My Kitchen Rules star Manu Feildel has no love for Married At First Sight

My Kitchen Rules star Manu Feildel has hit out at ratings wrecking ball, Married At First Sight, saying its success was deeply concerning.

My Kitchen Rules judge Manu Feildel. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

My Kitchen Rules star Manu Feildel has fired an arrow into the cheating heart of Nine’s hit Married At First Sight.

With TV experts hailing MAFS as an unstoppable ratings “wrecking ball,” Feildel, a co-judge on MKR, said its success was deeply concerning.

“It worries me that people seem to be really, really enjoying the train crashes and the failures of others more than the celebrating their successes,” Feildel said.

“I think it’s sad that we’ve sunk that far. It brings out the worst in people. We enjoy relationships falling apart. How is that entertainment?”

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Feildel said he often channel-hops to scope the competition, including MAFS and Dancing With The Stars.

“I hope TV will turn around and we try to celebrate the good instead of celebrating the bad,” he said.

So far, the latest season of MAFS has included lies, cheating, wife-swapping, physical fights and fake apologies.

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In a wide-ranging interview, Feildel said:

HE and co-judge Pete Evans begged MKR producers to dial back the drama on their show and re-focus on food.

HE and Evans have the perfect “six months on, six months off” marriage.

HE is heartbroken at quitting the restaurant business for good.

“I opened a little takeaway cafe last year called Duck In Duck Out,” he said. “It was a big project, it cost a lot of money, and I was very excited. I thought it was going to take off like fire on silk, and it didn’t. After that, I decided: ‘I’m done. I’m just done. I have to accept my life has taken a different path.

“Every restaurateur goes through the same troubles,” Feildel said. “I just happen to be in the limelight. It’s difficult because you make a name for yourself, and you think you’re going to get more customers.

“However, because you’ve got a name, it’s a double edged sword. You get the haters as well as a lot more expectation. I would love to cook food for the sake of cooking food, not necessarily to be judged.”

The irony of that last comment is not lost on Feildel, who this year celebrates 10 years as a judge on MKR. That role saw him eject two contestants from the 2018 season for toxic behaviour. This year, he and Evans told producers they wanted more food, less fighting.

“Coming off the back of what happened last year, I’m 100 per cent happier,” Feildel said.

“I know it’s problem for the network, who want ratings, but it’s more important for us to enjoy our jobs, and the reason we signed for it, which is good food.

“It’s a funny balance being an entertainment show and a cooking show. But I think we’ve sometimes gone too far with the entertainment side in the past.”

Feildel also describes his relationship with Evans, an alternative health and paleo diet advocate, as a balancing act.

Manu Feildel — @manufeildelofficial “What’s the saying? ‘What goes on tour stays on tour’ maybe this should have — but then it’s too good not to share! Love you @chefpeteevans”

“I’ve known Pete for 20 years. He’s changed his lifestyle and focus,” Feildel said.

“We have very different lifestyles and views on life, but our friendship has always been strong. We enjoy working together for six months, but we also enjoy having a break for six months. It’s a perfect marriage.

“He’s very determined and focused on something that could be considered as strange. And I probably side more with the rest of society, where I love food, I love dining and I love partying.

“I’m not saying one life is better than the other, I’m just saying they’re different. I take my hat off to him because what he set out to do in his life, he did it. He’s healthy, he looks amazing. I just think people enjoy stabbing him in the back.”

Media specialist Steve Allen said MAFS is a “wrecking ball” in its timeslot, smashing every show pitted against it.

The show’s commitment ceremony show last week averaged a mammoth 1.659 million viewers across the five capital cities last week.

That was more than twice the audience of My Kitchen Rules (751,000) and more than quadruple the launch of Sunday Night Takeaway with 383,000.