Sisters Brooke and Kimberley McIntyre were cut from My Kitchen Rules after a sudden death elimination.
Sisters Brooke and Kimberley McIntyre were cut from My Kitchen Rules after a sudden death elimination.
They climbed Mount Everest together, but the down-to-earth sisters from Manawatu couldn't conquer My Kitchen Rules.
The pair were joined on their way out the door by Auckland mates and late entrant Gatecrashers, Ben and Reagan.
So how do mountaineering siblings Kimberley and Brooke feel about failing the sudden death elimination?
To sum it up: "relieved".
"We were really pleased with the whole experience but a little bit relieved as well, it was getting a little bit stressful, but we are really grateful to have been there," Kimberley told The Herald.
Four lowest scoring teams from the previous episode faced off in a pressure cooker challenge to whip up a three course meal for judges and a tasting panel.
But the stress really struck when they discovered it was a double sudden death round - meaning two teams would be sent home.
The siblings had a shocker start when Brooke didn't turn the oven on properly, and admit they had nothing to plate up with 15 minutes left on the clock.
"I turned away from the camera because I was about to burst into tears, I was like it's not cooking, it hasn't been cooking," Brooke said.
"Kimberley was just so good, trying to remedy the situation we were pretty happy to have managed to plate something up."
While their entree impressed, the main wasn't cooked and dessert failed to win over the judges.
Their offering scored a total of 33 out of a possible 60, putting them in dead last place.
The sisters, who hail from a farm in Manawatu have close ties to family business, Makoura Lodge, and were forth to show off their culinary skills in group two.
They entered the competition after Brooke stumbled upon an application online, and went all out with a "really crazy video" of themselves acting up on the farm.
"I sent it in that morning and the producers called me later in the day to say 'we want you on the show'," Brooke said.
The wild ride continued throughout their time on screen with plenty of highs, lows and the odd bit of off camera tension.
Overall, they would look back on the experience with fond memories.
"It was more stressful than I thought, but I didn't think we would get so close to the other contestants as we did," Kimberley added "That part was really neat".
My Kitchen Rules will continue to season their lives as Brooke pursues her food journey, having recently completed a culinary course in Auckland.
She eventually wants to travel the world as a cook on cruise ships, while Kimberley will settle for switching up the menu at Makoura Lodge, that she runs with her partner.
Auckland mates Ben and Reagan were also eliminated as part of the sudden death challenge after coming in as one of two Gatecrasher teams.
Auckland food bloggers Ben and Reagan, who run a website called the Lads Kitchen were no strangers to cooking, but their enthusiasm for big taste didn't translate.
The duo joined after the Instant Restaurant rounds, as one of two wildcard teams at Britomart's People's choice challenge.
However they were out before they really had a chance to shine, after a series of small blunders led to a meal which judge Nadia Lim said, "doesn't really work".
Their dishes scored a 35 out of 60 ending a "short but sweet" appearance on national television.
Immense pressure was one thing that struck the friends when they took their places in the kitchen, and resulted in both cutting their fingers during challenges.
"When I used to watch at home from the couch, I thought it was all smoke and mirrors edited together to make it look more tense," Reagan said.
"But we were quite shocked that the clock never stops, plus you have a camera and the crew always in your face, it's a lot."
However, they aren't dismayed and will continue to cook and spread the word about fine food through the Lads Kitchen.
They hoped MKR would add to their profile and would like to someday make their largely social media based hobby into a viable career.
But for now, both are back at work getting flack from their colleagues and being recognised on the squash court.
