On Tuesday night, tensions boiled over on My Kitchen Rules with outspoken South Australian mum Alisha storming out of dinner.
Speaking to 7NEWS.com.au about the bombshell moment, Alisha and her teammate, fellow mum and self-described “classy bogan” Deanne, made it clear they have no plans to back down.
The best mates said they applied for MKR to show their children anything is possible, and to inspire other mums to do the same.
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The pair know they’re likely to divide viewers, with Alisha accepting people will either “love us or hate us”.
“I think Dee has a bit more of a worry of what other people might think,” Alisha said.
Alisha and Deanne walk out of the instant restaurant after calling out the use of the word ‘acid’. Credit: Seven “Me, I’m very different. I don’t really care about what anyone thinks.
“You will take me how I am. If you don’t enjoy me, that’s fine. We don’t have to be friends.
“I always think I’ve been through worse things in life than having someone’s judgment on who they think I am.
“They don’t actually know me. They’re seeing a small snippet of who I am.
“I understand people aren’t going to like me, but the people that love me, absolutely love me.
“So, take me how I am. Love me or hate me. I don’t really care.”
Angus and Simon ultimately finished on 70 points, just two points behind leaderboard leaders Krysten and Lucy. Credit: Seven That attitude was put to the test during Tuesday night’s dinner, when South Australian best mates Angus and Simon welcomed the teams to their gastro-pub-inspired instant restaurant, Last Orders.
But differences in the contestants’ upbringings and experiences quickly sparked tension around the table.
Stylish foodies Jane and Shane, from NSW, admitted pubs weren’t their scene, saying they preferred “a little wine bar”.
Their admission prompted Alisha to label the pair “a bit snobby”.
As the teams continued discussing their overseas travels, Alisha and Deanne felt compelled to speak up about their own backgrounds.
“Me and Dee didn’t have that sort of lifestyle. We grew up real. We grew up a bit rougher,” Alisha said.
Angus and Simon served a menu featuring a wagyu sausage roll with caramelised onion chutney and kimchi for entrée, gochujang chicken parmi with enoki fries and green apple slaw for main and a coconut panna cotta for dessert.
It was the slaw that sparked the next flashpoint.
Tensions erupt, with Alisha calling out ‘fake contestants’. Credit: Seven When Victorian contestant Tiffany said it needed more “acid or vinegar”, Alisha questioned the terminology.
Later, when judge Colin Fassnidge used the word “acid” in his own critique, Alisha felt singled out and humiliated.
“We’ve been made to seem like we’re pretty much idiots,” she said. “People think we just have no idea what we’re talking about.”
Eventually, Alisha reached breaking point and stormed out of the instant restaurant: “I’ve been made to look like an absolute idiot. I’m just done with it. I’m absolutely done.”
Deanne followed her outside, with the pair initially refusing to return to the table before Fassnidge confronted them.
Alisha accused the judge of taking sides with Tracy.
“No, I was just trying to prove a point,” Fassnidge told 7NEWS.com.au.
“She was talking about something she knows nothing about and giving her two cents.
“And I was trying to go, you know what? What the guys actually said was true. And if maybe you stop talking for long enough, you might learn, which she eventually does.”
Colin goes out to speak to Alisha and Deanne and has a warning for the South Australian team. Credit: Seven While the mums from South Australia are adamant about being themselves and speaking their minds, Fassnidge warned their fiery approach could come back to bite them.
“It’s like, in previous years that if you upset people, they’re going to hold all the grudge,” Fassnidge said.
“It’s human nature that gets in the way sometimes, and it’s usually the people who sit and be quiet that usually do the best.
“But then again, I quite like the girls. We have a fiery start, but we become friends.”
After taking some time to cool down, Alisha and Deanne eventually returned to the dinner, but not without making it clear they believed some of their fellow contestants were being “fake”.
“Jane is very fake. She’s very fake. She won’t say things to your face,” Deanne told 7NEWS.com.au.
Now, with their own instant restaurant on the horizon, the mums are determined to prove they’re more than meets the eye.
Alisha and Deanne are next to cook and have warned their fellow contestants not to “judge a book by its cover”.
MKR: Besties Alisha and Deanne from South Australia. Credit: Seven Despite their rocky start, they’re feeling more fired up than ever.
“We now have something to prove,” Deanne said.
“Obviously the first night we’re feeling a little bit out of place. And the second night, the walk out happened.
“Now it’s our turn to cook, we’re feeling more confident than ever.”
Alisha added: “There’s no shutting us down at all.”
Angus and Simon ultimately finished on 70 points, just two points behind leaderboard leaders Krysten and Lucy.
My Kitchen Rules returns on Monday on Seven and 7plus.