Having first appeared in Season 10, and returning for Season 12's Back To Win, every time Reece steps back into the kitchen fans fall more and more in love with his sense of humour and his particular style of baking.

Honouring the country classics, and CWA mainstays, Dessert Masters provided Reece with the opportunity to finally compete in the MasterChef arena where he could fully focus on baking.

"I've got my own aesthetic outside of MasterChef, I've created my own kind of brand and vision, and I'm doing what I want to do," he told 10 Play. "So, in terms of putting that into challenges, I can adapt those quite easily to what I do."

Instead of having to worry about savoury challenges and pressure tests, Reece could thrive in challenges that celebrated his style of baking that he's built on over the years. And having competed twice before, Reece had a slight upper hand in knowing what to expect when it came to the competition.

"I remember after the first cook everyone walked around the kitchen to see what we all made. Everyone had done a plated dessert while Emelia had made all these choux buns, and I had made a whole dessert trolley worth of cake," Reece recalled.

"Everyone was like, what the hell? How did you guys do that? And I was like, we're used to one hour," he laughed. "We had that mindset where we have already adapted to the pressure of the kitchen and the time restraints so we had more time to do even more!"

When he was approached to compete in Dessert Masters this year, Reece admitted to feeling a little obligated to say yes. "I also felt really honoured and grateful to be asked. I definitely wanted to do it and a big part of going back was because Emelia was going back. We're really close friends so, to be able to do it with her was really special. That made me want to go for sure."

In the first challenge, Reece wanted to make sure he showed what he does well, honouring the country-style classics, before expanding his repertoire as the competition went on. "I didn't want to be seen as one-dimensional," he added.

Towards the end of the season, Reece had wowed the judges with his perfect cakes and slices, as well as showing off his more high-end takes on plated desserts like his Ribbons, and Soda'licious.

Working hard post-MasterChef to perfect his style and niche, Reece was more certain of what he wanted to show coming into Dessert Masters.

"I looked at it like this, I was asked to go back so they obviously had seen what I make," he explained. "I thought, if they want me to be there then they want me to be there because of what I can do. That gave me the confidence to think I want to show off what I do back home, what we make at Cakeboi, and what I've written cookbooks about."

In his second cookbook, Cake Boi Goes Vegan, Reece addresses one of the biggest struggles he faced when began following a plant-based diet four years ago, how could he still enjoy cake? But coming into Dessert Masters, he knew it would be a huge risk to avoid animal products in his baking.

"I didn't know how Amaury would respond to vegan recipes," Reece admitted. "Giving a French man fake butter would feel a bit controversial," he laughed.

"I did have this amazing dessert which is completely vegan and I wanted to not tell them until they tasted it, but I kind of second-guessed myself and decided I needed to give the Frenchman butter because he's grown up on it!"

During Monday night's semi-final, the five remaining contestants were tasked with telling a story through three different desserts. Reece wanted to pay homage to his journey in the MasterChef, refining dishes that were highlights of his time in past seasons. Unfortunately, the judges found flaws in each of his three desserts and once again he just missed out on cooking in a finale.

"I'm kind of over being the bridesmaid, to be honest, I always get to the end and leave just before the good part," he reflected with a laugh.

"I was thinking about it this morning, I've left the show and opened a bakery and a restaurant, I've collaborated with the QT hotel, and I've published two cookbooks. I feel like I am a winner.

"Maybe I don't have the title or the crown, but I've proven myself," Reece continued. "I think about where I was six years ago when I worked in an office and didn't even look out a window.

"From where I was to now, it's not even a new career it's a complete flip on life and, you know, I'm really proud of everything I've achieved after the show."

But the ultimate question is if Reece can see himself walking back through those doors a fourth time in the future. "If they create a saying, 'fourth time lucky' I'll do it," he laughed.

"When we finished filming, Mel [Leong] was having a joke that I’d have to come back and try again and I said I think I’ve retired from MasterChef, I was so exhausted. But last night John and I were having a chat talking about how much we missed being in that actual kitchen cooking and I was like, yeah this is what happens to me every time!

"I finish a season and am grateful for it and move on to the next thing, then I start to reminisce and feel all the fun feelings, and then I start to miss it so much! I can never say never."

Dessert Masters on Sunday, 24 November at 7pm on 10 and 10 Play.