How MKR avoids personal insults, and stays focussed on food.
Reality series still has conflict, but let's not get personal.
- Published by David Knox
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When My Kitchen Rules ended its first run in 2020, many felt it had lost its way, and become far too bitchy.
Seven returned the show in 2022 with a refresh, including with judge Nigella Lawson, and more love in the room.
Two years on it hasn’t taken long for criticism around the table to become tense. But Chief Content Officer Brook Hall tells TV Tonight there is a clear distinction.
“I’ve been asked this in the past. I don’t mean this in as disparaging way to MAFS, but it went down that path of personal conflict and high emotion stakes. This show, if there’s going to be differences at the table, it stays in the food realm,” he insists.
“Naturally, some people get very offended when someone goes ‘I don’t think that was a very good dish.’ But the comments are staying in that lane. They are not talking about somebody’s personal appearance, which is where it went. It’s considered criticism about the the skill of cooking food, and I think that is okay and it’s not nasty.
“There’s dramas and people are arguing…. but it’s not ‘I don’t like the dress you’re wearing’ or ‘I think you’re a bad person.’ We’ve made sure that we’ve stayed away from personal insults, which the show touched before. I think it’s people too easily group personality drama with competition drama, and we’re trying to keep it in that lane.
“But I hear you and to be honest, in the last incarnation of MKR it was handing notes about dating around the table.”
My Kitchen Rules grand final 7:30pm tonight on Seven.
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6 Responses
This season has been filled with personal insults. I must be watching a different version of MKR.
Bitchiness is bitchniess, whether it’s about someone’s appearance or someone’s cooking ability.
You need to give it to whoever casts the series along with the editors. They are who attracts the viewers, it’s not about the food.
The first two seasons were decent enough but it was rapidly downhill from S03e01 and we bailed. MasterChef remained focused on the food and has produced countless success stories whereas MKR doesn’t even have a Hall Of Fame to be proud of.
This whole series has just felt like insult after insult. It’s been excruciating to watch.
Obviously I have been watching a different MKR !!!!!!!!!