as a child. 

The MasterChef star, 49, turned to painting at a young age when her family first moved from Malaysia to Australia, reported The Saturday Telegraph. 

One detail in particular often appeared in her artistic works – a young girl who she said represented ‘everything I did hate about myself physically’.  

‘As much as I loved being in Australia, obviously I was different when I first came here. You want to eat a Vegemite sandwich, not fried rice, for lunch,’ she said.

‘I guess [the girl] was developed as a cathartic act, in terms of embracing everything I did hate about myself physically: the broad nose, the Asian eyes, the broad face.’

Poh later added: ‘I feel very comfortable in my own skin now. I just struggled with that my whole life. I think it’s a reflection of that.’ 

The celebrity chef proved her artistic talent in April when she showed off one of her incredible art pieces.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a gorgeous pencil illustration which appeared to be an incredibly realistic depiction of her young niece. 

The MasterChef star turned to painting at a young age when her family first moved from Malaysia to Australia, reported The Saturday Telegraph 

‘Old & tiny pencil portrait of my niece,’ she captioned the image, sending her followers into a frenzy.

Fans flocked to her comments to praise the Malaysian-born cook for her artistic prowess with one writing, ‘Absolutely stunning,’ while another said: ‘So talented.’

‘This looks like a photo,’ someone else commented and another remarked: ‘Incredibly talented.’

Someone else penned: ‘You are just so amazing. I envy your talent (in a good way) and your style… so cool.’

One detail in particular often appeared in her artistic works – a young girl who she said represented ‘everything I did hate about myself physically’. Pictured as a teenager with her family