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Manu Feildel's brutal dig at this year's season of My Kitchen Rules
Following a two-year hiatus due to low ratings and the exit of controversial judge Pete Evans, My Kitchen Rules returned to Australian TV this year for its twelfth season.
The series promised to return to its roots and focus on cooking rather than drama, and also saw the introduction of new judges Nigella Lawson and Matt Preston.
While the season’s viewership only reached a peak of 643,000 people during the final episode compared to 2.9 million in 2013, it managed to outperform The Masked Singer, MasterChef and Australian Survivor.
However, long-time judge Manu Feildel has now spoken out about this year’s season and revealed his honest thoughts in an interview with Sydney Confidential.
“Without being an a**hole, I think we could’ve had some better cooks,” he said.
“People have got to be more experienced – real foodies.”
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Speaking about the softened ratings, the celebrity chef went on to question whether reality cooking shows still hold a place on Australian TV.
“I’m not sure if there’s an appetite for more,” he said.
“I thought two years ago it was the end of my TV career, and I was happy either way. Frankly, I’ve had a ball. If it continues on, I’d be happy to keep going. But you know, there’s an end to everything at the end of the day.
He continued: “Things chop and change all the time, depending on what people are hungry for. Cooking (shows) have been so big for the last 15 years, maybe it’s time for a change.”
Who won MKR this year?
This year’s season of My Kitchen Rules came to an end on Wednesday night with Sydney couple Janelle and Monzir being crowned the 2022 champions.
The pair wowed the judges with their four-course meal and earned 27/30 points - just two points above their competitors Kate and Mary.
“We won, we actually won!” Janelle said after the results were announced.
“It doesn't matter where you came from, you can achieve anything you want. There is no limit. This means everything to us.”
Meanwhile, Monzir gave a shout-out to his mum in the audience, saying: “Thank you, mum, for teaching me everything and thank you for your support.”
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