The youngest My Kitchen Rules New Zealand contestants Maddie (left) and Charlotte were eliminated on tonight's episode. Photo / supplied
The youngest My Kitchen Rules New Zealand contestants Maddie (left) and Charlotte were eliminated on tonight's episode. Photo / supplied
The youngest My Kitchen Rules New Zealand contestants might be out of the competition - but they're not leaving empty handed.
Rumours are circulating that eliminated contestant Charlotte Brown, 19, has struck up a romance with Auckland finance broker Jaryd Gray - which Brown neither confirms nor denies.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," she says.
My Kitchen Rules contestants Jaryd (left) and Ben. Photo / nzherald
Brown was eliminated in tonight's episode along with her best friend Maddie Hunt, 20, and while the duo say they're "devastated" to be out of the competition, the reality show was a "life-changing" experience that helped them grow and build confidence as people.
"It was the best thing we've ever done and I would do it all over again," says Hunt. "I don't think we've ever felt that kind of pressure before, so now coming into real life situations, nothing ever feels as hard as that. I'm like, 'All good, I've got this'.
"We went on it as very young 19-year-olds, and now I feel like we grew up a lot, and learnt a lot of life skills that you wouldn't learn unless you were put in a situation like that. So we've come out better people."
Brown agrees. "It gave us a new sense of confidence and [showed us] we can actually do stuff, even though we're this young."
Maddie and Charlotte (front) say their time on My Kitchen Rules New Zealand was "life-changing". Photo / supplied
As is often the case with reality TV contestants, the Auckland students have had to face the wrath of social media trolls. In last week's episode, they gave their fellow contestants a low rating for their food - a move the public viewed as selfish.
"We didn't actually like the taste of any of the food ... so that showed in our score," says Hunt. "But I think the majority of the public thought it was a strategic move, and I think that disappointed them."
Some of the reactions were "very brutal", with one Twitter user calling them "spiteful bitchy pigs from hell".
"I went off social media for a day because some of them were just so mean, and I was like, 'I can't actually believe people think of me like this when I'm not actually like that'," says Brown.
Despite the competitive nature of the show, Brown and Hunt say they have maintained strong friendships with their fellow contestants, and they'll be watching the show to the end.
"All the contestants are our greatest friends," says Hunt. "Every single person, we talk every day; we're really close."
TVNZ is already taking applications for the next season of MKR NZ.
