Shock exit for MasterChef favourite

MASTERCHEF favourite Mindy Woods just missed out on cooking in the grand final after her shock elimination tonight.

It all came undone for the Brisbane physiotherapist, who has kept a cool head through most of the series, on the eve of the series four grand final.

"I had always wanted to make the Top 5 and when I made the Top 4 I thought 'wow maybe I can take it the whole way'," she said.

"But before I knew it, it was my last day in the kitchen."

Mentored by three-hatted chef Jacques Reymond, Woods attempted to make caramelised crispy-skinned barramundi.

"I think I probably didn't listen to my intuition," she said.

"I took his (Reymond) advice quite literally and my fish ran out of time to cook.

"It was a big mistake. If my fish had been cooked then I would have been in that final."

But Woods left the MasterChef kitchen with a smile on her face and a new career path.

"I had the best experience of my life and now it's becoming my world," she said.

"Not for a minute would I dream of going back to physio. I'm having so much fun with food. I've got a pop-up restaurants planned for August 6 in Sydney, and then hopefully we'll be able to do them in a few other places like Brisbane and Melbourne."

Despite leading the female domination of this year's Top 24, Woods tips remaining male cook Andy Allen to win tomorrow night's grand final against Audra Morrice and Julia Taylor.

"I absolutely adore Audra and Julia but I think the dark horse of the competition is Andy," she said.

"He's doing so well at the moment that I think he's going to take it out."

The MasterChef grand final airs at 7pm tomorrow on Ten.