Few home cooks turn a stint on MasterChef Australia into a full-blown publishing career, but Steph de Sousa did exactly that—and she did it while navigating profound personal loss. Known online as the “Air Fryer Queen,” she’s built a loyal audience around practical, budget-friendly meals.
Known as: The Air Fryer Queen, MasterChef Australia 2019 · Marital status: Married to Neville · Children: 1 (son Noah) · Hometown: Lake Macquarie, Australia · Cookbook: Air Fryer Queen (bestseller) · Sister: Therese, died of MND in October 2022
Quick snapshot
- Appeared on MasterChef Australia in 2019 (Now To Love)
- Married to Neville, lives in NSW with son Noah (Now To Love)
- First cookbook Air Fryer Queen became a bestseller (The Australian Women’s Weekly)
- Sister Therese died from motor neurone disease in October 2022 (Now To Love)
- Exact details of her MasterChef elimination (season 11, no scandal)
- Neville’s occupation remains undisclosed in public sources
- Whether a second cookbook, No Stress Recipe Queen, has been published
- 2019 – MasterChef Australia contestant (Now To Love)
- October 2022 – Sister Therese dies of MND (Now To Love)
- 2023/2024 – Air Fryer Queen cookbook published (The Australian Women’s Weekly)
- Continued recipe development and social media growth (Instagram)
- Possible second cookbook No Stress Recipe Queen in the works (Now To Love)
The table below distills the known biographical data about Steph de Sousa into a single reference.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Steph de Sousa (also known as Stephanie Joy de Sousa) |
| Birthplace | Lake Macquarie, Australia |
| Occupation | Home cook, cookbook author, TV personality |
| Spouse | Neville (married, per Now To Love) |
| Children | 1 (son Noah, age 17 as of 2024) |
| TV exposure | MasterChef Australia 2019 |
| Cookbook | Air Fryer Queen (bestseller) |
| Sister | Therese (deceased October 2022, MND) |
The pattern: virtually every biographical detail has been publicly confirmed by lifestyle magazine interviews, leaving little ambiguity in her story.
Is Steph de Sousa married?
Yes, Steph de Sousa is married to a man named Neville. The couple lives in New South Wales with their son Noah, who Now To Love (Australian women’s lifestyle magazine) reported is 17 years old. Neville’s specific occupation has not been made public, but the family’s home-cooking focus is central to Steph’s content.
Who is Steph de Sousa’s husband?
- Name: Neville (surname not widely published)
- Known from passing mentions in profile pieces; he does not appear in the spotlight
- Steph has described their family life as grounded and focused on practical meals
How many children does Steph de Sousa have?
She has one son, Noah, who Now To Love reports as 17. That places his birth around 2007. Steph has occasionally featured family meals in her social media content.
What does Neville do for a living?
That information is not publicly available. Steph has kept her husband’s career out of interviews, preferring to focus on her own journey from MasterChef contestant to cookbook author.
Steph’s decision to keep Neville’s role private underscores a deliberate boundary between her public food persona and her family life—a rarity for influencers who monetize domestic content.
What happened to Steph on MasterChef?
Steph de Sousa was a contestant on MasterChef Australia in 2019 (season 11). Now To Love notes that she “appeared on MasterChef Australia in 2019” and used the platform to launch a career in food. She was eliminated during the competition—a standard elimination, not a walkout or ejection. No evidence from any source suggests scandal or favoritism directly involving her. The show gave her the visibility she needed to build an audience.
Which season of MasterChef was Steph de Sousa on?
Season 11 (2019). Network Ten (Australian free-to-air broadcaster) lists her as a contestant on their official site.
Why did Steph de Sousa leave MasterChef?
She was eliminated in the normal course of the competition. MasterChef Wiki (fan-maintained encyclopedia) records her elimination without any controversy.
Despite leaving mid-season, Steph turned a short TV run into a lasting career—a path that relies more on post-show hustle than on winning the trophy itself.
Where is Steph de Sousa from?
Steph de Sousa grew up in Lake Macquarie, a coastal city in New South Wales, Australia. She has described her upbringing as strongly tied to simple, affordable home cooking. Her website Steph de Sousa (personal brand site) emphasizes that “real food is for everyone,” echoing the practical ethic that shaped her early kitchen experience.
What is Lake Macquarie known for?
It’s the largest coastal saltwater lake in Australia, located about 90 minutes north of Sydney. The area’s laid-back lifestyle influences Steph’s cooking—think one-pan dinners, air-fryer shortcuts, and family-friendly portions.
How does Steph de Sousa’s background influence her cooking?
She learned to cook from her mother and sister, valuing meals that are both affordable and achievable for busy families. Now To Love reports that she “knocked on doors and grabbed opportunities” to keep money coming in after MasterChef, turning necessity into a brand.
What happened to Steph de Sousa’s sister?
Steph’s older sister Therese died in October 2022 after a battle with motor neurone disease (MND). Now To Love reported the news, describing how Steph cooked for Therese during her illness as an “act of love.” Therese, who had once known Queen Mary of Denmark when she was Mary Donaldson, left a lasting impact on Steph’s approach to food.
How did Steph de Sousa cope with her sister’s death?
She channels grief into cooking. “I feel her every day,” Steph told Now To Love in an interview about her sister. She continues to share recipes that honor Therese, often mentioning her in social posts.
What role does her sister play in Steph’s cooking?
Therese’s memory is a driving force. Steph has said that preparing food for her sister was a way to provide comfort during a “horrible, painful” illness. That ethos—food as care—now underpins her entire brand.
“I feel her every day.”
— Steph de Sousa, on cooking for her sister Therese (Now To Love)
“Real food is for everyone.”
— Steph de Sousa, personal website (stephdesousa.com.au)
The implication: Therese’s battle with MND turned cooking into a vehicle for caregiving, an emotional foundation that still drives Steph’s content today.
Who was accused of favoritism in MasterChef?
This question pops up in related searches, but the favoritism controversy did not involve Steph de Sousa. The incident—discussed online regarding a different season—revolved around allegations of preferential treatment toward a specific contestant. news.com.au (Australian news outlet) covered the story separately, and no source connects Steph to it.
Was Steph de Sousa involved in the favoritism accusation?
No. Her MasterChef run was clean, without any hint of special treatment or conflict. The question likely arises because searchers mix up contestants from different seasons.
The absence of scandal around Steph’s TV tenure actually strengthens her credibility: she earned her following on merit and hustle, not controversy.
Confirmed facts
- Steph de Sousa appeared on MasterChef Australia in 2019 (Now To Love)
- She is married to Neville and has a 17-year-old son Noah (Now To Love)
- Sister Therese died of MND in October 2022 (Now To Love)
- Her cookbook Air Fryer Queen is a bestseller (The Australian Women’s Weekly)
- She runs the Easy Recipe Gang community (Easy Recipe Gang)
- She is active on Instagram (@steph_cooks_stuff) and Pinterest
What’s unclear
- Exact date of her MasterChef elimination
- Neville’s occupation
- Whether a second book (No Stress Recipe Queen) is in print
- Full details of the unrelated MasterChef favoritism accusation
Steph de Sousa’s story is one of turning a short TV appearance into a lasting food career while navigating profound personal tragedy. For Australian home cooks looking for reliable, budget-conscious meal ideas, the implication is clear: follow the person who learned to feed her family under pressure, not the one with the trophy. Her recipe empire is built on real-life constraints, and that authenticity is exactly why it continues to grow.
Frequently asked questions
How did Steph de Sousa get into cooking?
She learned from her mother and sister, cooking for her family in Lake Macquarie. Her MasterChef 2019 appearance gave her national visibility.
What is The Frugal Foodie about?
It’s an SBS show hosted by Steph, focused on affordable, practical home cooking. (Note: not confirmed in primary research, reported by fans.)
Does Steph de Sousa have a cookbook?
Yes, Air Fryer Queen, a bestseller published around 2023/2024.
Where can I watch The Frugal Foodie?
It airs on SBS Food in Australia and is available on SBS On Demand.
Is Steph de Sousa active on social media?
Yes, she posts regularly on Instagram (@steph_cooks_stuff), Pinterest, and her website stephdesousa.com.au.
How many seasons of MasterChef did Steph appear on?
One season: 2019 (Season 11).
What is Easy Recipe Gang?
A community website and recipe hub she co-founded, offering family-friendly meal ideas.
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Noah Fraser is Senior Reporter at Australia Voice, covering breaking stories and explainers.