My Kitchen Rules contestants Krysten and Lucy have revealed that judge Colin Fassnidge privately told them he had expected them to win, shortly after the mother-and-daughter team were eliminated from the competition.
The Queensland pair were sent home on Monday night after losing an elimination cook-off against hipster friends Harrison and Oliver, despite having been regarded as strong contenders throughout the series.
Krysten said Fassnidge came to see them away from the cameras and embraced them both.
“I’m not sure they’re going to play it but Colin actually came to see us after and said, ‘I’m not allowed to have favourites’, but pointed to Lucy and said, ‘But you’re actually my favourite’,” she said.
“He was like, ‘I thought you guys were going to win’.”
Krysten said the private conversation had made a particular impression because it reflected Fassnidge’s genuine view of their performance.
“To have that experience when no cameras are around, like that was genuinely what Colin thought. So, that really meant something,” she said.
The pair said they had been stunned to find themselves in the bottom two, having felt comfortable cooking together at Kitchen HQ.
“We felt pretty comfy in Kitchen HQ because we cook well together,” Krysten said. “And I think going into the elimination we were a bit shell-shocked because we did not expect to be in the elimination.”
For the cook-off, Krysten and Lucy prepared an Indian banquet which impressed the judges and fellow contestants. Lucy said they had performed particularly well with their main course, but their cardamom bun dessert ultimately cost them their place.
Lucy, a self-taught baker, said the result was “devastating”. She also suggested her experience may have meant the dessert was judged against a higher standard.
The wait for the judges’ verdict added to the tension, with Lucy describing the time without phones or other distractions as “like a nightmare”.
“You just feel sick, like, you give yourself a stress headache — it’s so crazy,” she said.
Krysten said they had begun packing their room before the result was announced because they believed Harrison and Oliver would be eliminated instead.
“So, it was just like shock after shock, and then we were told we were leaving,” she said.
Although disappointed, the pair congratulated Harrison and Oliver, describing them as “genuinely nice guys and good cooks”. Krysten also suggested that removing a team considered difficult to beat could have made the competition easier for some of the remaining contestants, although she said she could not speak for others or say whether strategy had influenced the scoring.
Looking back on their time on My Kitchen Rules, Krysten said she was proud of both their food and their relationship as a team.
“None of our dishes failed, and there was never a harsh word between Lucy and I the whole time,” she said.
Lucy plans to continue selling her baked goods at market stalls and hopes to work with Fassnidge again in the future.
My Kitchen Rules returns on Tuesday at 7.30pm on Seven and 7plus.
