The former police detective, who recently walked out of the MasterChef Australia house in order to spend more time with husband Nick, 4-year-old Harry and 12-month-old Sam, said that she is glad she put her family's needs before her own.
Carmichael, who made the top 24 of the reality cookery show, told Woman's Day magazine: "Leaving the show was a big decision, but the crunch came when I went home for a brief break before the top 24 announcement, and my children didn’t recognise me.
"They wouldn’t have understood where I was or what I was doing, so in a way, they were testing me to see if I was going to go away and leave them again. My family is my world and their health and happiness are paramount."
The 30-year-old said that she is now focusing her attention on preparing for the birth of her baby in five months' time.
