MKR 2022: meet the cast

A state v state cuisine battle is back on Seven with MKR.

Judges Nigella Lawson and Manu Feildel kick off the first of two groups cooking in their own homes. The winner takes out a $100,000 prize.

“Inviting people into your home and cooking for them is, by its very nature, intimate. I felt so grateful to be the recipient of such personal generosity,” said Nigella.

“While the focus was on the food, I loved getting to know the teams and having a bit of a nosy-around in their kitchens. And frankly, sitting around a table with people eating and talking about food is my idea of heaven!”

Manu added, “I love it when the contestants showcase their local ingredients. When we were in Western Australia, beautiful fresh marron was on the menu. You just can’t beat the beautiful local produce.”

Also joining this season is Matt Preston as judge, with Colin Fassnidge and Curtis Stone as guest judges.

MKR is now produced by ITV Studios Australia for the Seven Network.

Group 1
Peter and Alice, VIC – Dad and daughter
Kate and Mary, QLD – Fine diners
Ashlee and Mat, WA – Foodie parents
Janelle and Monzir, NSW – Dating
Arrnott and Fuzz, NSW – Fashionista friends
Steven and Frena, SA – Engaged

Steven & Frena
NSW – Engaged
South Australian lovebirds Steven, 31, and Frena, 25, believe their rock-solid relationship is one of their biggest strengths in the MKR competition. Growing up between Singapore and Malaysia, Frena loves Chinese, Indonesian and Javanese flavours and has been finding her way around the kitchen since she was five. Fiancé Steven was born in Australia to British parents and experienced a childhood filled with his gran’s roast dinners. In the kitchen, the couple work as one making their curry pastes, condiments and pasta from scratch. A win in the competition would kick-start their dream of opening a Malaysian street cafe in Adelaide.
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Frena: Food has always been a big part of my life; I have Singaporean and Malaysian heritage. I memorise textures and tastes when travelling to be able to recreate those experiences and moments. Food is also a love language for me. I appreciate that I have fed family and friends and provided a sense of home and comfort through food.
Steven: Food is creativity and passion. It is about indulging in your senses; if it doesn’t work, you can always try again.
Why did you want to compete on MKR?
Frena: I have buried this dream for a very long time, but now I have found my person in Steven and we are a team. We’re best friends, and he’s made me believe I can achieve anything. As a teenager watching MKR in Malaysia, I never thought my skills would match up, but having a supportive partner means a lot.
How do you spend your time out of the kitchen?
Frena: We are a chilled and laidback couple who love a good laugh. We enjoy the simplicity of life, including long walks and travel. We’re planning a Southeast Asian trip with cooking classes to improve our cooking skills and recreate the dishes when we return home.

Peter & Alice
VIC – Father and daughter
Nothing is off limits for this animated Victorian father and daughter team, Peter, 56, and Alice, 31. While the pair don’t often see eye to eye, both firmly believe in the ethos that there is always room for “one more” at the family dinner table. Alice says it’s time for her to spread her wings after five years of working in the family café. Winning MKR would bring her one step closer to realising her food truck dreams: Asian small eats with big flavours and no fuss. Former banker Peter wants to open a high tea room, combining his love for baking and entertaining.
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Alice: Food is family. Food is love. Being with loved ones and sharing food and stories is the most wonderful thing about my upbringing.
Peter: Food is family, past and present. It’s a way of connecting the generations. I love it when my sister rings to tell me that she’s just made a batch of Dad’s biscuits. Creating something your mother or grandmother used to make is a very powerful way of keeping memories alive.
How would you describe your team dynamic?
Alice: Dad and I have a very tumultuous but hilarious relationship. We are very similar in our approach to everything, which is why we often butt heads. We are both very dramatic, so things often blow up into epic situations.
Peter: Alice and I have always had a turbulent relationship. Some say it’s because we are so much alike. With us, it’s always been on or off, hot or cold – rarely any middle ground.
How would you describe yourself as a cook?
Alice: I’m an intuitive cook. I don’t measure or follow recipes. I read cookbooks like thrillers, and I add things as I go.
Peter: Messy and a little bit disorganised!

Kate & Mary
QLD – Fine diners
Radiation therapists and close friends Kate and Mary love to host dinner parties and long lunches, bringing people together through food. They have an immense passion for cooking with high-end premium ingredients and favour no-fuss simple cooking served on share platters. They don’t believe in wasting time on bad food or being timid with constructive criticism. Visiting and critiquing new restaurants is one of their favourite sports!
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Kate: Cooking and sharing a meal is the most joyful human experience. It is how I show love to family and friends, celebrate wins and create comforting commiserations too.
Mary: I get enormous pleasure from cooking for family and friends and sharing a table; you could say I am a “feeder.” It is my relaxation, artistic outlet and gift to those I entertain.
Why did you want to compete on MKR?
Kate: I love to cook. I’m gagging for some high-intensity cooking and the chance to critique some of my fellow contestants’ dishes.
Mary: I love what I do; it fulfils me professionally, mentally and emotionally, but my underlying passion is food and everything it stands for. Nourishment, sharing, creating and adventure are all aspects of food which feed my passion. I love my friendship with Kate and look forward to experiencing this adventure with her.
How would you describe your team dynamic?
Kate: Mary and I are the fun and loud people at work. We try to bring some light and laughter to a profession that can be quite heavy, stressful and sad. We are both quite opinionated and emotional at times, so we need to calm the other down by cracking a joke.
Mary: Although Kate and I are almost a generation apart, we seem to be forged from the same stone. We are both loud and outspoken, have a sense of fun, and spend our time on the edge of trouble. We have a passion for food which dominates most of our conversations. I love eating with her as it makes a meal an experience.

Janelle & Monzir
NSW – Dating
Sassy baker Janelle, 27, and partner Monzir, 26, say they have what it takes to claim the MKR champion title. With solid teamwork and a winning menu that draws on their blended Turkish/Filipino and Sudanese heritage, winning the competition would be the icing on the cake for this loved-up couple. A dab hand on the BBQ, Monzir loves full-flavoured spice rubs and cooking over coals with his two special ingredients: chilli and peanut butter. Dubbed by friends as the “Kardashian of cakes”, Janelle runs a successful cake decorating business, has a fine eye for detail and says food presentation must be “perfect.”
How would you describe your team?
Janelle: We are a young couple from Sydney. Our families are quite traditional and we come from two different cultures. We did not tell our families we were dating before coming on MKR. We decided to go on reality TV and announce it to everybody! Subtle is not my thing.
What type of food are you known for?
Janelle: My friends call me the Kim Kardashian of cakes. I own a cake decorating business in Sydney. My favourite thing about cakes is that you start at nothing and end up with something beautiful, special and sweet.
Monzir: BBQ skewers with Sudanese spices. It’s special to me because my dad taught me this dish; it’s a secret family recipe that we enjoy eating as a family.

Ashlee & Mat
WA – Foodie parents
Margaret River’s husband and wife team, Ashlee, 36, and Mat, 39, have a wide range of cuisines under their belt coming into the MKR competition, including Dutch, Asian and Italian. Ashlee is speedy in the kitchen – and although Mat operates at a “slightly slower” pace – the couple of 18 years make a powerful team, have strong food knowledge and know how to balance flavours. The pair love entertaining, but Ashlee has one hard and fast rule for visiting friends and family: she plans and cooks all breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
Why did you want to compete on MKR?
Ashlee: I have wanted to apply for years but always chickened out. My family encouraged me, so I figured this was the year. My kids are such foodies; I feel like they’re judging me every night, so the professionals might as well judge me.
Mat: I wanted to support my wife. She is an awesome cook and I think together, we will be great.
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Ashlee: Everything! Cooking is my only passion; I love cooking for family and friends.
Mat: I love food.
What is your favourite go-to entrée?
Ashlee: I would serve an entrée of beetroot carpaccio, herb oil and stracciatella cheese.
Mat: Tempura Akoya oysters with Szechuan oil.
How would you describe your team dynamic?
Ashlee: We are the perfect combination of loud and quiet, bossy and chill, fast and slow, so we balance each other out. I’m someone who wants something done “now” and Mat is someone who has an “I’ll do it later” attitude. He loves to help in the kitchen and he’s a pretty good cook, but sometimes he makes more work for me by making a mess.
Mat: My wife is the leader. That’s it!

Arrnott & Fuzz
NSW – Fashionista friends
Besties and co-workers Arrnott, 44, and Fuzz, 34, call themselves the “fabulous Fijians” and were drawn together by their love of cooking, food and creativity. Fashion stylist Fuzz and designer Arrnott both love making people feel good in their own skin and say food is their love language. Growing up surrounded by big families who all loved to eat, Arrnott and Fuzz learned to cook from much-loved family members. Both are excited to showcase their Fijian heritage, serving a slice of tropical paradise through punchy flavours, colours and textures.
Why did you want to compete on MKR?
Arrnott: I don’t think many people know much about Fijian food, so we’d love to introduce them to it. We love cooking seafood because it’s in our DNA.
Fuzz: I’m doing this for my culture and to tell the story of my people.
How would you describe yourself as a cook?
Arrnott: Creative, instinctual and orderly.
Fuzz: I am an instinctual cook. I don’t do measurements or weigh things. I just throw things in and feel things out as I go.
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Arrnott: Food means family, friendship, celebration, and comfort. Food is at the centre of all our gatherings, and our entire families get involved in preparing food. Food is a shared experience and holds memories.
Fuzz: Food is at the centre whenever we gather, whether to celebrate or commiserate. It’s how we express love.

Group 2
Che and David, WA – Chilli mates
Rosie and Hayley, QLD – Aunt and niece
Matt and KT, VIC – Best friends
Leanne and Milena, VIC – Italian sisters
Nicky and Jose, SA – Spanish foodies
Sophie and Katherine, NSW – Posh friends

Sophie & Katherine
NSW – Posh friends
Business partners and great friends Sophie, 53, and Katherine, 55, met 18 years ago on a camping trip and love to cook and laugh together over a wine or two. The outspoken, fun-loving, entrepreneurial mums own The Dinner Ladies, a successful food service delivering ready-to-eat meals. Both are confident home cooks who favour nutritious food and showcase fresh ingredients. They want their instant restaurant to be a warm and inviting space where everyone feels at home.
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Katherine: Food is everything. It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures. Food is how we demonstrate our love for our family and friends. But we also love the process of making food; cooking is always changing and moving with the times, and it gives you the chance to be inventive and artistic too.
Sophie: Cooking and the love of good food is central to the large, close family I grew up in and the family I co-created. My three sisters, 88-year-old mother and I still talk daily about what we’re cooking and eating. Food is an expression of love when we’re together and self-care when we’re alone.
What is your go-to main dish for guests?
Katherine: Brined loin of porchetta with crackling, apple and fennel slaw and parmesan mash.
Sophie: Barbacoa, fresh corn tortillas, lime crema and fermented tomato salsa.
How would you describe your team dynamic?
Katherine: They say that when equal but opposing forces meet, perfect harmony is achieved – and that’s how it is with Sophie and me. We are quite different and disagree with monotonous regularity, but we always find ways to work through our differences. And after all these years, she still makes me laugh almost daily.
Sophie: Dynamic is the right word. It’s a robust, often argumentative meeting of two strong individuals. We know each other so well, it’s like a marriage, but we can still surprise each other.

Rosie & Hayley
QLD – Aunt and niece
Queensland aunty and niece MKR team Rosie, 53, and Hayley, 29, say their relationship has become even closer as they have gotten older. Rosie, a breast cancer survivor, says her diagnosis changed her, instilling an attitude that sees her make the most of every opportunity. Rosie’s “life’s too short” motto means the pair try not to take themselves too seriously, laugh loud and take chances. Rosie and Hayley love entertaining friends and family with their casual Italian cooking style. With Rosie’s perfectionism and Hayley’s can-do attitude, this team is set to be a contender.
What do cooking and food mean to you?
Rosie: It brings the family together; it brings people together. You’re sitting, laughing and sharing stories; it’s the bond you can create over a good meal.
Hayley: I love nothing more than when people say I am an amazing cook. I’m sure that’s the main reason I have a boyfriend. But of course, that comes with a love of food. Every snack at our house is so extra it’s Instagramable. And usually tastes delicious.
What’s your go-to entrée for guests?
Rosie: A layered tower of crab meat, avocado, prawns, and chopped tomato with a lime dressing.
Hayley: A bruschetta medley.
Why are you competing on MKR?
Rosie: Being a breast cancer survivor, I’ve found life is too short not to take chances. Doing this takes me out of my safe haven. I love to entertain and create, and I’m at my happiest when I’m doing that.
Hayley: I live for dinner parties and entertaining, so why not do it on national television?

Nicky & Jose
SA – Spanish foodies
Fitness fanatics Nicky, 46, and Jose, 51, live life to the max. They met on a dancefloor six years ago and have been together since. They are not married or engaged but share a matching tattoo. Jose is Spanish and grew up around Spanish food, which has been a constant theme in his life with his parents owning a restaurant and both his grandparents training and working as chefs.
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Nicky: Cooking means everything to me. As a child my dream was to open a cafe. I’ve been working in hospitality since I was 15. I work in the same café where I started as a teenager.
Jose: Food has always played a big part in my family, but since meeting Nicky, I have learned much more about cooking. Cooking now gives me so much joy.
Why did you want to compete on MKR?
Nicky: We love to cook and host dinner parties, meet new people and enjoy experiencing new dishes.
Jose: MKR is a bucket list item for Nicky and me. I love having new challenges thrown at me and working together to develop new ideas under pressure.
How would you describe your relationship dynamic?
Nicky: I’m Polish and German, and Jose is Spanish. As they say, opposites attract. I’m the alpha; he has a very calm and easy-going attitude. I am very loud and I find it hard to sit still.
Jose: We are opposite in many ways, but it works for us. Nicky is an energiser bunny, very loud and not scared to voice her opinion. I tend to keep things private. She is the alpha in our relationship, but I love that as she keeps me on my toes.

Matt & KT
VIC – Best friends
Victorian best friends, Matt, 36, and KT, 33, met at a friend’s 18th birthday party and say they’re more like siblings. Matt grew up a proud Yamaji man from the Gascoyne region in Western Australia with a nose-to-tail food philosophy. Matt and KT are passionate about using Australian native ingredients and transporting their guests to the Australian Outback during their MKR instant restaurant. They dream of opening their own native cooking store, offering hard-to-find native ingredients and products.
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Matt: I would say that the main thing that KT and I have in common is our love for food.
KT: I love how food brings people together, creates memories and brings back old ones. Cooking food I would normally enjoy with my family and friends makes me feel closer to home, especially during lockdown when we couldn’t see each other.
How would you describe your personality?
Matt: I am a very direct, passionate person who loves to laugh. I don’t take life too seriously and I don’t have a mean bone in my body. I’m compassionate and always determined to be the best.
KT: I am loyal, genuine, independent and love to laugh.
How did you learn to cook?
Matt: I was self-taught. My mum worked three jobs simultaneously to provide for my sister and me, so she was rarely home. I learned to cook from my sister, aunties, uncles and grandma.
KT: I learned to cook by watching my mum. I didn’t start cooking myself until I moved out of home, but I definitely get my inspiration from my mum and she’s the first person I call for advice.

Leanne & Milena
VIC – Italian sisters
Italian sisters Leanne, 50, and Milena, 52, are best friends. The fiery pair learned to cook from their mother, who was constantly in the kitchen cooking for her eight children. The team describe their cooking style as “easy” Italian, saying it only takes a few ingredients to make a great-tasting plate. The sisters, who make their own salami, pancetta, olives and pasta, decided to compete on MKR to put their beloved mum’s food on the map.
How would you describe your personality?
Leanne: Everyone says it’s boring if Leanne isn’t at the party or gathering! I’m very friendly, caring and most of all, I love to enjoy life!
Milena: Fun, happy, kind and I love to enjoy life. I’m very loyal and have a great sense of humour. How would you describe your team dynamic?
Leanne: We are inseparable; we’re incredibly close. Our father brainwashed us to believe that blood is thicker than water, so watch out if anyone comes for us!
How did you learn to cook?
Leanne: My mother was my teacher. As a child, I learned how to make delicious Italian cuisine and make salamis, sauce, olives, and breads. I lived in Italy for seven years eating the best food. I was always visiting the kitchens of restaurants to watch the chefs. They couldn’t refuse a blonde Australian.
Milena: My mother and sisters are my food inspiration. I do love to use my cookbooks from time to time.
Can you remember the first dish you ever prepared?
Leanne: Yes. It was pasta with meatballs made with my mum.
Milena: It was making bread and pasta with our mama in the wood oven.

Che & David
WA – Chilli mates
Western Australian mates Che, 43, and David, 35, love chilli. Che owns an award-winning hot sauce company and David is revered in the competitive chilli-eating world. The pair met on the chilli scene and quickly bonded over all things chilli and cooking. They describe their entertaining style as relaxed but say teams would be making a big mistake if they underestimated their skill in the kitchen just because they’re “chilli heads.”
What does cooking and food mean to you?
Che: It is my whole world. As a coeliac with two coeliac children, I have had to learn how to cook. I love to make all meals gluten-free to show people that you can make gluten-free food taste good. I like to entertain, host dinners and make people happy with the food I create.
David: Cooking and food mean everything to me. I wind down by cooking when I get home from work. Getting to cook for my family is a bonus.
Why did you want to compete on MKR?
Che: I have always wanted to compete on MKR. I’m ready for a new challenge and David and I love cooking together. We have a good time. I believe we would make Western Australia proud.
David: I love the art of cooking and I’m ready for the next challenge.
How would you describe your team dynamic?
Che: We have weekly dates for drinks and BBQs. Our partners tend to complain as we don’t invite them! We bounce off each other, and we’re both huge street food fans and love cooking.
Dave: We work great as a team. He’s there when I need him. Good mates, banter and good food.

Sunday – Wednesday on Seven.