My Kitchen Rules viewers took to social media to express their outrage and concern at the way Queensland contestants Danny and Sonia served their steak on Monday night.
During the episode, the brother and sister duo introduced their instant restaurant, The Broasis, which aims to showcase local produce.
Despite the casual pub atmosphere, their efforts failed and they finished at the bottom of the rankings with a score of 56 out of 110.
Danny, who is a butcher by trade, ignored judge Colin Fassnidge’s advice on how to sear his steak.
The evening’s main dish, a filet mignon with garlic shrimp dressing, accompanied by beer-battered wedges and broccoli-bacon salad, received scathing reviews from judges, fellow contestants and viewers.
Instead of searing the steak first, Danny put the prime cut of meat directly into the oven, resulting in a less-than-ideal texture.
Manu Feildel was particularly critical, describing the steak as a “wet piece of cardboard”.
Colin echoed this, stating, “You tried to give us too much and it backfired.”
On Monday’s episode, siblings Danny and Sonia from Townsville opened their pub-inspired instant restaurant, The Broasis.
The evening’s main dish, a filet mignon with shrimp scampi, accompanied by beer-battered wedge slices and broccoli salad with bacon, received harsh criticism from the judges, with Manu saying the meat tasted like “wet cardboard.”
Filet mignon is considered one of the most tender and soft cuts of meat, making it a favorite among meat lovers.
Danny was visibly disappointed by her efforts and said he felt like he had let his sister down.
“He didn’t have to come with me here (in MKR) and he did,” Sonia tried to reassure him. “That will always be important.”
The judges and fellow contestants were left baffled by the adorable team’s mishap.
“I’m sorry about Danny and Sonia but they should have taken Colin’s advice,” one fan wrote on X.
“She ruined the meal,” another fan commented on Instagram.
“He didn’t even know how to cook a steak and arrogantly ignored the chef’s advice. Nope, see ya,” said another.
“An old friend of #MKR is going to put the filet mignon straight into the oven without searing the filets. He can’t be serious. What a mess,” another viewer commented.
Fans of the show were baffled as to why a butcher no longer knew how to cook a prime cut of meat.
The couple’s entrance was better received, but it was not enough to save Danny and Sonia’s score.
The espresso martini trifle dessert also failed because it failed to set.
“Danny and Sonia put their heart and soul into their meals. I’m devastated for them but we’ll see what the next two nights bring!” wrote one hopeful fan of the couple.
“I couldn’t eat that steak, it tastes like an old boot. Undercooked or not cooked at all. Danny, you idiot. Colin tried to tell you, as did your sister. How stubborn,” was another brutal comment.
“That’s what happens when you ignore a judge’s advice and choose to follow your own cooking technique… Ah, Danny and Sonia. Nice hospitality, but that’s why you’re in last place,” said another.
Other steak fans said they were baffled by how Danny, a butcher, didn’t know how to cook filet mignon, with or without advice.
“You’re an idiot, Danny. My God, you’re a butcher, man. Even I know you have to burn them first. And meat is expensive, you moron,” one critical viewer lambasted.
“I like these guys. But I can’t believe a butcher doesn’t know the correct way to cook a beef steak and ignored Collin’s advice,” someone else added.
Some viewers who tuned into the show at home were not too impressed with the show and shared their opinions on X
“As a butcher, I should have some idea how to cook a good steak,” said another viewer. “I like these two and hope the dessert tastes as good as it looks.”
Meanwhile, the popular duo’s main dish, Townsville Mud Crab with Mango Chilli Dip, received praise from the judges for living up to their ‘Australia on a plate’ theme.
The reaction to Danny’s angle grinder method of cracking open crab shells was welcomed on the show for its fresh, sweet meat, but drew ire from animal rights activists online.
Colin, however, said the chilli-mango sauce took away from the meat’s natural flavours.
The final course of Espresso Martini Trifle also failed to impress, with the dessert failing to catch on, cementing Danny and Sonia’s place at the bottom of the leaderboard and at risk of elimination.
This comes after the 2024 series of the home cooking show got off to a shaky start for some viewers, with some complaining that the show feels “scripted”.
MKR has had some teething problems since returning to TV screens in recent years. In September 2023, the premiere of the cooking competition’s 13th season managed to attract just 470,000 viewers in major capitals. Pictured: Feildel and Fassnidge on set
“I’m sick of the contestants’ fake conversations on camera, but most likely they were recorded days later. It’s so unnecessary,” one person wrote.
“Did I join the wrong show? This is a Married at First Sight bitch, presented as a cooking show,” said another.
Another wrote: “I was really hoping the reboot of this show wouldn’t feature good guys and bad guys. It’s very scripted and fake. Take a lesson from MasterChef and just cook.”
Another posted: “Suddenly they’re talking about the crust on the steak. Handwritten nonsense.” Another added: “This is so boring I can’t.”
MKR has had some teething problems since returning to television screens in recent years.
In September 2023, the premiere of the 13th season of the cooking competition managed to gather only 470,000 viewers in major capitals.
MKR didn’t even finish in the top ten most-watched shows overnight, a far cry from its ratings peak a decade ago when it was attracting more than a million viewers per episode.
MKR returned to Channel Seven in 2022, two years after its cancellation.
After its debut with just 500,000 viewers, the show has continued to gain followers in metropolitan centres.
Channel Seven removed My Kitchen Rules: The Rivals from its Sunday night schedule in 2020.
The show’s ratings, which have fallen to an all-time low, were said to be unsustainable and Seven executives were “pushing” to cancel it in 2020.
A source told the magazine: “MKR is no longer a safe place. There are people in power pushing for the show to end for good.”
However, it returned in 2022, but has continued to struggle in the ratings.
MKR cContinues on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Channel 7 and 7plus