My Kitchen Rules new judge Darren Roberton says teams are in it for fame and few contestants can cook
MY Kitchen Rules’ new judge Darren Robertson has delivered a shocking verdict on the show’s contestants, claiming most are in it for the fame and only a few can really cook.
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MY Kitchen Rules’ new judge Darren Robertson has delivered a shocking verdict on the show’s contestants, arguing most are in it for the fame and only a few can really cook.
The Byron Bay-based restaurateur, who joins the Channel 7 series alongside Colin Fassnidge tonight, has revealed the food served at the Group 3 instant restaurants varied wildly in quality.
“Some of the food was rubbish and some of it was great,” Robertson, who is engaged to former Channel 10 meteorologist Magdalena Roze, said.
“There are two or three really good cooks and you get to know who they are very quickly through conversation around the table.
“Some of them have a genuine passion and knowledge about food but that is not across the board. Some of them are clearly there for another reason.”
That reason, he argued, was their 15-minutes of fame.
“The attraction of being on a prime time show and all the fame (that comes with it) is tangible now,” Robertson said.
“Unfortunately there is a bit of infatuation with the notion of celebrity and all that business. Good luck to them.”
Group 3 features Victorian mates Mark and Chris who list their signature dishes as Peking duck wraps and mushroom risotto.
Melbourne besties Caitie and Demi are the youngest team in the competition. Caitie’s specialty is pasta and Demi’s is a twist on tiramisu.
Adelaide cousins Lama and Sarah are My Kitchen Rules’ first Lebanese team and their specialties include kousa mahshi, sheikh el mahshi and sticky chicken.
Queensland husband and wife team Brett and Marie boast lamb shanks and gnocchi are their signature dishes.
Mother and daughter combo, Valerie and Courtney from Queensland, say their strength is in cooking curries; while Wollongong business women Mell and Cyn list satay chicken and meatballs as their go-to dishes.
Ash Pollard, who finished fourth on My Kitchen Rules in 2015, has been able to use her celebrity status to appear on Dancing with the Stars and I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!
One thing on My Kitchen Rules that isn’t contrived, Robertson said, is the competitiveness between rival teams.
“It all starts off very nicely but after a couple of instant restaurants you could see there was strategy and an agenda,” Robertson said.
“It brings out the worst in them all. [But] that makes it good TV.”
Robertson, a partner in the Blue Ducks food empire, moved to Byron Bay with Roze and the couple’s young son Archie two years ago.
“We moved up there because we had the opportunity to open a restaurant on a farm. It was a huge undertaking. I’ve got more grey hairs. With Magda, it was tricky because she had to put her career on hold for the first year. Now she has got a lot of stuff in the pipeline.
“She is just about to launch a food podcast and she has written a book. That is cool to see because for her, it (moving to Byron Bay) was a big sacrifice and a leap of faith as I followed my dream.”
Robertson was co-host of Ten’s Recipe to Riches and has appeared on MasterChef Australia, Ready Steady Cook and Iron Chef USA.
He decided to be a judge on My Kitchen Rules because he and Fassnidge are close friends.
The experience has been a lot of fun, even if the meals have sometimes been less than impressive.
“If things are genuinely terrible, I haven’t got much of a poker face,” Robertson said.
“Sometimes there is a really good idea behind a (failed) dish. You can see where it was supposed to go but it falls down because of execution or a problem in the kitchen. Others are just truly terrible from neglect or someone not caring. The contestants don’t have to be the best chef on the planet but if they’ve got passion and want to produce something amazing then I’m quite forgiving.”
* My Kitchen Rules, 7.30pm Sunday to Wednesday, Seven.
colin.vickery@news.com.au
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