A New Challenge for Hayden Quinn
Reality TV star Hayden Quinn has taken a dramatic turn in his career, swapping the intense environment of MasterChef for the strategic world of The Floor. His goal? To win the $200,000 grand prize by showcasing his expertise in seafood. In a recent interview, the 39-year-old cook shared his thoughts on how this new challenge differs from his previous experiences on the cooking show.
“MasterChef is quite stressful,” Hayden admitted. “It’s very hands-on, creative, and requires you to think on your feet. There’s a lot of movement—you could be outside, offsite, in a kitchen, or in the studio.”
With a laugh, he added, “The good thing about The Floor is that you’re just standing there. On The Floor, you have your topic and the topics around you. You can pace it out and do your research and study slowly. With MasterChef, you need a breadth of knowledge about food and different culinary skills that can be pulled out at any moment. So it can be a little more challenging.”
For those watching at home, wondering what it’s really like to appear on The Floor, Hayden insists it’s much the same, especially as you have a practice run watching the other contestants! “Being on the floor physically while we’re filming is the same as being at home, because you’re watching it live,” he explains. “You’re having the same reactions and getting in behind the person you want to win. And you’re also like in your head, obviously you can’t scream out like you do at home, but in your head, you’re sort of answering the questions as you go. So, you sort of get a little bit of a practice run without actually doing it.”
The Pressure of the Game
Although The Floor might not be as physically demanding as MasterChef, it still carries its own unique challenges. Hayden shared how the nerves can creep in when you’re finally up there duelling. “But, the good thing about The Floor for me was that it wasn’t my wheelhouse,” he adds. “So, if I stuffed up royally, it wasn’t going to be like, ‘Oh my God, look at this idiot!’”
When he finally made it up to The Floor, any game plan he might have had went right out the window! “You have a bit of a game plan, but that game plan can change really quickly because the person prior to you might have just got out or they’ve just taken over another territory,” he explains. “Things change and shift on the board really quickly, especially as more and more people sort of drop off.”
The Role of the Host
Thankfully, host Rodger Corser does his job well, guiding the contestants to focus on the game, rather than their TV nerves! “He’s super chilled, really friendly, brings everyone back down to earth and just like makes it feel like a lot of fun, but also very serious at the same time,” Hayden says. “He has a lot of fun with it and brings the nerves down, gets everyone focused.”
A Dream Come True
Needless to say, having always wanted to appear on a game show, The Floor was a dream come true for Hayden, and it certainly lived up to expectations! The show continues on Channel Nine on Wednesday at 9pm.
