The duo, long‑time judges on Seven’s long‑running home‑cooking contest ‘My Kitchen Rules’ (MKR), will spend five weeks cruising the length and breadth of Aotearoa, meeting local producers, hunting wild boar, diving for paua and cooking on campfires, the network announced for a September launch.
Both chefs said the partnership has evolved from the “ego‑driven rivalry” of their early days into a genuine friendship, with Feildel noting that “men worldwide are changing… we’re a little more open and sharing our problems”. Fassnidge added that “getting old means we have fewer friends, but the ones we have are real and strong”.
The series, now in its third instalment, will also address past criticism over hunting scenes; Fassnidge explained that the recent boar hunt was filmed to show the animals as pests and to demonstrate respectful, farm‑to‑table cooking, saying the whole story was “told” to avoid accusations of needless killing.
Season three of ‘Off the Grid’ will be followed by a fourth series planned for Australia, while MKR returns for its 16th season on 28 September at 7.30 pm, with a companion episode at 9 pm on 29 September. The competition promises “shocks and bombshells” and will feature Filipino cuisine for the first time, expanding the show’s multicultural menu that already includes Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Indonesian and Chinese dishes.
Feildel hinted that the upcoming MKR season will shift back to simpler cooking styles, arguing that “fine dining works when it works, but when it doesn’t, it’s terrible”, and emphasizing classic, straightforward dishes as more reliable and enjoyable.
Fassnidge warned that a contestant known to him will appear on the MKR roster, stressing that he will judge them as harshly as any other competitor to avoid any perception of favoritism.