Meet the Kiwi cooks battling it out for the $100,000 cash prize!
ANYA & EMILIE, AUCKLAND
These former colleagues will be bringing their multicultural heritage to MKR – Anya Klun has Russian, Korean, Greek and Jewish roots, while Emilie McCallum is French but grew up on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion.
“We can definitely spice up your meat and three veg!” says Anya, 42, who rates Gordon Ramsay as her top celebrity chef and admits to shedding “my fair bit of tears on the show”.
However, their true secret weapon is their ability to handle stress as a team, which they learnt from working in the finance industry.
“Pressure really doesn’t get to us,” tells Emilie, 38, who’s a Heston Blumenthal fan. “When it does, we pause, regroup and keep going.”
VIKKI & PASCAL, TE PUNA
This married Bay of Plenty pair are keen to prove their chemistry both in and out of the kitchen. Interior designer Vikki Gorton-Tibbits says, “We know each other so well, we can dance around our kitchen without standing on each other’s toes.”
Landscape and architectural designer Pascal Tibbits adds, “With our big, blended family, we’ve learnt each other’s strengths and have an intuitive understanding of each other.”
Asked to share a secret, Vikki, 39, describes herself as a “recidivist renovator”, saying, “I sanded, painted and prepped our entire house in my summer break so it looked perfect before we got married.”
Meanwhile, Pascal, 50, is a Shakespeare enthusiast who has a quote from Hamlet tattooed on his chest: “This above all, to thine own self be true.”
MATT & KURT, MANGAWHAI
Taking over the grill at barbecues and filleting freshly caught fish, these foodie friends from Northland have been preparing kai together for years.
“Our cooking styles are like the perfect dance,” tells self-proclaimed boss Matt Pryor. “Kurt’s cool and collected vibes balance my lightning-fast moves in the kitchen. It’s all about that harmonious blend – and being able to style out the odd mishap!”
Matt, 39, struggles with social anxiety, but he adds, “This show was a game-changer. The fantastic folks I met, plus the generosity of Colin and Manu sharing their wisdom, made it a safe space. It’s funny
how cooking brings people together.”
Although Kurt Piper, 46, adds, “Being self-taught, it’s daunting but also exciting to get feedback on your cooking ability.”
NADA & POPS, TAURANGA
The Bay of Plenty besties promise to bring a fresh twist to MKR.
Fiercely competitive Nada Ryan, 48, says, “Our secret weapon is cooking good, homely food but taking it to the next level. We’re just genuine home cooks who want to show others that anyone with a bit of time and a glass of wine can prepare a meal for four or 40!”
More diplomatic and laidback than her mate, Pops Cooper, 51, lists both Manu and Colin as her favourite celebrity chefs. “But actually having to cook for Manu scared the hell out of me. I had to keep his catchphrase,
‘Home cooks cook from the heart – that’s what we want to see’ in the back of my mind.”
JULIE & MATTHEW, AUCKLAND
The mother-son duo have been cooking together since Matthew was five years old. “We’re a formidable team in the kitchen,” says sales consultant Matthew Woodward. “We know each other’s strengths,
we know how each other works and, most of all, we have fun when we cook.”
Business owner Julie Woodward, 59, adds, “I’ve taught him, so we’re alike. There’s basically two of the same people in the kitchen.”
Asked for a fun fact, Matthew, 32, replies, “I’m single. I mean, how can a man who can cook so well be single? It surprises me too!” While Julie – who admits to a crush on judge Colin – says, “I’m a chilli-eating machine. You give me a chilli, I’ll eat it!”
MKR New Zealand screens 7.30pm Mondays & Tuesdays on TVNZ 2.
