My Kitchen Rules contestants Tiffany and Giancarlo have defended Jane and Shane from criticism while acknowledging that Jane’s forceful manner has created tension among the teams.
The Victorian couple, who have been together for almost 20 years, said Jane was passionate about food and her profession but needed to consider how her comments affected others.
“Jane is passionate about what she does and they have travelled, so there are things we can get along over,” Tiffany said.
“But I think it’s just the way that Jane’s opinion comes across, I just don’t think that it’s very measured.
“I think she just needs to consider how she’s making people feel when she speaks to them in the tone that she does.”
Jane’s approach came under scrutiny after she criticised the colourful plates used by South Australian contestants Alisha and Deanne at their Hot Mess instant restaurant.
The dispute resurfaced at the dinner table, where contestants debated whether Jane had marked teams down because of their choice of plating. Jane rejected that description, saying she had taken the plating “into consideration”.
Despite their reservations, Tiffany and Giancarlo said they did not believe Jane deserved the level of criticism directed at her by some of the other teams.
“It’s not like we don’t disagree with their opinions most of the time … sometimes,” Giancarlo said.
“I don’t think it’s fair how she’s being attacked, but it’s a tough one,” Tiffany added.
Giancarlo said Jane’s strong views reflected how seriously she took her work, although he questioned some of the comments made to fellow contestants.
“Jane lives and breathes her profession, no matter what. And I think that’s what people perhaps don’t understand,” he said.
“But it’s pretty severe saying to other teams ‘There’s no love in the food’ when we know it’s such hard work.”
The comments followed Jane and Shane’s positive reaction to Tiffany and Giancarlo’s Italian-inspired instant restaurant, Ciao Bella Ciao. The couple’s food and plating impressed the pair for the first time in the competition.
Tiffany and Giancarlo ultimately scored 86, taking them to the top of the leaderboard after initially falling behind while cooking against the clock.
The couple said their shared love of food and travel had inspired them to apply for My Kitchen Rules, with Giancarlo describing food as something that brought families together around the table.
Their different cooking styles have also become part of their partnership. Tiffany said she preferred to follow a recipe and remain organised, while Giancarlo was more comfortable improvising.
“So that’s what I mean when we balance each other out really well,” she said.
Although the pressure of the competition has led to heated moments, the couple said they were able to move on quickly.
“Yes, we can fight. Yes, we can blow up sometimes. But at the end of the day, we choose each other. So that’s easy,” Tiffany said.
They identified nurses Mary and Golden, as well as mother-and-daughter team Krysten and Lucy, as strong competitors.
My Kitchen Rules returns on Wednesday at 7.30pm on Seven and 7plus.
