MasterChef Australia judge Sofia Levin is currently in the thick of promoting the cooking show as we get into the Grand Finale week. While it seems like all fun and games, she’s been privately dealing with the loss of her beloved father Greg.
She shared an emotional tribute on Instagram on Sunday, posting a carousel of photographs of her family over the years. He passed away on July 8, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease back in January 2022.
“Five days without the best person I’ve ever known. The burden of enormous love is that when someone dies, the sorrow is proportional,” she wrote in the caption.
“Our family has never missed an ‘I love you’ or left anything unsaid. Despite Dad’s MND diagnosis in January 2022, we have travelled, laughed and held each other tightly. I feel indescribably lucky to have had 34 years of Greg as my father.
“We shared more than most could ever dream of in twice that. Lots of people think they have the best dad or the best husband; the difference with our family is that everyone else thought that about Greg, too.”
One of Sofia’s snaps of her and Greg. (Image: Instagram @sofiaklevin)
She recalled a quote from his memoir – published right before he passed – where he stated that although he didn’t believe in heaven, he believed his “family and friends” were “heaven” for him.
“He was our heaven, too,” Sofia wrote.
The MasterChef Australia judge also shared an emotional poem she penned the day after his passing. It concluded with these lines: “May the pieces of him that make me whole, surface when I need them most, piercing through the shroud of his absence to give meaning to my heartache.”
Fellow MasterChef Australia judge Jean-Christophe Novelli was quick to share his love, commenting: “Sofia, we are sending our heartfelt condolences to you and your family and lots of love to you all at this difficult time.”
Her post was extremely emotional. (Image: Instagram @sofiaklevin)
Many MasterChef Australia contestants also left supportive messages, with Darrsh Clarke saying, “Sending all the love to you Sofia.”
“Oh Sofia I am so so sorry for your loss Sofia. You are in my thoughts. Lots of love,” added Savindri ‘Sav’ Perera.
“So sorry for your loss Sofia, sending lots of love,” Mimi Wong wrote.
Sofia previously became a big advocate for The Shut Up! Challenge, which aimed to raise awareness and fundraise for motor neurone disease. In 2022, she revealed her family all received matching glass-half-full tattoos.
“I just want to boast about how much I love my family, and how brave and resilient they are. If wealth is measured in memories and making the most of it, the Levins are rolling in it,” she said at the time.
Feature Image: Network 10, Instagram @sofiaklevin
