She wore her heart on her sleeve, and it was with her characteristic smile firmly planted on her face that Dani Venn left the Australian MasterChef competition last night, having – again somewhat characteristically – taken on too much in her final elimination challenge. Suffering the consequences, she ran out of time, and instead of the delicate scoop of sesame ice-cream she'd meant to serve them, the judges found themselves presented with a grainy ice-cream still in its churn.

“I was convinced I was going home before it was revealed to us,” Venn admits in an interview with MiNDFOOD ahead of the competition's final showdown this weekend. “I went in as positive as I could, but I served the least impressive dish.”

But even this admission is said with a laugh and a smile reminiscent of the sunny outlook Venn was known for. “I was actually so proud of myself for getting so far. Fourth place for me was really great,” she says when asked how she felt about leaving so close to the final. “I was really surprised I got so far!” she says.

Like other contestants before her, Venn concedes that time spent in the competition had taken its toll, and that it was a relief to finally go home to her family, including long-term partner Chris. Having met while travelling in Sri Lanka four and a half years ago, Venn managed to deal with the separation from her partner through letter writing and weekly phone calls. “It was reassuring knowing that nothing had changed, and that it was still the same back home,” she says.

At just 25 years old, Venn left a job at the Malthouse Theatre to take part in MasterChef, but admits it wasn't a hard decision. “It was fairly easy actually,” she confesses. “I’d only been in the job for six months, and I'd already got itchy feet. MasterChef came along at just the right time.” Having enjoyed the first two series, Venn felt MasterChef offered a great way to learn, and would provide her with a foot in the foodie door that she longed to open.

Indeed, Venn's journey took her on some incredible experiences. She cooked for the Dalai Lama, enjoyed a private masterclass with her "food idol" Luke Nguyen and, despite being unwell at the time, loved every minute of her time in New York. Despite all the exciting challenges, however, it was the day her mum came to visit that Venn enjoyed the most. “Having my mum on set, that was really the best day,” she says.

With just three contestants left in the running to take the top spot this weekend, Venn believes they all deserve to be there, but that mum of three, Kate Bracks, perhaps deserves it more than most. “They've all worked really hard, but Kate deserves to win. She's sacrificed so much and will produce a really great cookbook,” Venn explains. “At the moment she's one of the best.”

Although she received some criticism for the tears she displayed on camera, Venn believes her emotions worked in her favour, and testifies that the lessons she learned on the show were not only culinary ones. “Believe in yourself,” she offers. “Push yourself, and you might surprise yourself.”

As for the future, with her heart set on a career in food and media, Venn has wasted no time in publishing her website danivenn.com, and although she laughs that her dreams of a small business are on hold until she can earn some money, she is typically excited by what comes next, saying, “I’m open to any opportunities that may come up!”