Channel 7 issues statement as My Kitchen Rules contestants cop viewer backlash

Channel 7 has issued a statement to viewers as several My Kitchen Rules contestants were hit with intense backlash online.

Channel 7 has been forced to issue a statement to viewers after several My Kitchen Rules contestants copped extreme backlash online.

The network took to its Facebook story on Sunday, ahead of its airing of the final instant restaurant for this season on Monday, to remind fans at home the Australian contestants were “real people”.

“Comments are encouraged but offensive or personal attacks are not permitted,” the statement added.

Seven released a statement condemning nasty comments about contestants.

While the statement didn’t name any of the contestants, it came as Victorian mother-daughter duo Janey and Maddie had been copping heat online.

Further, Victorian brothers Rob and Liam were also targeted by social media users for their behaviour during Monday night’s episode, which followed Janey and Maddie hosting the last instant restaurant at their home ahead of the competition heading to the official MKR kitchen.

Sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard, Rob and Liam were eager for Janey and Maddie to “bomb” spectacularly in a bid to avoid being eliminated.

The brothers, who started off the competition on a high before succumbing to a rare fail at their most recent instant restaurant, didn’t rate a single dish from Janey and Maddie’s three-course menu, dubbing their smoked trout entree “the worst dish of the night” and calling their chicken main “average”. Finally, they said the best thing about the pair’s pina colada dessert was that it was “cold”.

There's been viewer backlash to MKR duo Rob and Liam after Monday’s episode, after fellow contestants Janey and Maddie were hit with negativity.

The Victorian brothers were eager to get off the bottom of the leaderboard.

Other contestants at the table, however, were more complimentary of Janey and Maddie’s efforts, with NSW mother-and-son Caz and Fergus coming to their own conclusions about Rob and Liam’s critiques.

“They’ve talked themselves into not enjoying it beforehand because they don’t want to be at the bottom,” Caz said in a piece-to-camera.

Ultimately, Rob and Liam gave the ladies an average score of five, the lowest among the teams, but it wasn’t enough to save them from being eliminated.

They were gracious in defeat, with Liam saying, “We tried really hard. Congratulations to everyone, we wish you the best of luck.”

MKR’s official Facebook page racked up hundreds of comments about Rob and Liam following their elimination, with viewers frustrated by their “negativity” toward the other contestants.

Janey and Maddie managed to advance to the next stage of the reality competition.

“Good riddance to them, especially Liam who was nothing but a bad sport,” one wrote.

“They are very competitive, but not nice about it, I don’t like them after this,” another said.

“Liam showed his true colours tonight,” a third added.

“Tired of their negativity,” another said.

Others defended the boys, with one viewer saying they felt the scoring was “unfair”. In previous seasons of MKR, teams were able to lodge their instant restaurant scores privately. Now, they must declare it to the group.

“The scoring would have been more fair for the boys if they knew it would be disclosed to everyone,” one said.

“Every single one of those contestants would act the same. It is a competition,” another wrote.

“I really felt for the boys,” a third chimed in.

My Kitchen Rules continues Tuesday night on Channel 7.