Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge are back for another season of My Kitchen Rules NZ. Photo / TVNZ
Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge are back for another season of My Kitchen Rules NZ. Photo / TVNZ
My Kitchen Rules NZ is returning for another fiery season but judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge are just happy to be back in the kitchen together.
“We’re good mates,” they tell the Herald.
Sitting side by side in a cafe for an early morning coffee, the two look like they have been mates since the beginning of time, but it turns out things weren’t always so chummy.
“We actually didn’t like each other,” Fassnidge says before Feildel quickly interrupts.
“No, no,” the French-born chef says with a hint of humour in his voice, “you didn’t like me.”
“Anyway,” Fassnidge laughs, “we started MRK and I was like what’s MRK? So I got hired and I’m like ‘Oh, that’s that French t***’.”
Despite all odds the two are great friends in and out of the kitchen. Photo / Instagram
Despite the “awkward” start to their friendship, Feildel says on the last day of filming, the Irish Australian chef knocked on his door and apologised for past behaviour and now, their friendship is full of deep respect for each other.
“People think that – and don’t get me wrong here – that Colin is hardcore, you know rude and harsh but he’s got the biggest, biggest heart ever and he’s one of the best dads that I know,” Feildel says to his co-host who is visibly moved by the admission.
Before things could get too heartwarming though, the celebrity chefs change the subject and recall their funnier antics like the time Fassnidge squirted tomato sauce into Feildel’s ear. Or the time Feildel threw his co-star’s phone out the window of a moving car.
“We’re like big kids,” Fassnidge laughs.
But those ‘big kids’ have become household favourites, with TVNZ announcing at their Thursday night showcase that My Kitchen Rules New Zealand is coming back for 2023, with $100,000 up for grabs.
The show is currently in casting stages, which will see five teams of passionate home cooks competing under the watchful gaze of the renowned restaurateurs.
My Kitchen Rules 2020 winners Dan and Steph Mulheron. Photo / Supplied
And if you’re thinking of applying, the two stars share a little bit of insight into what they’re looking for in next year’s cast.
“We don’t want nasty,” Fassnidge says, “years ago, MRK got a bit nasty in Australia and we said we want to knock that out, we don’t want that anymore. We want to see people do well.”
It’s something Fassnidge may not have wanted once upon a time as he admits he used to be one of those chefs people tried to avoid.
“I was a hard chef,” he says. “I took over a sh**ty pub, I got like two hats in a pub which was never done in Australia before, so then to maintain that level was like high pressure.”
But the 48-year-old chef admits everything changed when his eldest daughter was born.
“I spent less time cooking and the restaurant actually did better when I wasn’t there. My attitude changed.”
He might be more laid back now, and Feildel may still be the “nice” chef, but it doesn’t mean to say the two don’t still have standards or pet peeves when it comes to cooking.
“When people overcook a piece of fish it’s just not edible,” Feildel says going on to share a piece of advice to current and aspiring chefs. “Before you serve your food to someone else, make sure you taste it. Because if you like it, they like it.”
Despite dining on some of the finest meals that this world has to offer, the pair revealed they have their own guilty pleasures including two-minute noodles and even McDonald’s.
“I have two buckets of magic noodles - the chicken, and then I put parmesan in,” Fassnidge says, moving his hands around as though he is mentally recreating the fancy take on instant noodles. “I put a splash of vinegar and sesame oil.”
Meanwhile, Feildel keeps it simple and opts for McDonald’s chicken nuggets - with sweet ‘n’ sour sauce.
And while Maccas and instant noodles might be better placed on TVNZ’s Snack Masters, the duo are excited to be reuniting with their Kiwi chefs and aren’t opposed to a cheeky after-comp beverage.
