As MKR prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary, our favourite teams on the show tell us what they’ve been up to since they last donned their aprons.
Truffle farmers, Henry and Anna, quickly won over hearts in and out of the kitchen.
HENRY & ANNA
Fans were delighted to see the return of hunky Tasmanian truffle farmer Henry in season nine, after he appeared briefly on the show a year earlier when contestants Damo and Caz visited his farm.
Since filming wrapped he’s continued to work on the family farm, while sister Anna has been finishing her degree in dietetics in Queensland.
“It’s been a crazy year for us,” Henry tells TV WEEK.
“We’ve been very lucky and have been invited to all sorts of events, and have been given the chance to do cooking demonstrations, which has been fun. Anna has a boyfriend now too – they’re in love!”
As for Henry, he says he was shocked to discover just how popular he was when he signed up to the show with Anna.
“It was something that came out of nowhere and it was all a bit surreal,” he says.
“I found the attention uncomfortable, but it was all in good fun.
“The whole experience was incredible. To showcase what we cook on our farm and what we love – and for people to like it – was a proud moment for us.”
Will and Steve took out the competition in 2015.
WILL AND STEVE
When British investment bankers Will and Steve were made redundant in 2013, never in their wildest dreams did they think they’d be running their own restaurant a few years later.
Winning MKR in 2015 helped the pair turn their love of cooking into a full-time career and they haven’t looked back since.
“MKR opened doors that wouldn’t have otherwise come our way,” Will tells TV WEEK.
Even though the friends walked away with $250,000 in prize money, the transition from reality stars to restaurateurs wasn’t easy.
“We’ve done an awful lot of work for free to try to build our reputation,” Will adds.
“There’s a massive assumption that things come to you after a show like that, but we’ve had to work hard off our own backs.”
After the success of their Sydney-based restaurant Butcher And The Farmer, Will and Steve are preparing to open their second restaurant next year – and even have plans to return to television.
“We’ve been in talks for years about that with different producers, but it’s about making sure it’s right for us,” Steve reveals.
So do the boys have any regrets about how life has turned out for them?
“I probably would have had a different haircut,” Steve says with a laugh.
In all seriousness, though, he “wouldn’t change anything for the world”.
Siblings Amy and Tyson set an MKR record.
AMY & TYSON
“Serious siblings” Amy and Tyson took the 2017 crown after setting the record for the highest instant restaurant score in MKR history. But whereas most winners of reality cooking shows go on to pursue a career in food or hospitality, Amy couldn’t get back to her job in human resources quick enough.
“I didn’t go on the show wanting a career change,” she tells TV WEEK. “It was always Tyson’s thing.”
Since filming ended, Tyson has gone on to fulfil his dreams of becoming a chef. He now works in Canada and says he has no regrets, despite struggling with the media attention that came with being on TV.
“I didn’t go on the show to become ‘famous’, so to have that kind of attention was weird at times,” Tyson says.
“We’ve had so many positive fan interactions that’ve made up for any negative stuff.”
Amy, on the other hand, has one regret: calling her brother an “angry man”. The unfortunate tag stuck with him for the rest of the series.
“I had no idea a throwaway comment would be made into such a thing,” Amy says.
“I was like, ‘I’m the worst sister in the world. The poor guy isn’t angry – it was just a joke!'”
Sister duo Sammy and Bella took the crown in season two.
SAMMY & BELLA
Winning season two of MKR gave Sammy and Bella – Sydney sisters with Polish heritage – validation to fulfil their dreams of working in the kitchen.
“The show changed our lives,” Sammy (near right) tells TV WEEK.
It gave the then young Sammy and Bella the confidence in their cooking ability to embark on a career in food.
“We made some lifelong friends on the show and we all stay in touch and support each other’s new endeavours,” Sammy adds.
“We also keep in touch with Pete [Evans] and Manu [Feildel], and thank all the judges for all their guidance in getting us to where we are today.”
The girls have been working non-stop since they were crowned winners, with the main highlight being their own food show on 10, Sammy And Bella’s Kitchen Rescue.
And as well as investing some of their prize money into their catering businesses, they also used it for something far more personal: visiting their sick grandmother in Poland.
“She was our inspiration for going on the show,” Sammy says.
“She got to see us in action on the show before she passed away, which was the greatest feeling.”
Carmine and Lauren were series villains in 2016.
CARMINE & LAUREN
The undisputed villains of their series in 2016, Carmine and Lauren lost to sisters Tasia and Gracia in the season finale. During filming, they were accused of everything from strategic voting to being too blunt.
The couple recently celebrated their five-year wedding anniversary after welcoming a baby girl last year.
DAN & STEPH
Winning MKR in 2013 truly changed Dan and Steph’s lives. The pair invested some of the $250,000 prize money into IVF, and were overjoyed when Steph finally fell pregnant with their daughter Emmy in 2014. Dan has totally transformed himself too, undergoing weight-loss surgery in March last year.
CARLY & TRESNE
Bubbly duo Carly and Tresne won our hearts in 2014 and made headlines when it was revealed they were a couple – despite being presented as “close friends”.
They now run The Happiness Mission, which offers workshops and seminars to improve the health and wellbeing of youth in Australia.
JESS & EMMA
Sydney sisters Jess (near right)and Emma were caught up in the show’s biggest scandal last year. After repeatedly clashing with Sonya and Hadil, Manu went on to “excuse” Sonya and Hadil from the competition. Since the final, Jess has welcomed her second child, Chase, and has a “mummy movement lifestyle project” in the pipeline.
MICK & MATT
Loveable father and son Mick and Matt were dubbed the comeback kings in 2013, winning a spot back in the competition after a tense cook-off. Shortly after the show, Matt came out as gay, and in 2015 the pair featured in a TV ad for Australian Marriage Equality. Both also scored broadcasting gigs with competing radio stations in Hobart.
ROBERT & LYNZEY
They entered MKR with a bang in 2015 with their southern American flavours, but fan favourites Robert and daughter Lynzey were eventually eliminated after losing out to Dave and Rob in a sudden-death challenge. Texan cowboy Robert went on to land a judging spot on Aussie Barbecue Heroes.
ROULA & RACHAEL
Since appearing on MKR in 2018, friends Roula and Rachael have maintained a strong social media presence, posting about their fitness and modelling pursuits.
