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Our national passion

There’s not much rival networks have been able to throw at My Kitchen Rules to knock it off its perch. Since the sixth series went to air on February 2, it has dominated the national ratings, consistently taking out the top four shows each week, with figures ranging from 1.4 million to almost 1.8 million viewers each time it airs.

So why has MKR captured the attention of so many for the past six years? Not even the controversy surrounding judge Pete Evans’ latest paleo cookbook has taken the shine off.

Evans himself believes it’s because Australians love to cook and that we have an enduring fascination with food and the personalities behind it.

“Whether it’s getting the family together around the dinner table at night or a barbecue with friends at the weekend, cooking and the love of fresh produce are things we can all relate to,” he said.

“We don’t really focus on the competition. It’s great that MKR is doing so well but for Manu and me it’s about doing the best job we can with our contestants; nurturing their passion for food and providing honest critiques to expand their skills in the kitchen.”

But we’re also a nation that loves our social media, and executive producer Rikkie Proost says viewers relish the chance to watch the show while offering their own real-time critiques online.

“We were one of the first to embrace, promote and integrate social media into the fabric of our show,” Proost said. “MKR has a teeming second life on social media — our Twitter and Facebook stats are through the roof. Social-media discourse is now part of the package of the MKR experience for many viewers.”

Critics have claimed MKR is about personalities first with the food playing second fiddle but it’s an assertion Proost dismisses. Instead, he believes, viewers have embraced the concept because there’s something for everyone.

“MKR is and always will be a cooking show — we are about real people and real food,” Proost said.

“Different teams appeal to different fans in different ways. We try to deliver across the board and we always look for a robust variety of passionate home cooks who make dishes which our audience can relate to. Our competition is also about experience and growth. Our teams learn so much along the way and this is part of the great ride for everyone involved.”

But like every good recipe, it’s the extra twists and added characters that are injected from one season to the next that keep viewers tuning in. This year, Colin Fassnidge’s secret round divided the critics but if it turned off the viewers, the figures didn’t reflect it.

“Colin is a fantastic chef and a great addition to the program,” Evans said. “His solo instant restaurant round gave the competition a great twist. All of a sudden and without warning, the contestants in that round had to think about what would impress Colin as a judge, not Manu or me.”

There was also an aspirational element to the show because it launched careers. “A huge number of our contestants have gone on to open restaurants and cafes, write cookbooks and run food tours or produce their own ranges,” he said. “Their experience on MKR has given them the confidence to follow their own individual food dream.

“Each team has different strengths and this year is no different. Eva and Debra have great time-management skills, Drasko and Bianca are always looking to push the envelope creatively and Jac and Shaz are a fantastic duo in the kitchen. All our teams are good cooks. But how they handle the pressure of the competition is what will determine their fate.”

As for how long the ride would last, it was anyone’s guess, Proost said. “Australia has some of the finest TV makers in the world. We’re just grateful MKR has a very loyal fan base and that audiences love that special MKR time of the year.”