My Kitchen Rules' Adam breaks his silence

MKR's Adam breaks his silence after being labelled a bad dad. Photo: New Idea

It's been a tumultuous few weeks for MKR contestant Adam Anderson and his second wife Carol.

Not only have they had to deal with the nerves that come with being on the country’s number one program, they’ve also had to bear the brunt of a major public backlash after claims the 45-year-old former tennis pro hasn’t been paying child support and hasn’t seen his five kids in years.

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"I don’t want to get into a public slanging match. It’s not about that," Adam tells New Idea exclusively. Instead, he says, he’s telling his side of the story so that he can get out a message to his children.

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"All I need is to let my kids know that I love them, and Carol and I want them to be part of our lives and our family, as well."

So what does Adam say to former wife Cindy’s claims that he owes $36,000 in child support, that he hasn’t seen his kids – four girls and a boy aged between 15 and eight – and that he declared bankruptcy so that he could withhold payment?

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"It is true that [Cindy] and I are divorced. It is true that I owe her $36,000," says Adam, whose 20-year marriage ended in 2010, with the two divorcing in 2012.

Cindy claims the split was due to Adam’s extra-marital affairs – a claim he denies, while admitting: ‘It was my fault the marriage broke down. I’m being blamed for it and I’m happy to accept the blame for it.’

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Adam says that because of his unpredictable hours as a tennis coach, it was difficult to set a regular time to see his kids. Instead visits were to be agreed on by both parties. But while he’s behind on his support payments, he claims he was ‘extremely generous’ to his wife and kids financially immediately after the divorce.

To read the rest of Adam's interview, pick up this week's New Idea magazine, on sale now!

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My Kitchen Rules airs Monday to Thursday, 7:30pm (AEDT) on Channel Seven. Head to au.tv.yahoo.com/my-kitchen-rules for all the latest MKR news.

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