A foodie ratings battle will heat up tonight between TVNZ 2 and Three, with the Australian version of MasterChef coming in hot in the same timeslot as Three's rebooted Nadia Lim-led MasterChef NZ.
MasterChef Australia is one of TVNZ 2's highest rating shows of the year, so all eyes will be on the viewership results of both shows.
MCA Kiwi contestant Matt Landmark, welcomes the network and transtasman rivalry, saying any way to get the public behind the struggling hospitality sector will be hugely beneficial. He's already a fan favourite across the Ditch and some MCNZ contestants are following his journey on social media.
MCA has a spin on the usual series with Fans & Faves, which sets 12 of the best winners and contestants of MCA against 12 firm fans of the show, of which Landmark is definitely one, in heated kitchen cook-offs.
Landmark played the Kiwi kai card to wow the Aussie judges, channelling his Kiwi roots by experimenting with deep-fried food variations for an "immunity pin" challenge. (An immunity pin played at the right moment can impress the judges and save a contestant from elimination). Landmark experienced a dose of culinary translation confusion in the kitchen around what the Aussies call a "jaffle", which is their name for a sealed toasted sandwich.