Channel 7 teases first look at new My Kitchen Rules series with duo of besties dubbed the ‘Young Italians’
Producers of Channel 7’s long-running reality show My Kitchen Rules have given foodie fans a sneak peek at the 2024 season.
With the 14th installment in the series set to hit theaters later this year, the first team of “home cooks” battling it out for culinary glory has been revealed.
According to a statement, best friends Simone and Viviana would bring “passion, fashion and flair to the kitchen.”
Originally from Italy but now based in Queensland, this dynamic duo aims to bring Australia ‘style, class and modern Italian with a twist’.
Simone describes herself as ‘an adventurous chef, who takes old classics and reimagines them in new ways.’
Viviana is also keen to bring some classic dishes from her home country to Australian screens.
She said the first dish she ever made was ‘gnocchi alla romana with my grandmother’.
While they both admit they can’t live without pasta, that definitely doesn’t apply when it comes to pineapple on pizza.
With the 14th edition of My Kitchen Rules set to hit screens later this year, the first team of ‘home cooks’ battling it out for culinary glory has been revealed. Pictured: Simone and Viviana
The first shared photos of the culinary best friends show a very fashion-conscious duo.
In promotional photos, Simone is seen wearing burgundy pants with a light pink shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
The couture culinary artist completed the look with tinted glasses and a floral handkerchief around his neck.
According to a statement, the best friends are expected to bring “passion, fashion and flair to the kitchen”
Viviana wore a brown leather mini skirt that showed off a few tattoos on her thigh, and a tight-fitting long-sleeved blouse with a floral print.
The couple also gave off a little ‘La Dolce Vita’ vibe in another promotional photo, which sees them happily riding a bright red Vespa scooter.
In September 2023, the premiere of the 13th season of the cooking competition attracted only 470,000 viewers in major capitals.
Originally from Italy but now calling Queensland home, this dynamic duo are keen to serve Australia ‘style, class and modern Italian with a twist’. Pictured: MKR hosts L-R Manu Feildel, Nigella Lawson and Colin Fassnidge
MKR didn’t even make the top ten most-watched shows of the night. That’s a far cry from the ratings of a decade ago, when each episode drew over a million viewers.
MKR returned to Channel Seven in 2022, two years after the channel closed.
The show initially drew only 500,000 viewers, but in metropolitan areas, fan numbers continue to decline.
Simone describes herself as ‘an adventurous chef, who takes old classics and reimagines them in new ways’. Pictured: Feildel and Fassnidge on set
Channel Seven removed My Kitchen Rules: The Rivals from its Sunday evening schedule back in 2020.
The struggling cooking show was replaced by a ‘rush-release’ documentary about koalas being rescued during the recent bushfires.
The Sunday episodes of MKR had a hard time competing with series such as Married At First Sight, Dancing with the Stars and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The show’s viewing figures, which had plummeted to an all-time low, were reportedly unsustainable and Seven executives were ‘pushing’ to cancel the show in 2020.
A source told the magazine: ‘MKR is no longer safe. There are people in power who are pushing to end the show for good.’
However, in 2022 the series returned, but the ratings lagged.