My Kitchen Rules 2022 winners Janelle Halil and Monzir Hamdin have spilled some behind-the-scenes tea about the hit cooking show and this one’s juicy!
On September 17, the couple told Yahoo! Lifestyle that the dynamic during filming was very different to what they expected.
According to cake decorator Janelle, who’d been an avid viewer of the show since its launch in 2010, her co-stars were much nicer than she thought they’d be.
“I expected it to be very dramatic, very b*tchy, a lot of people being mean… and it really wasn’t [like that],” she dished, stating that everyone was “really kind to one another [at] the table.”
“There [were times where] people weren’t nice to each other, but we didn’t notice because we were so preoccupied with being on TV… and having fun,” she added.
My Kitchen Rules’ Janelle and Monzir say the food was ALWAYS cold during filming
Whilst the food on My Kitchen Rules looks absolutely delectable to the average viewer, the couple admitted that most of these dishes were cold by the time the contestants ate them.
“There’s a lot of camera movement. They’ve got to take the cameras from the kitchen to the dining table and they’ve got to set up, so you’ve got to wait,” Monzir recalled.
“Then you’ve got to wait for the judges to eat first. So by the time you get the food it’s going to be a bit colder.”
However, the teams must still judge the food as if it were hot.
“You have to be considerate of the fact that we all have to go through this process and we’re all going to give each other food that’s not completely hot, even if it’s meant to be hot,” Janelle added.
She then advised future contestants not to make soup or use butter.
“Butter gets cold and it solidifies on the plate and [it starts to set], so be careful,” she explained.
“Ice cream is okay because you can freeze that, set it, put it on the plate and it’s fine. But soup, everyone likes a piping hot soup. No one wants to have a lukewarm soup.”
My Kitchen Rules’ Janelle and Monzir reveal the show’s chaotic filming schedule
Before his stint on the show, Monzir thought he’d only be filming for a few hours a day. However, this was a far cry from reality, as the process took up to 14 hours per day.
“We were filming for 12 to 14 hours and then they cut it down to [a] one hour [episode]. And behind the scenes, you have to keep repeating yourself,” he dished.
Despite that, Janelle confirmed that “nothing [was] scripted”.
“Nothing is fake, we cook all the food ourselves, we don’t have any help from anybody, and we plate everything ourselves,” she asserted.
The pair finished off by sharing some advice for future contestants.
“When you’re done with the show and whether you won or not, don’t worry about what anyone else is doing,” Janelle said. “Just focus on what you’re doing.”
“Believe in yourself and cook from the heart,” Monzir chimed in. “Stay true to yourself.”
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