My Kitchen Rules’ Pete Evans defends competition: “It’s what the viewers want”
It’s been an explosive ninth season of My Kitchen Rules and we’re not even finished with the competition yet.
Fans of the show have been left divided over the scandalous season that saw NSW best friends Sonya and Hadil kicked off the show for the first time ever, describing their behaviour as “disgusting" and "staged".
Viewers have also slammed producers for focusing too much on feuds and fights instead of people’s cooking abilities.
But as the season’s competition draws to the end, MKR judge Pete Evans has spoken out in the show’s defence.
"We're trying to give viewers what they want and we've managed to do that this year," the 45-year-old chef says.
"It's got comedy, it's got drama, it's got emotion. It's got great food and it's got disastrous food. You can't script that."
And although there has been a lot of fan backlash, MKR has been a huge hit in the ratings this year.
Whether you love or hate the contestants, Pete says the show's success comes down to casting.
"It's like writing a good menu for your restaurant," he says. "And that's the key to longevity for any show. You want to have variety – and then you want to keep the audience connected.”
He added: "You want to make a show that people must watch."
When asked about the “controversial” contestants this season, Pete says the teams have added to the success of this season.
"People are intrigued to see how each relationship dynamic plays out or how the teams form friendships throughout the competition," he says.
"It's always a mixed bag – I think that's one of the drawcards."
But the relationships formed on the show aren't always friendly.