Andy Lee Wedding bells!

Celebrity judges turn on each other as MKR and Masterchef go head-to-head

Not so long ago it was a reality TV juggernaut but in the eyes of many, the gloss has come off My Kitchen Rules in 2017. Now, to add insult to injury, the series looks set to lose one of the most important weapons in its culinary arsenal as a result.

Popular MKR judge Manu Feildel is reportedly ready to walk away from the Seven show as it battles falling ratings, backlash from viewers over fellow judge Pete Evans’s controversial diet advice and now, brutal criticism from the stars of its biggest rival.

Masterchef Australia judges Gary Mehigan, 50, Matt Preston, 53, and George Calombaris, 38, have joined the chorus of critics who believe My Kitchen Rules has finally gone too far with their stunt casting of “villains” such as this year’s divisive contestant Josh. And the threesome are certain their show will be next in line to topple MKR, which was once the top-rating reality program in the country.

“We’re friends with Pete and Manu and the truth is, would I go and do that show? No!” George declared last week. “We don’t let contestants bicker among each other on Masterchef Australia. There is none of that. We know that if they are supportive of each other, the food will be good.”

Matt believes the reason Ten’s Masterchef has maintained its fan base is that they now have

‘We don’t let contestants bicker among each other on Masterchef’

a firm rule: cooking will always come before casting.

“For one year, it was bonkers,” Matt said of what led to that big decision. “There was no audition tour. We weren’t involved in picking the contestants. There was no top 50. We came in with a group of contestants picked by other people.”

For Manu, 42, and Pete, 43, that happens every year on MKR. Despite being the public faces of their franchise, they have no say in who takes part in the kitchen cook-off. And as far as many people are concerned, it’s led to some of the worst meals in the show’s history being dished up in the latest season.

With Manu recently dipping his toe back into the restaurant business with pop-up eatery Duck In Duck Out in Sydney, he’s believed to be desperate to escape more disappointment.

“Manu has really had to think about his future this year, and

one option is definitely to quiti MKR,” a close friend tells Woman’s Day. “He doesn’t deal with failure very well and with the ratings on the slide, he knows this would be a good time to strike out on his own.”

It’s not just the ratings drop Manu is keen to avoid, either, claims our source.

With so-called “Paleo Pete” continuing to make headlines for all the wrong reasons, Manu is allegedly desperate to distance himself from the controversial figure.

“Manu has been pushing for Pete to b be replacedl d very forcefully, and even threatening to walk if they don’t listen,” one Seven insider says.

“He hates all of Pete’s crazy s**t and the bad press it constantly generates, and has been having meetings on the down low to talk about a replacement for Pete – and ironicially the person Manu would really like to be his new co-host is George Colombaris.

“Manu is the biggest star on the show and producers are listening to what he has to say. No one wants him to leave!”