Manu Feildel reveals the one condition that needs to be met before he would return to My Kitchen Rules… after the show was axed due to poor ratings
Manu Feildel has revealed what it would take for him to return as a judge on My Kitchen Rules, should the show return to screens in future.
On Sunday, the 47-year-old spoke candidly about Seven’s once popular cooking show – which was axed last year due to poor ratings – which he had fronted alongside Colin Fassnidge and controversial chef Pete Evans.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, the SAS Australia star admitted he’s ‘happy’ to make a comeback under one condition: that the show’s format undergo a complete overhaul.
Comeback king: Manu Feildel has confirmed he would return to judge on My Kitchen Rules, should the once popular show return to screens in future
Manu, who conceded that the current format ‘wasn’t working’, said: ‘If it was to come back, I would be obviously happy to be part of it.
‘I’ve been part of it for from the beginning, but I think we should have a new version. It needs to be rethought.
‘It’s like recipes, you can’t do the same thing everyday.’
Grand return: On Sunday, the 47-year-old spoke candidly about the Seven show – which was axed last year due to poor ratings – which he previously fronted alongside Colin Fassnidge (right) and controversial chef Pete Evans (centre)
MKR had once been a ratings juggernaut for Seven, but its popularity nosedived in recent years as viewers flocked to Channel Nine’s Married At First Sight instead.
In 2020, its eleventh season drew an average of half a million metro viewers per episode.
At its height in 2014, the fifth season had attracted an average audience of 1.891 million across the five major cities.
Both MKR and House Rules were axed in 2020 by Seven chief executive James Warburton, who said they had become ‘stale’ and needed a pause.
Fan favourite: Manu, who conceded that the current format ‘wasn’t working’, said: ‘If it was to come back, I would be obviously happy to be part of it. I’ve been part of it for from the beginning, but I think we should have a new version. It needs to be rethought’
‘We tried really hard,’ he said. ‘But viewers are looking for something fresh and different. So we’ve rested them.
‘We’ll bring them back at the right time when we’ve got the right momentum and they can be freshened up.’
Manu did return to screens for Plate of Origin alongside Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan, but it failed to impress and was cancelled after just one season.
In May, it was rumoured that MKR could be returning to screens as early as next year, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting that Seven wanted to bring back the show to ‘boost network ratings and attract lucrative advertising dollars’.
One person who won’t be returning for season 12 of MKR is Pete Evans, who left his $800,000-per-year position at Seven several last year.
It’s rumoured that Pete – who has become known for his controversial anti-vaxxer views – was let go as a cost-cutting measure, but the network maintains both parties reached an ‘amicable’ decision to part ways.
Gone: One person who won’t be returning for season 12 of MKR is original judge Pete Evans (left), who left his $800,000-per-year position at Seven several last year