MKR judge Manu Feildel pans show’s cooks ahead of finale

A question mark hangs over the future of MKR following its revamped season, even in the eyes of its judges.

With the latest season of My Kitchen Rules coming to an end tonight, judge Manu Feildel has smashed the calibre of cooks fronting this year’s competition.

“Without being an a**hole, I think we could’ve had some better cooks,” Feildel told Confidential. “People have got to be more experienced – real foodies.”

Feildel’s blunt assessment comes as two teams – Kate Wildermuth-Watt and Mary Job and Janelle Halil and Monzir Hamdin – are set to go into tonight’s grand final episode.

Not holding back, the celebrity chef has also questioned Australia’s commitment to reality cooking shows, which could be responsible for a softening of ratings this season, despite a relaunch.

“I’m not sure if there’s an appetite for more,” Feildel said.

Chef Manu Feildel. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“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.”

Following declining ratings in 2019 and 2020, which saw MKR viewers criticise the show for overdoing the dramatics, Channel 7 put it on ice.

MKR judge Manu Feildel bonded with Nigella Lawson “straight away”. Picture: Seven

Around that time, judge Pete Evans also left the network following a string of controversies.

Bringing the format back, the network was hoping the starpower of Nigella Lawson and refocus on family food in 2022 would revive the franchise.

But with middling ratings, have they served up an appetiser for seasons to come, or their final course?

“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,” Feildel said.

MKR 2022 finalists Kate and Mary and Janelle and Monzir.

Total TV ratings across metro and regional markets, according to OzTAM and RegionalTAM figures, have averaged 892,000 viewers through the four week season. That accounts for a national audience who either watched live, or on catch-up throughout the week.

MKR outperformed The Masked Singer, MasterChef, and Australian Survivor, but fell well short of The Block Australia on Nine.

Feildel believes this season’s shorter format, and the dialled down dramatics are hero ingredients, and is hopeful of more MKR to come.

Feildel hopes the show will return. Picture: Channel 7

“I felt I was a lot more relaxed in the job because I didn’t have to deal with the drama,” he said, ahead of being a My Business guest speaker with entrepreneurs in Parramatta.

“You can’t put 12 strangers around a table in a competition and not have any drama whatsoever, obviously. It’s impossible. But this season was much more friendly, nothing like it was before.”

Trent Thomas, editor of trade publication MediaWeek, said any homegrown show pulling more than 500,000 overnight viewers is in “renewal territory”.