I’m A Celebrity Australia 2021: Colin Fassnidge says MKR ratings were ‘terrible’

Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge says he and Pete Evans agree to disagree on many things, but they’re still good mates.

Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge says My Kitchen Rules will be rested after “terrible” ratings.

Appearing as a contestant on rival network’s I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!, the outspoken Irishman offered his reasons for why the Channel 7 show has been shelved.

“The ratings were terrible,” Fassnidge told Confidential.

“That was obviously down to poor programming. I reckon they will rest it for a few years. I don’t think it will ever be dead. They will rest it and it will come back with a new format or whatever.”

Irish celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge and Pete Evans in the My Kitchen Rules days.

As to why he signed up to I’m A Celebrity, Fassnidge said it was his children that got him over the line.

“On MKR, you are told what to say and how to say it and they edit you in to such a person that it wasn’t really me all of the time,” he said. “I think people will get to see that basically I am like a 12-year-old idiot in a man’s body. And I am not scripted so if anything goes wrong, it is my own fault.”

Colin Fassnidge joins the cast of I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!

Fassnidge stepped in to replace controversial MKR mate Pete Evans on I’m A Celebrity.

Fassnidge and Evans worked together as judges on Channel 7s My Kitchen Rules.

Evans was dumped from the format last year and the last series was considered a ratings flop for the network and won’t return in 2021.

I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! – Colin Fassnidge makes his entrance.

Confidential this week revealed producers pulled the pin on Evans’ participation in the series on the day he was due to begin shooting after the celebrity chef sparked outrage on social media by sharing a cartoon that included the Black Sun symbol from Nazi Germany.

“I actually spoke to Pete today,” Fassnidge said.

“He wished me well with this. I have known Pete for 10 years, we are friends, we used to live near each other. We don’t have to agree with each other’s views, that is what a friendship with someone is. But as a person, I think he is a nice guy.”

Manu Feildel, Pete Evans and Colin Fassnidge.

He continued: “I don’t have to agree with everything to be someone’s friend. You are not going to work with a guy for 10 years and not like them.”

Fassnidge was cautious when pushed on the pair’s differing opinions. For one, he believes in COVID-19 while Evans has been vocal with coronavirus conspiracy theories.

“We’ve all got to do what we’ve got to do to get through it,” he said. “What has happened (to Pete) is pretty bad, I’d hate that to happen to me, that is all I will say. I don’t wish any misfortune on anyone like that because it is pretty hard to maintain that level of hatred from a lot of people.”