My Kitchen Rules series 12

The twelfth season of the Australian competitive cooking competition show My Kitchen Rules, with the motto Share the love, premiered on the Seven Network on 7 August 2022.

My Kitchen Rules
Series 12
Starring	Manu Feildel Nigella Lawson Matt Preston Colin Fassnidge Curtis Stone Gary Mehigan
No. of episodes	16
Release
Original network	Seven Network
Original release	7 August (2022-08-07) – 31 August 2022 (2022-08-31)
Series chronology

Applications for contestants opened during the airing of the end of 2021, after a one-year break in 2021. In December 2021, Feildel was announced to be returning as a judge.^[1] In April 2022, it was announced Nigella Lawson and Matt Preston will be joining the series as judges alongside Feildel with Colin Fassnidge and Curtis Stone appearing as guest judges.^[2][3] Although not previously announced, Gary Mehigan will also be a guest judge.^[4]

The start date for the season was confirmed as 7 August 2022, after the Commonwealth Games.^[5]

Format changes

• Judges - This season, Manu Feildel is the series judge alongside Nigella Lawson or Matt Preston in the Instant Restaurant Rounds, with Colin Fassnidge, Gary Mehigan and Curtis Stone appearing as guest judges in the Final Week.
• Rules - This season, the rules returned to the MKR's original format, without houses divided as seen in MKR: The Rivals version and it will be States vs States.
  • Instant Restaurant Round - The format is like the original Instant Restaurant Round. However, there is a twist this season: The highest scoring team at the end of the round will advance directly to the Semi Final, while the lowest scoring team will be eliminated.
  • Last Chance Cook Off - The rest 4 teams from each Instant Restaurant group have to plate a main and a dessert for Colin, Curtis, Gary as well as the other group in this round. The winning team will be decided by the judge and will be advanced to the Semi-Final, while the other 3 will be eliminated.
  • Semi-Final - Instead of the previous format where there will be two Semi-finals to choose the Grand Finalist, this season only had one with two rounds to eliminate two out of four teams to decide the finalists.

Teams

Hometown/State		Group	Members	Relationship	Status
Kingsgrove	NSW	1	Janelle Halil & Monzir Hamdin	Dating	Winners 31 August (Grand Finale)
Jimboomba	QLD	1	Kate Wildermuth-Watt & Mary Job	Fine Diners	Runners-up 31 August (Grand Finale)
Bronte	NSW	2	Sophie Gilliatt & Katherine Westwood	Posh Friends	Eliminated 30 August (Semi-Final Round 2)
Buxton	VIC	2	Matt Moncrieff & KT Pisani	Best Friends	Eliminated 30 August (Semi-Final Round 1)
Albany	WA	2	Che Cooper & Dave Shorter	Chilli Mates	Eliminated 29 August (Last Chance Cook Off: Round 2)
Point Cook	VIC	2	Leanne & Milena Ciliberti	Italian Sisters	Eliminated 29 August (Last Chance Cook Off: Round 2)
Adelaide	SA	2	Nicky & Jose	Spanish Foodies & Dating Longterm	Eliminated 29 August (Last Chance Cook Off: Round 2)
Chewton	VIC	1	Peter & Alice Bottomley	Dad & Daughter	Eliminated 28 August (Last Chance Cook Off: Round 1)
Vaucluse	NSW	1	Arrnott Salesi Olssen & Fuzz Ali	Fashionista Friends	Eliminated 28 August (Last Chance Cook Off: Round 1)
Margaret River	WA	1	Ashlee & Mat Davey	Foodie Parents	Eliminated 28 August (Last Chance Cook Off: Round 1)
Brisbane	QLD	2	Rosie Guglielmino & Hayley Coutts	Aunt & Niece	Eliminated 24 August (Instant Restaurant: Round 2)
Adelaide	SA	1	Steven Budgen & Frena Yusof	Engaged	Eliminated 15 August (Instant Restaurant: Round 1)

Elimination history

Teams' Competition Progress

Round:	Instant Restaurants		Last Chance Cook Off		Semi-Final		Grand Finale
	1	2	1	2	1	2
Teams:	Progress
Janelle & Monzir	2nd (84)	—	Win	—	Safe	Win	Winners (27)
Kate & Mary	1st (87)	—	→		Safe	Safe	Runners-up (25)
Sophie & Katherine	—	1st (95)	→		Safe	Lose	Eliminated (Episode 15)
Matt & KT	—	4th (66)	—	Win	Lose	Eliminated (Episode 15)
Che & Dave	—	3rd (77)	—	Lose (2nd)	Eliminated (Episode 14)
Leanne & Milena	—	2nd (87)	—	Lose (3rd)	Eliminated (Episode 14)
Nicky & Jose	—	5th (62)	—	Lose (4th)	Eliminated (Episode 14)
Peter & Alice	5th (54)	—	Lose (2nd)	Eliminated (Episode 13)
Arrnott & Fuzz	3rd (81)	—	Lose (3rd)	Eliminated (Episode 13)
Ashlee & Mat	4th (69)	—	Lose (4th)	Eliminated (Episode 13)
Rosie & Hayley	—	6th (57)	Eliminated (Episode 12)
Steven & Frena	6th (53)	Eliminated (Episode 6)

Cell Descriptions
	Team won a challenge, cooked the best dish or received the highest score for the round.
Safe	Team was safe from elimination after passing a challenge/round.
→	Team continued to next the challenge/round.
	Team was eliminated after losing in a Cook-Off or round.

Competition details

Instant Restaurants

During the Instant Restaurant rounds, each team hosts a three-course dinner for judges and fellow teams in their allocated group. They are scored and ranked among their group. The highest scoring team at the end of the round will advance directly to the Semi Final, while the lowest scoring team will be eliminated.

Round 1

• Episodes 1 to 6
• Airdate — 7 August to 15 August
• Description — The first of the two instant restaurant groups are introduced into the competition in Round 1, with the entrance of new judge: Nigella Lawson. The highest scoring team at the end of the round will advance directly to the Semi Final, while the lowest scoring team will be eliminated.

Instant Restaurant Summary

Group 1
Team and Episode Details		Guest Scores						Manu's Scores			Nigella's Scores			Total (out of 110)	Rank	Result
		P&A	K&M	S&F	J&M	A&F	A&M	Entrée	Main	Dessert	Entrée	Main	Dessert
VIC	Peter & Alice	—	4	5	6	5	6	5	8	1	5	8	1	54	5th	Safe
Ep 1	7 Aug	The Antiques Food Show
Dishes	Entrée	Sunday Roast Croquette with Grandma's Relish
	Main	Parmesan Crumbed Lamb Cutlets
	Dessert	Grandma's Lemon Delicious Pudding
QLD	Kate & Mary	8	—	7	7	7	81	7	9	9	7	9	9	87	1st	Through to Semi Final
Ep 2	8 Aug	The Food Gallery
Dishes	Entrée	Wild Barramundi, Braised Leek and Beurre Noisette
	Main	Brisbane Valley Quail with Fig & Goat Curd Salad
	Dessert	Macadamia Tart with Saffron Poached Pear
SA	Steven & Frena	4	5	—	6	5	51	5	8	1	5	8	1	53	6th	Eliminated
Ep 3	9 Aug	Sayang
Dishes	Entrée	Deep Fried Squid & Onion with Special Sauce
	Main	Black Beef with Golden Yellow Rice and Acar
	Dessert	Corn Pudding with Strawberries and Chocolate Sauce
NSW	Janelle & Monzir	8	7	7	—	8	7	10	6	8	10	5	8	84	2nd	Safe
Ep 4	10 Aug	Monzelle
Dishes	Entrée	Sudanese Lamb Cutlets with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad
	Main	Imam Bayildi
	Dessert	Chocolate and Peanut Layer Cake
NSW	Arrnott & Fuzz	9	7	5	7	—	9	6	8	7	7	8	8	81	3rd	Safe
Ep 5	14 Aug	Mai Kana
Dishes	Entrée	Kokoda with Root Crop Crisps
	Main	Fijian Lobster Curry with Coconut Rice and Island Salsa
	Dessert	Vudi Vakasoso with Coconut Ice Cream
WA	Ashlee & Mat	8	7	3	6	6	—	9	6	4	9	6	5	69	4th	Safe
Ep 6	15 Aug	The Kitchen Bench
Dishes	Entrée	Marron Bisque with Shaved Asparagus
	Main	Venison with Romesco
	Dessert	Oliebollen

Note

^1 Due to medical problems, Mat cannot attend the Instant Restaurants in these episodes so Ashlee is the only one to represent the team and judge other teams' meal.

Round 2

• Episodes 7 to 12
• Airdate — 16 August to 24 August
• Description — The second of the two instant restaurant groups are introduced into the competition in Round 2, with the entrance of new judge: Matt Preston. The highest scoring team at the end of the round will advance directly to the Semi Final, while the lowest scoring team will be eliminated.

Instant Restaurant Summary

Group 2
Team and Episode Details		Guest Scores						Manu's Scores			Matt's Scores			Total (out of 110)	Rank	Result
		C&D	S&K	R&H	N&J	M&K	L&M	Entrée	Main	Dessert	Entrée	Main	Dessert
WA	Che & Dave	—	6	6	8	6	7	8	10	5	7	9	5	77	3rd	Safe
Ep 7	16 Aug	The Scoville
Dishes	Entrée	Hot & Sour Tom Yum Soup
	Main	Crispy Skin Barramundi with Hot Thai Green Curry Sauce and Garlic Rice
	Dessert	Poached Nashi Pear with Watermelon, Peanuts and Chilli Syrup
NSW	Sophie & Katherine	7	—	8	8	9	8	10	7	10	10	8	10	95	1st	Through to Semi Final
Ep 8	17 Aug	Hearth
Dishes	Entrée	Twice-cooked Octopus with Green Romesco and Jamon Crumb
	Main	Roast Spatchcock with 'Nduja, Fresh Corn Polenta and Grilled Radicchio
	Dessert	Fig Leaf Semifreddo with Grilled Figs and Pedro Ximénez
QLD	Rosie & Hayley	5	5	—	7	7	5	5	2	6	6	3	6	57	6th	Eliminated
Ep 9	21 Aug	Lioness
Dishes	Entrée	Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Homemade Bread
	Main	Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Risotto
	Dessert	Vanilla Cake with Buttercream and Caramel Sauce
SA	Nicky & Jose	5	5	8	—	6	5	7	5	4	7	6	4	62	5th	Safe
Ep 10	22 Aug	The Sexy Spaniard
Dishes	Entrée	Tortilla de Patatas
	Main	Paella
	Dessert	Churros with Chocolate Sauce
VIC	Matt & KT	6	7	5	6	—	5	4	8	5	6	8	6	66	4th	Safe
Ep 11	23 Aug	Jardilgurah
Dishes	Entrée	Buttermilk Fried Crocodile with Aniseed Myrtle Slaw
	Main	Kangaroo Loin with Parsnip and Saltbush Puree and Pepperberry Jus
	Dessert	Kakadu Plum Ice Cream with Bushtucker Brittle
VIC	Leanne & Milena	8	8	8	9	8	—	10	8	4	10	9	5	87	2nd	Safe
Ep 12	24 Aug	Piccola Calabria
Dishes	Entrée	Arancini
	Main	Spaghetti with Salsiccia and Rapini
	Dessert	Woodfire Chocolate Hazelnut Calzone

Last Chance Cook Off

Round 1

• Episodes 13
• Airdate — 28 August
• Description — The remaining teams from the first Instant Restaurant Round have to prepare a main and a dessert for the two judges Curtis Stone and Colin Fassnidge as well as members of group 2. After the round, the judges will decide the winning team to join Mary and Kate and Sophie and Katherine in the Semi-Final.

Last Chance Cook Off Summary

Team		Dish		Result
NSW	Janelle & Monzir	Main	Tavuk with Muhammara	Through to Semi-Final
		Dessert	Middle Eastern Inspired Three-Milk Cake
VIC	Peter & Alice	Main	Brisket and Marrow Meatloaf with Rich Tomato Sauce and Mash	Eliminated
		Dessert	Lemon Curd Roulade with Rhubarb and Pistachios
NSW	Arrnott & Fuzz	Main	Fijian Chicken Palau with Tomato Chutney and Spiced Yoghurt
		Dessert	Fijian Halwa with Galgura and Masala Tea
WA	Ashlee & Mat	Main	Sri Lankan Fish Curry with Coconut Rice
		Dessert	Apple Tarte Tatin

Round 2

• Episodes 14
• Airdate — 29 August
• Description — The remaining teams from the second Instant Restaurant Round have to prepare a main and a dessert for the two judges Gary Mehigan and Colin Fassnidge as well as members of group 1. After the round, the judges will decide the winning team to join Mary and Kate, Sophie and Katherine and Janelle and Monzir in the Semi-Final.

Last Chance Cook Off Summary

Team		Dish		Result
VIC	Matt & KT	Main	Warrigal Greens Gnocchi with Cinnamon Myrtle Burnt Butter Sauce	Through to Semi-Final
		Dessert	Finger Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Coulis
WA	Che & Dave	Main	Pork Fillet with Fondant Potatoes and Port & Red Wine Jus	Eliminated
		Dessert	Poached Nashi Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Toasted Peanuts
VIC	Leanne & Milena	Main	Pasta Marinara
		Dessert	Fritelli Dolce with Frangelico Chocolate Sauce
SA	Nicky & Jose	Main	Pescado a la Vasca
		Dessert	Spanish Flan

Semi-final

• Episodes 15
• Airdate — 30 August
• Description — The remaining teams had first to prepare an entree, however the team with the worst entree was eliminated, leaving the remaining three teams to create a main and a dessert for the two judges Manu Feildel and Curtis Stone. The top two teams with the best main and dessert were sent to the Grand Final.

Semi-final Summary

Team		Dish		Result
Round 1: Entree
NSW	Janelle & Monzir	Entree	Turkish Manti	Through to round 2
QLD	Kate & Mary		Beef Carpaccio
NSW	Sophie & Katherine		Risotto
VIC	Matt & KT		King Prawns with Bush Tucker Dukkah and River Mint Yoghurt	Eliminated
Round 2: Main & Dessert
QLD	Kate & Mary	Main	Duck Breast with Caramelised Radiccio and Potato Dauphinois	Through to Grand Finale
		Dessert	Tahini Creme Brulee
NSW	Janelle & Monzir	Main	Lamb Backstrap with Kisir and Ezme Salad
		Dessert	Panna Cotta
NSW	Sophie & Katherine	Main	Crispy Pork Belly with Parsnip Puree and Roast Pear	Eliminated
		Dessert	Quince and Sour Cream Tart

Grand Finale

• Episodes 16
• Airdate — 31 August
• Description — Janelle & Monzir took on Kate & Mary in this Grand Final. They had to cook a four-course meal for the judges, the eliminated teams and their family and friends, 25 plates per course. The judges including Manu, Colin and Curtis scored each set of 4 meals out of 10 for the final verdict.

Grand Final
Team		Manu's Scores	Colin's Scores	Curtis's Scores	Total (out of 30)	Result
NSW	Janelle & Monzir	9	9	9	27	Winners
Dishes		Monzelle
Entrée		Grilled Adena with Cajik, Sumac & Onion Salad and Bazlama
Seafood Course		Kataifi Prawn with Halloumi & Watermelon Salad
Meat Course		Sudanese Beef & Okra Stew with Kisra, Torshi and Shata
Dessert		Baklava with Kaymak Ice Cream and Candied Walnuts
QLD	Kate & Mary	9	8	8	25	Runners-up
Dishes		The Food Gallery
Entrée		Scampi with Smoky Chilli Oil, Gazpacho and Fennel Salad
Seafood Course		Crispy Skin Salmon with Fragrant Thai Sauce and Flatbread
Meat Course		Lamb, Grain and Salsa Verde
Dessert		Lemon Tart with Thyme Infused Labneh and Candied Lemon

Ratings

Colour Key:

  – Highest Rating

  – Lowest Rating

  – Elimination Episode

  – Finals Week

Week	Episode		Air date	Viewers (millions)[a]	Nightly rank[a]	Source
1	1	Instant Restaurant 1-1: Peter & Alice	Sunday, 7 August	0.503	8	[6]
	2	Instant Restaurant 1-2: Kate & Mary	Monday, 8 August	0.408	16	[7]
	3	Instant Restaurant 1-3: Steven & Frena	Tuesday, 9 August	0.450	12	[8]
	4	Instant Restaurant 1-4: Janelle & Monzir	Wednesday, 10 August	0.471	10	[9]
2	5	Instant Restaurant 1-5: Arrnott & Fuzz	Sunday, 14 August	0.500	7	[10]
	6	Instant Restaurant 1-6: Ashlee & Mat	Monday, 15 August	0.513	13	[11]
	7	Instant Restaurant 2-1: Che & Dave	Tuesday, 16 August	0.436	13	[12]
	8	Instant Restaurant 2-2: Sophie & Katherine	Wednesday, 17 August	0.470	11	[13]
3	9	Instant Restaurant 2-3: Rosie & Hayley	Sunday, 21 August	0.522	8	[14]
	10	Instant Restaurant 2-4: Nicky & Jose	Monday, 22 August	0.472	15	[15]
	11	Instant Restaurant 2-5: Matt & KT	Tuesday, 23 August	0.468	11	[16]
	12	Instant Restaurant 2-6: Leanne & Milena	Wednesday, 24 August	0.466	12	[17]
4	13	Last Chance Cook Off 1	Sunday, 28 August	0.428	10	[18]
	14	Last Chance Cook Off 2	Monday, 29 August	0.484	12	[19]
	15	Semi Final	Tuesday, 30 August	0.478	10	[20]
	16	Grand Final	Wednesday, 31 August	0.528	9	[21]
		Grand Final - Winner Announced		0.643	6

Notes

1. Ratings data used is from OzTAM and represents the live and same day average viewership from the 5 largest Australian metropolitan centres (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide).