It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast Past Deep. They welcome back guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the insight goss all the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite shows get made.
So each episode I've been finding the guests that want to dive just that little bit deeper into the shows they're currently making, so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast however you found me. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a review
or a comment on your chosen podcast platform. On today's podcast, I have celebrity chef Colin Fashinage, who returns to one of Australia's favorite cooking shows, My Kitchen Rules. This Monday night at seven point thirty, Colin will travel across the country to meet Australia's most passionate Home Cooks with fellow co host and judge Manu. They will meet real people cooking real food in their homes, all competing for the chance to be crowned the twenty twenty three MKR Champion
and take home one hundred thousand dollars. Joining Manu and Colin this season is international food superstar Nigella Lawson. Nigella returns to judge the finals week at KITCHENAQ, where the qualifying teams will compete in a high pressure cookoff. I will talk about Colin's personal relationship with Manu, former co host Pete Evans, and his old Jungle bff Abby Chatfield. Colin will explain why the conflict and catfights gives him the shits and shares why this year he and Manu
gave the most amount of tens. Along the way, we will unpack the psychology of the show and you will find out who he would prefer to have at dinner date with Manu or Nigel Lawson. Plus, we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of MKR, which, as I mentioned, returns this week on Channel seven and you'll be able to catch up on seven Plus. Anyway. Let's bring Colin into the podcast, and guys, I hope you enjoyed this very interesting look at the new season
of MKR. Hey, Colin, how are you hello? Good? I'm good, buddy, Very excited to be talking to you about my kitchen rules for twenty twenty three.
Yeah. Good.
You know. I'm actually at my friend's place at the moment, who was so excited that I was talking to you because she was like, make sure you say thank you for the butcher's cut chicken recipe which was in Delicious magazine like maybe five years ago, because she's been using that recipe of yours for Christmas every year.
Oh really, that's good, isn't it.
Do you know which one I'm talking about?
Is it the chicken THI recipe?
It the chicken one with the bread? I think she uses like a sour dough bread with it.
But oh no, it's called the famous chicken bread.
Oh okay, well I've got it wrong.
That's not Delicious, that's my res No.
I know, it's yours. It was your recipe and Delicious magazine that she now uses every year. So I'm in a house where you're like supremo famous.
That's good because I'm not supreme famous in my house.
You should be should be you know, I want to say straight away, my Kitchen Rules is back and you're back in the show, which is great. Are you excited for Australian audiences to see this later series.
I think what you're going to see is because me and Manu did MK or New Zealand, so we've been on the route being a husband and wife or month and then when we got to OZ, we sort of hound how we work well together and what and we had a lot of fun. So I think this season you'll see like we really get on, like we've got on for years. We live beside each other. Well you'll see, you know, there's a real respect and friendship between myself and Manu, and I think that's what shines this season.
Yeah. I think it's when people have genuine relationships with people, the audiences can feel that. And I always wondered with you and Manu, what sort of level of energy do you put into that friendship away from the cameras. Do you sort of try and work on that friendship to make sure it's as authentic as it is.
It's not really about audiences because we're friends, and like sometimes if we don't get on, and sometimes we do get on. We are like a married couple. And I think when we did when we did the New Zealand like we basically been living together for six weeks and then we got off the plane and said let's not talk for a week, and then by the end of the week we were like, oh, what are you doing? I miss you? And like I got I went to his house for Christmas lunch with my family and his family.
So it's not like we have to act. We just we get on. And I think sometimes the producers will like you get on too well, like you are actually doing your job.
In different parts of exactly you sit over there.
Yes, sometimes they're like you know that. They're like, can you like just realize that we are filming? Oh sorry, sorry, let.
Me just pull myself together.
You know.
I want to ask you, because you have been over there to do the New Zealand show and then you've been back here to do the Australian one, how do we compare? Is it fair to ask you this question about what home cooking looks like in New Zealand compared to Australia.
Well, New Zealand are very proud you know, like the Marriag tradition and that was that was very interesting, but that was very good cooks. We worked a lot less hours as well over there, and we and we drank too much over there. But anyway, over here, I think this year, but then Australia is a different melting pod altogether. Like you've got the Italians, the Indians, the you know there was English, so it's a different sort of melting pop up. I think both shells are as good as each other. Lot.
I guess every season you'd probably come away with something new. What's the biggest take home from this latest series that you've just completed here in Australia, you know, what have you learned? Without giving too much away from what the audiences.
Might learn, we gave. We gave, I reckon the most pens ever in MKA or this year, which is what me and might now have been fighting for for years because for us, I don't I don't care about the drama and blah blah blah. Someone that just ships me the tears. This year was all about family. There was a lot more love in the whole season. I reckon. This is there's lots of people, there's lots of stories
of our families and cooking. And I think that's that's like obviously myself and man who are getting older now, and that's the sort of food we want to eat and we want that story behind the actual food.
Well, I think that is part of the success of the formula of this show. A strange question to ask you at this point, Ben, you know, out of Manu and Nigella, who's a better dinner party companion.
Well, see, that's two different dinners, totally two different dinners because we actually took no Jella for dinner with our wives and we were all like on our best behavior, and my Jella is amazing and Man who's like a naughty child. So depends who you want to do you want to have a civilized dinner or do you want to have a naughty child dinner?
You have answer question?
He Well, Nigella's I've always had a crush on the Jella and and she's always been a food hero of mine. So I could see and have dinner with Nigella any night and just listen to herself because it's like she's swallowed the dictionary and the way she just elaborates their food on and I just sit there and owe I'm learning actually from her.
I think we all feel like that when we're when we're watching her. It's interesting from your relationship of working with the two of them, you know both of them over the last two years especially, but what have they taught you? Well, if we can start with Manu, what has Manu taught you from your time working with him?
Well, mine and me sure to have the exact sort of same food like gold and dreams and what we want. I would say matt Man it was a bit more technical, like he likes everything a bit more square and technical and I'm a bit rough and ready. So we sort of argue a little bit about that. But we voute want, you know, the best out of ingredients and people to do the best and if you're going to do it, like, don't do it half as. I think that's what we
both want out of it. No, Jema, actually she's she gets into it so like she'd we stop on cameras and going like, I'm not happy with the way these guys are doing this, so and we're like, wait, she's getting into this big style.
I think I like that about, you know, the being very hands on though and sometimes it's nice to work someone who's a bit of a boss bitch so that you can sit back.
Oh yeah she is. She was like she she's the boss when in studio. But then we after we start a bond and then got on she's like, you're exactly like me.
Was like, thank you, I'll take it, you know. And then this year we've put a completely different batch of contestants. You know, there's some amazing people there. You've got Tom and Rage from Western Australia. You've got the housemates, Nick and Christian from Victoria. There's a whole range of them. What do you think of the contestants this year? Is there something different about this bunch of cooks.
I think it's like you're like a school teacher and every year you get all these different people come in and I reckon the class of twenty is it twenty three or twenty two? Twenty two? Years of twenty three?
What year is it? I think the class at twenty three was a highlight for me because it was it was fun, and there's a few there's a few other teams you haven't seen coming up that are in the other two teams coming up who are outspoken and but I really like them, like they don't want the ones who are outspoken, and I think I think everyone just had a lot of fun, I think this year, and that's what I like, because there's no point in not
not doing this job and not having fun. And the suit and the suit it showed in the foit and showed in the in the in the evenings we had around the table. Because I'm like to the guys, like you might as well enjoy this, like this is a great part of your life. Not everyone gets to do this, so enjoy it.
Do you pick favorites? Because I could imagine if I was you and I'd be watching the behavior of all these people, naturally I would start to pick favorites. Is that what happens throughout the series?
Well, the thing is there's people you think are going to like win and then they drop the ball, and then the ones you think, who are you really annoying me at this stage? And then they come good. So it's like it's like I've got two kids, and I don't have a favorite, Like, well, each week I have a different favorite. So that's the way it works, you know what I mean? Even I both my kids compete, so I'm like, one week, I like one kid and
one I don't like you o kid. So it's be the same as in my house as every other parents do.
It doesn't stop us as children though, asking our parents who's the favorite? You know what I mean?
Yeah, I just tell them, no.
None of you. At least give me who your favorite team is this year. I know this is hard because you said that you don't like to pick favorites, but look, when it comes down to the crunch, who are the people to watch out of this season?
Am I allowed to say names that I'm like, we'll be on the ard next week.
Just tell every interview you have someone different and that's what gets you out of it. So you say to me, I love you know.
Yeah, well it's someone in the Alants next week, which will be Claudine and Anthony. And I love Claudine because she's I said, she's someone I would get I get on with. You'll see why when you watch it.
Okay, well that's a good teast. They're from Queensland. I like a good Queenslander.
Yeah so they are. You'll see when you watch it. But we had like back and forth. It was good. It's good banter.
You know, I guess putting people on these high pressure situations like this, you know, gets a lot of drama every year. But are you surprised that these people get fiery every time they get a new bunch of people. Is it just the nature of the format of this show that you're going to get that out of people.
Well, I was at a dinner to night in Bunderberg and I had these real old oddie guys who are like, I would never go on that show. You know, you never get out there to me, and then we had a glass of wine together and then they were telling me about this dish they do with the wife, and then the wife start arguing with him and he was like, no, no, no, I do a better fishes dish, and then after half an hour said I've just got your entire story out of it in half an hour, and you would do
the show. And then he's like, oh, I see what you did there, and I'm like yeah. So people like sort of they it's a dinner parody and they get into it. And then obviously then when one team goes like, you've got a score on the board, so you've got to beat that score, and that's where it comes from.
Yeah, it's that competitive nature. But it's funny how they get turn on each other. It's human nature. I mean, I fight with my partner when we're trying to, you know, say to someone that we're better at something than the other.
You know. I just come around my house at dinner time. It's like my wife just like tells me on one the season this I'm over cooked that I'm like just to cook you.
Well, I guess that's the thing. I mean. Do you have your own dinner parties at home? And are they just as dramatic as an MK at dinner party?
They are when man who comes around, my wife actually kicks him out because he stays too late. She's like, we got to get up?
Is she? Is she the sort of wife that's in there doing the dishes to let him know it's time to go home.
Well, I'll tell you this story. And the reason I'll tell you because I'm allowed to her because he told it earlier on this morning. Okay, I went to man who's house for Christmas dinner a few years ago. This this is a TV show in itself. I went to a man who's house for Christmas dinner, and man who was playing a beer pond with his next door neighbor right in the morning, so from nine am, so you know, when you try the ball that goes in the cup. Yeah,
and he lost several times, I would say. So when I got to his house, he was blind right, and he was asleep. So I'd come around for Christmas lunch and the house was asleep, so I had to cook the lunch in his house. It was a big Wellington. And then when he woke up, he told me I did it wrong.
I feel like there's a joke. Yeah, like how many grames does how many cooks does it take to make a Christmas lunch?
You know? Yeah? Yeah, And if you interview him after, you ask him about that Christmas lunch, because I guarantee it.
I love a bit of drama. And I think you were saying before that you're there for the food and the drama's kind of second course. But what would you say, is the most memorable piece of drama that you've seen unfold over the time that you've been on this show. Oh my god, something that stays in your mind.
Yeah, I've seen soul, I've seen I've seen the best and the worst of people. That's what I've seen, like in the early days. I was like, wow, because it was just a chef coming on for a shell. They want is going on here? I can tell you some really bad dishes that I said to people I wouldn't eat,
and then they sort of stormed off. I think I had like a squid dish with some lamb and I was and fished out of season with fished off and I was like, I Am not even going to eat that, and then there was a bit of a drama there.
Actually, that's a really good question. Do you remember the people? Like do you sometimes are you walking along the street with you know, your family, and does the contestant come up? Do you remember all of the contestants that have been on the show or do they kind of all blow together?
No, you remember most of them because we spend so much time on the road together. But it's like on camera we are all you were, like, you know, the bosses of the table, but like the in between breaks, we're like, how you going and what's happened in life? And how's your family? And you get to know people and then obviously you get to finals, you meet their parents and their wives, husbands, whatever, So you get to know all these people. It's actually you still stay in
contact with a lot of them. Actually they follow you on social media and we'll talk to you whatever. So it's not just a nine to five job where you just forget them after you took them became friends.
I mean, you might be able to help me out with something. But MK I is kind of known for having a good TV villain, and one thing I've worked out over the time of doing three years worth of interviewing TV villains is they are often the nicer people, all the more interesting people like Genal Liiano from the Real Housewives of Melbourne. You know, I was terrified watching her on the show, but every time I've met her, she is the most articulate, the easiest to work with.
She delivers. I feel like the TV villains, even though we see them on screen as being quite intimidating, that some of them are actually really lovely people.
Well I would. I was classed as the villain I reckon at the start, and I was like, oh, not really who I am? What I mean? And then when I find people who are quite opinionated, I go, actually, I quite like you because you're not beige, and I sort of get off with the people's hat or the people dislike just because they I like people who who you know, wear the hat on the sleep That's what I like. Being around the boards, show on the fence. Yeah, I would sit on the fence. Shit me.
I just think this is how I feel about it. I prefer to people to be honest. So you can be a good person, or you can be a bad person. But if you're owning, if you're genuinely that person, it doesn't bother me as much. You know, for people to admit their flaws then to pretend that they're better than other people, you know, I just I just want the honesty. That's all I want.
You'll see someone coming up in the next few weeks on the ad. I'm not going to say who it is, but anyway, in the next and they wear the hat in the sleeve and I thoroughly enjoy working with them. Okay, well that that's coming up in the next few weeks.
Okay, that's a very good teas. I love a good teas on a podcast. Now, I want to ask you that's a tea. That's a very good past I want to ask you, you've got a lot of celebrity friends that you've made along the way, and you've even been into the jungle where you made lots of friends. Someone was asking me yesterday when they said I was going to talk to you, They were like, Colin got along really well with Abbi Chadfield. Is that right? You had
a good friendship with Abbi Chadfield? Are you what does that friendship look like these days? Because you know, once these shows finish, we never get to see what happens next. Are you does she come over for dinner with the family? What's going on with you?
Now? I don't go to Abbie. Hell, I'm too old to hang out with Abi Chatfield. She's I caught up. Were at the logis and we had a drink and they said, if you had three people on an island, who would you bring in an interview? And I watched it and she said me because I could cook. I was like, ah, but yeah, Abby is like a little like a younger, like one of my older daughters or something like that. She was, you know what I mean.
She's very soft and a beautiful person. And she made you know what She's doing so well for herself at a minute of everybody in the jungle.
Oh, I know. I think she's quite an amazing person. It's quite interesting though. I actually met her at the Logis last year, and I was a bit scared of her because I was like used to her ranting on her tiktoks and so I was like, oh, got a little scared to go off. She goes off. And then when I talked to her in real life, she was so generous with her time. She was so there's something very beautiful and very calming about it.
You know what I like about Aby Chatfield. So she's got all these funs. I don't know, they like believers or whatever they call them on whatever abbeys that car. And then like when when Because we were talking about this actually, because when you meet people who watch your TV show or follow her on TikTok or whatever, they're like the what would you say that you're a company and they buy into this company. Yeah, and the day
they stop caring about you is that you're finished. So she when she meets people in the street, as do I, and they say, we love your shell, and when these are our kids, You're like, yeah, one hundred percent, man, because you're keep us in a job. And I think She's very aware of that as well.
I've seen people like not to mention any names, but maybe Anthony Clear, But like I've seen celebrities that fans will come up to and be like, I love you, and they just snub them. And I think that's not the job. Do you know what I mean? Like people have bought you for so many years. I mean the moment that you start not being able to talk to your fans when you see them on the street, I think I think you're jaded. I think it's pumping it out.
That's funny. I've seen him do that as well.
So strange, and I'm like, like, mate, you know you're a good singer and you can sing the prayer really well, but you know, be nice to your fan, bake up to yourself. Anyway, I want to quickly ask you before you go. People will want to know this this question. Do you think that Pete Evans are still watching the show? And have you texted him? Does he text you and say that was a great episode. All I want to know is is Pete Evans still watching the show even though he's not on it.
I would say, I know, I wonder if Pete even as a TV but anyway, because I'm not no, I'm not being smart because me and Pete are friends, like we don't Mane, who texts him a lot more than I do. Well, the media always tries to pit us against him. I think Pete has made a better life choice for himself now he's happier every what he's done.
And talk to him about that mullet. I don't know whether that mullet he's not going on at the moment. I don't know if you've seen them moshe it's huge.
Well, Pete, do you know what? Pete's the only want who can pull off a mullet. I like him when he's mullet, mate. He's a very good looking man. He's good, these blue eyes. And when there's mullet's a bit shorter, I like it a bit short of He's the only one who can pull off the bullet.
I've got to tell you this, really what you Me and.
Man who had a mullet, we would look so odd.
No you, we'd be taking you to get a haircut. I was in Byron once and I was coming out of the water and I saw you know, you know what this is like? You know, you see someone attractive and you're checking them out, but you don't want to look like you're checking them out anyway. So he was walking along the beach and I could see him coming along and I was like, that man is hot. Who is that? And then I got closer to him and
realized it was Pete Evans. And I'd actually interviewed him before and he'd yelled at me in the interview, so I quickly scurried away to my towel. But I was really shocked at him how beautiful he is in real life. Like he's a good looking man, he said.
I've always said he's a good looking man. I've got great eyes.
Anyway, I'm very excited about this series. I'm very happy with the fact that we've been able to chat and unpack a few things. But just before you go, the last question I ask everyone who joins the podcast is what is something from behind the scenes, something that we probably won't see, maybe like a behind the scenes secret or an anecdote from your time on my kitchen rules.
Well, we used to have a camera van at the back of each shoe, so you know, like when you go like backpack and all whatever, Like, yeah, one of those with the beds in the kitchen, so that was like our little green room for me and Frenchiet and Frenchyet would the makeup girls would put them to bed halfway through like Entree and Main when we have a break for an hour, and then put little blankets over and give him pillows. And then he would take up the whole back of the vat, so I'd have to
sit at the little table. Why is he getting Yeah, and he fas a lot of back at the vats. That's what's all I'm going to say.
That is the MKR secret, which I am absolutely loving. So Manu, thankfully we don't have smell of vision amazing.
Yeah, and he always takes over the end of the vat and gets to make to the bed. I'm like his younger brother who has to sit up the front.
I just love this dynamic. I love it when people are authentically having these friendships, you know, away from the camera. So I'm I'm here.
For I didn't you know what I'm telling you now. The reason this season is going to do so well, and it will do well is because myself and Manu works so well together and we call each other out when we're being idiots. Or whatever, and we don't always agree for our heart, like I love Manu like a buller and he does the same, and well one percent in it for each other.
And that's amazing. I think it's going to be a good series. I haven't seen any of it yet. Normally when I'm interviewing someone, i've seen an episode, but you know what, that's okay. I'm just more excited now after having this conversation because I'm very passionate about home cooking. I love home cooking myself. I always buy everything fresh that day. I love going to people's homes and having cooked food made for me. I think that there's something, there's a lot of heart in that.
Everyone's pick a chef's making food too hard for people and kids, like every kid should know how to cook there when you leave home, should know how to cook and least ten things. And I think when you watch this is it's about like getting the best out of people. Like obviously people fall down and whatever, but it's always pigging them up and getting them back on track again, and that's what it's about.
Absolutely, Colin. Can I just say it's so fascinating and so funny, and I've absolutely loved being It's over the years and I want to say thank you so much for being so generous with your time and sharing your story today.
Absolute pleasure. Thanks for having me