In Auckland promoting the new season of MKR New Zealand, which landed on our screens on October 30, the pair have decided to switch loyalties after both their home teams lost their quarter-final games - and they lost a bet with the show’s crew.
“We’ve lost $500,” Feildel admits over coffee.
Irishman Fassnidge bet on Ireland, of course - “And I bet on France,” Brittany-born Feildel says, with a dramatic fling of his hand.
“And Australia was s***, so ...,” Fassnidge interjects.
“We had to pay the crew the other day,” Fassnidge concludes.
But while their newfound allegiance to the All Blacks may not have paid off, the pair have countless other reasons to love New Zealand, where they’re already in the middle of filming another season of My Kitchen Rules.
The pair also host the Aussie version of the cooking show together, but Fassnidge is joining Feildel for the first time to judge some of New Zealand’s best home cooks, and they’re “very happy to be back”.
“We know New Zealand well now,” Fassnidge enthuses.
With almost comedic timing, Feildel adds, “We’re just a little disappointed with the weather.”
“Australia’s like 32 [degrees],” Fassnidge jokes.
The Aussie-Kiwi rivalry is alive and well, and so is the banter between the two chefs, which is just as chaotic in real life as it is on screen.
My Kitchen Rules hosts Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel are back on our screens. Photo / TVNZ
‘We were young and stupid’
They famously didn’t start out on the best of terms. But several years later, here they are - working together, holidaying together, cooking for each other, finishing each other’s sentences. It’s hard to get a word in edgewise.
Whatever bad blood there may have been in the past is now “water under a bridge”, Fassnidge says.
“We were young and stupid. We’ve been on the road for eight months together now. Like, you can’t fake that. If you don’t get on, it’s not going to end well, is it?”
“He’s just a d***head,” Feildel says affectionately.
And while they may prefer the weather across the Ditch, both chefs admit the Kiwi version of the show is their favourite.
“We went back and filmed the Australian version after, and we said to the producers, ‘we need to lift our game, because NZ was so good’,” Fassnidge recalls.
“I think because they cast the contestants here because they can cook, whereas sometimes other versions cast them ‘cause they’re ... "
“Good TV?” I suggest. “Good TV, put it that way, yeah,” he agrees.
“We prefer them to be cast for the food, because obviously that’s our job.”
This season is shorter than most - just 16 episodes, which Feildel thinks “works really, really well”.
“When there’s too much cooking to do, as a home cook you only have a certain amount of recipes and then you start scratching your head, [thinking] ‘what am I going to do next?’” he explains.
Why the Kiwi version of the show is so much better
Something that stood out for both judges was that the Kiwi contestants loved to champion local ingredients in their food.
“In Australia, it’s more about different cuisines. So here is limited in cuisine, but more ... introducing us to the Kiwi ingredients,” Feildel says.
“I like that the Kiwis are very proud of their heritage,” Fassnidge agrees. “And I think that’s something that stands out in the show, cause we, we got to try lots of different things.”
They got to try “the pepper berry leaf” - what we can only assume was horopito - for the first time.
“They gave us the berry and then there was the leaf, and then they explained what it was,” Fassnidge says.
“And, you know, you get to, like, we’re about 50 now. And you get to try something you’ve never had in your life.”
Fans of the format know all too well that MKR tends to ramp up the drama between contestants. It’s a world away from the likes of MasterChef, where according to Fassnidge, contestants “just cry all the time”.
The two chefs famously didn't start out as the best of friends. Photo / TVNZ
“They just cry. We’re better,” he jokes, adding that he likes to “just take the p*** out of” the contestants to see how they handle it.
“We like a bit of a spar.”
The Kiwis aren’t afraid to give it back - but while they’re up for a bit of on-screen banter, they’re “one hundred per cent” more chilled out than their Aussie counterparts, he adds.
“The Kiwi version is so much more relaxed,” Feildel agrees. “There’s no stabbing in the back.”
Stabbing aside, they won’t be drawn on whether any of the contestants will bring a serving of drama to the table.
“I think some people might not start out in the best light, but may become good, I would say,” is as far as Fassnidge will go.
“It’s really chill here, and we love that,” Feildel adds. “’Cause we can be ourselves, and we don’t get - there’s no politics, you know, it’s just really cool.”
Kiwi connections
They made the most of their relaxation time here, revealing they brought their families over while filming earlier this year.
Waiheke Island and Wānaka are just a couple of favourite places they’ve visited so far.
“What’s great about this country is you can pretty much drive everywhere,” Feildel gushes.
“Where did we drive the other day?” Fassnidge tries to recall.
Feildel pulls a face. “Well ... Hamilton?”
It may not be Hamilton Fassnidge is thinking of - but “wherever it was, it was f***ing beautiful” and “reminds me a bit of Ireland”.
“You know what I love about it is, it’s all those hills with a different green and the sun hitting it different ways and you get this picturesque postcard,” Feildel reflects.
But of course it’s not just the landscape they love - it’s the vibrant foodie scene, especially in Auckland. So where do they like to go for dinner in Tāmaki Makaurau?
One of Fassnidge’s favourite dining destinations is Pici, while Feildel has fond memories of “little French bistro” Apero on K Road and a Korean noodle bar in Ponsonby - and can’t go past some Cloudy Bay clams.
“There’s a lot of nice little places here now, for sure.”
The foodie world is a small one, and the pair count Kiwi chefs Michael Meredith, Matt Lambert and Warren Turnbull among their mates - Auckland-born Turnbull is even the godfather to Fassnidge’s kids.
“It’s an industry where we all respect each other and we go to each other’s restaurants,” Feildel says.
But when they’re not dining out, what do they cook at home?
“I cooked pasta for us last night,” Feildel shares. “Pasta is the easy kind of thing to put together, you know what I mean?”
Fassnidge’s go-to, meanwhile, is pizza. “I love a pizza shop. Easy. Beautiful.”
Eating good food may just be one of the biggest reasons why they call MKR “the best job in the world”.
“We get to travel, we get to meet people, we get to get fed, we get to get paid ... you know what I mean?” Feildel says.
As for what keeps us coming back to watch, they put it down to the show’s relatability, with home cooks competing in their own kitchens.
“It’s normal people next door doing good things, and I think people can relate,” Fassnidge says.
“There’s obviously different characters, different people, people can relate to certain people and go, ‘Oh, I do that’. Or they like to watch the TV and shout at it, ‘Why’d you do that?’”
My Kitchen Rules NZ screens on TVNZ2 on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7.30pm
