MKR’s secret round might have been one big fat mistake

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CHANNEL 7’s My Kitchen Rules is chaos at the moment.

Viewers have been inundated with more kitchen calamities, gung-ho personalities and game-changers than they can possibly keep track of. It’s only week four, and everyone is exhausted already.

Last week, the hit cooking show revealed its much-hyped “twist” — a secret round of instant restaurants. Cue another tough-talking TV chef, 12 new contestants and (apparently) one never-ending season of MKR. Bravo, Channel 7.

When Dubliner Colin Fassnidge warned the original contestants he was about to “throw the cat amongst the pigeons” with his own group of home cooks, a collective sigh was heard across the nation. Six new teams? At this point, viewers are having a tough time remembering the names of the original contestants, who subsequently won’t be seen back on our screens for a couple more weeks.

Colin Fassnidge and his six new teams who were added to the mix last week. Source: Supplied

Seven has a reputation for adding a shock “twist” each season to keep things interesting; it’s one of the reasons the long-running reality show has been such a success since its debut in 2010. But we’re calling it: This latest move is absurd and it’s beginning to show in the ratings.

The secret round — for which popular judges Pete Evans and Manu Feildel have been conspicuously absent — appears to be testing the patience of viewers. Last Thursday, the new group of contestants saw the show drop to its lowest ratings of the season, 1.37 million, which was 335,000 less than last Wednesday. Last night’s screening drew 1.46 million, down on the previous night by almost 200,000 viewers.

This might seem like a drop in the ocean in the scheme of things, but if numbers continue to slump, we might have to rethink the “ratings juggernaut” tagline.

The only thing the latest batch of contestants has proven so far is that more is not always more. Tuesday night saw married duo Lynn and Tony melt under the pressure, with Tony blundering his way around the kitchen and his wife left crying into her soggy dessert at the end of the night.

First he put a quarter of a cup of vinegar into the mayonnaise instead of a quarter of a teaspoon and then cooked nine sweet potatoes instead of 11, meaning guests waited more than two hours for their main.
By the end of the night, the Queensland pair found themselves on the bottom of the leaderboard with a final score of 48.

Lynn and Tony’s African inspired instant restaurant, The Serengeti, led them astray. Source: Supplied

Similarly, group two’s resident hunks Matt and Rob (that’s Hemsworth, in case you missed the promos) proved in one fell swoop that they couldn’t actually cook. The oyster farmers from Victoria butchered their oyster entrees (believe it or not) overcooked their chooks and plated up a mediocre homemade brownie for dessert. The mates bowed out of the competition with a dismal score of 45.

Rob and Matt really shucked their instant restaurant. Source: Supplied

Remember father-daughter duo Robert and Lynzey from group one? Now that pair could cook! How about Ash and Camilla, the self-assured socialites from Melbourne. These chicks knew how to put on a show. They’ll be back of course, along with Manu and Pete, who have been noticeably absent while the secret round plays out.

There are now a whopping 16 teams left in the competition, only two have been shown the door so far. Viewers should buckle up, we’ll be here all year at this rate.