'So beautiful': Celebrity chef Sarah Todd and partner Declan Cleary reflect on public response to secret love story

Celebrity chef, restauranteur and model Sarah Todd is about to start "nesting" ahead of welcoming her second child.

Todd, 38, and her partner, fellow Masterchef alum Declan Cleary, 27, are expecting their first child together in January and spoke to nine.com.au on Melbourne Cup Day – which the couple said may be their last public outing before bub arrives.

"I think I won't be doing too much. Just slowing down with work and all of that, which is nice," Todd explained.

"We've just our baby shower and all our family flew from all over the country.

"So we've just been doing those kind of nesting things, to be honest."

Todd – who also has a 14-year-old son named Phoenix to her ex-fiance – confirmed she and Cleary won't be finding out the gender of their unborn baby until he or she arrives.

"We very much believe that everything happens for a reason and, you know, trust the universe," Todd said.

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Cleary added: "As long as it's a healthy, happy little baby."

The pair met while filming Masterchef in November last year.

Todd and Cleary began as on-screen rivals but it soon blossomed into something romantic in real life.

Now, since going public with their whirlwind romance, they say the support for their love story has been unexpected.

"It was so beautiful," Todd said.

"I think people took a liking to us individually, who we were, and then it was just double the trouble when we teamed up.

"And it's just really lovely seeing how everyone sort of appreciates our love and knows how authentic it is."

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