Masterchef Australia contestant quits show over mental health issues; says "I wasn't OK"

The last night's episode of Masterchef Australia left people all over the world in a state of shock. Fans and followers of contestant Brent Draper were left teary-eyed when he decided to quit the show. A first in the Masterchef Australia history, Draper revealed the pressure was tremendous and took a toll on his mental well-being.

Brent, who wowed the judges with his brilliant chicken cooking styles and flavours, had left his wife and two-year-old son to be on the show. However, the continuous pressure and struggle to compete took a toll on him. Brent's decision to quit has come as a rude awakening for those who say reality shows are not real.

Brent's social media post

Brent shared a picture of him putting his hand up and wrote, "This is the moment I put my hand up, and asked for help. This is the moment I'll never forget, and one I'm bloody proud of. This is the moment I put my mental health first, before anything else. This is the moment I want my son Alfie to see, I want him to see that it's okay to not be okay, it's okay to hurt and it's okay to cry. This is the moment that changed everything for me. If you need help, please call @lifelineaustralia on 13 11 14."

Having a lot of panic attacks

Even though Brent is better now, there was a phase where he was getting panic attacks and was really struggling. "The last few weeks of my time in the competition, I was really struggling mentally and physically. I was struggling to sleep and having a lot of panic attacks during the night. It really started to show; even though I was trying my hardest to mask it, those around me knew I wasn't OK," Draper told The Guardian.

Brent further said, "What we go through emotionally and mentally on this show is massively underestimated. People put their entire lives on hold for this, they leave their children and their newborn babies and their partners and jobs to chase something that most people will never be able to have a crack at in their lives."

After quitting the show, Brent spent a good amount of time sitting with a psychologist, doing things he loved and spending quality time with his family. He has also urged people on social media to "put their hands up" if they feel something is not right or if they are not able to cope up.