Colin Fassnidge has come to the defence of Australia’s own Julie Goodwin following vile comments made online about her recent weight loss. 

At the age of 51, the Irish chef stood up to a rude commenter on the MasterChef star’s Instagram this week, responding to an unpleasant comment left on a recent post she shared.

Although the comments have now been disabled on the photo showcasing Julie’s slimmer figure, many witnessed Colin defending her with a single, sharp retort.

‘Tool,’ he wrote in response to one critic, with fans following in his stead to call the person a ‘bully’.  

‘Disgusting comment. Grow up,’ another added.

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Colin Fassnidge, 51, has come to the defence of Australia’s own Julie Goodwin, 54, following vile comments made online about her recent weight loss

Colin and Julie appear to be friends behind the scenes of the TV industry, after the pair made a guest appearance together on My Kitchen Rules last year. 

It comes after Julie, 54, issued a statement defending her recent weight loss after fans raised concerns about her health.

The former MasterChef Australia star shared an update on Instagram on Thursday after a new photo, in which she looked very slim, was posted to her account.

Her dramatic transformation led to comments from worried followers.

‘Thanks to all who have expressed concern about my health. I am well and I am within the healthy weight range. My doctor concurs,’ she wrote.

‘For those who have asked me for advice or tips, I am not qualified to provide this. 

‘It’s advice that should be sought from your trusted health professionals, not from me. I’m a TV cook.

‘For those who want to comment on the shape and condition of my body please, do it on your own page because I’m tired of reading it.’ 

The Irish chef took down a nasty troll on the MasterChef star’s Instagram this week when they left an unkind remark beneath a recent post she made

‘For that reason I’ll be turning off comments on this post,’ she continued.

‘For all of us can we please find something more interesting to talk about. 

‘Can we please model kindness to our kids and grandkids and can we please leave this obsession with people’s looks back in the 1980s. Peace and love.’

Julie was prompted to speak out after a selfie shared this week led to comments inquiring about whether she is ‘sick’.

‘I’m actually concerned… to be honest, but if you are healthy and well there is nothing to worry about,’ one fan commented.

‘Oh Julie… too much weight loss,’ another chimed in, while one more said: ‘She is sick. She looks shocking.’

‘Julie you are awesome, but are you okay?’ someone else asked, with one more posting: ‘Are you okay Julie? You don’t look okay. Hope there’s nothing wrong.’

‘She looks like a skeleton,’ one more person wrote, with yet another saying: ‘OMG you look so ill.’

It comes after Julie issued a statement defending her recent weight loss after fans raised concerns about her health. Pictured (L) before and (R) after weight loss

Others defended Julie, with one person writing: ‘Love how people speculate she is on the jabs. My bet is she is looking after herself and eating the right foods.’

‘OMG Julie you look amazing! You have a beautiful smile. Keep shining!’ another said.

One more chimed in: ‘Can everyone stop commenting on Julie’s weight and telling her she’s too thin? 

‘All you’re doing is projecting on her what YOU think she should look like. If she had always looked like this, no-one would say anything.

‘Just be happy for her that she’s happy, her doctor’s happy, and she’s healthy!’

Julie recently revealed she had lost more weight following her dramatic ‘accidental’ transformation, which saw her drop a whopping 20kg almost a decade ago.

Taking to Instagram, Julie shared a selfie of her looking thinner than ever following an appearance on Sunrise.

Julie let her greys grow and flaunted a more natural colour for her locks while showcasing her weight loss since winning the cooking show in 2009.

The kitchen guru looked slim as she encouraged fans to try her chicken pie with potato bake topping.

Despite her makeover, Julie still donned her signature wide-frame glasses in the post, while wearing a black and white striped shirt.

Back in 2016, Julie revealed her dramatic weight loss had nothing to do with dieting and was certainly no cause for celebration.

‘It’s not that I’ve gone on some stupid, sad diet and dropped a whole heap of weight in a hurry. It’s not anything like that,’ she told Women’s Weekly at the time.

‘I am running a business and running around like a mad thing, and sometimes I forget to eat, none of which is healthy.’

Julie reprised her MasterChef appearance in 2012 for the MasterChef All Stars series.

She went on to appear on Ten’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015.

More recently, Julie appeared on the 2024 season of Channel Seven’s hit show Dancing with the Stars.