My Kitchen Rules New Zealand
It premiered September 25, with new hosts and judges, Pete Evans and Manu Feildel. Unlike previous seasons, and specific only to the NZ edition, only 6 teams went head-to-head in a single round.
Episode 1
The first team to cook are ‘modern-day hippies', Neena and Belinda. The pair are friends related by marriage, and they share an alternative food philosophy: “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
Episode 2
Social media buddies Sam and Dan met online. When they’re not taking selfies, they photograph the dishes they’re cooking and post those on the internet.
Episode 3
June and Stephlove to cook casually at home for their partners and children, but today the pressure is on big-time, because they’re cooking for two of New Zealand’s top chefs, judges Ben Bayly and Gareth Stewart, plus their four rival teams.
Episode 4
A fresh fall of snow has brought a chill to the southern city, but newlyweds Christie and Dan are hoping to warm up the competition with their Mexican-themed instant restaurant.
Episode 5
The spotlight is now on ‘Beauty and the Beast’, friends Tracey and Neil, who are hosting the round’s final instant restaurant in the seaside settlement of Orewa, north of Auckland.
Episode 6
Husband and wife team Aaron and Heather kick-off Group Two’s instant restaurant round, hosting a three-course dinner in Palmerston North.
Episode 7
In Lower Hutt, the ‘Fireman and his Flame’, Ian and Sandie, host a three-course meal for the judges and four rival teams. But can they handle the heat?
Episode 8
At their Christchurch instant restaurant, young couple Jessie and Ricki attempt to cook an ambitious three-course menu for their fellow contestants and the judges.
Episode 9
Corporate dads Josh and Aaron host their instant restaurant on Auckland’s North Shore. But can they do the business in the kitchen?
Episode 10
Hawke’s Bay sisters Kelly and Megan host Group Two’s final instant restaurant and the judges reveal a shock twist that no one sees coming.
Episode 11
The first of the ‘gatecrashers’, sporty mums Theresa and Joelle, host a retro-themed instant restaurant in Christchurch.
Episode 12
Beauty and the Beast’, Tracey and Neil, get their second chance to host an instant restaurant at Orewa, north of Auckland. Can they score better than they did the first time?
Episode 13
In Auckland's North Shore, the pressure is on Josh and Aaron as they host their second instant restaurant. Can they improve on their first result?
Episode 14
The second gatecrasher team, Maura and Steve, host an Italian-inspired three-course meal in Wellington.
Episode 15
In the final instant restaurant, the last of the gatecrashers, Dai and Dal, cook a Laotian-style three-course meal, then elimination brings a shock for the teams.
Episode 16
The nine remaining teams are reunited for the first People’s Choice challenge, cooking for the children and families of Auckland’s Ronald McDonald House.
Episode 17
The teams face two challenges at kitchen headquarters to find who will be safe and who will face a sudden death elimination cook-off.
Episode 18
The bottom two teams compete in a sudden death cook-off, cooking three-course meals for Ben Bayly, Gareth Stewart, and four guest judges.
Episode 19
Eight teams cook cuisines from eight different countries for 150 guests in an international market day challenge.
Episode 20
The teams compete in two challenges at kitchen headquarters to find who will be safe and who will face sudden death.
Episode 21
The bottom four teams compete in a double-elimination cook-off, judged by Ben Bayly, Gareth Stewart, and four guest judges.
Episode 22
Six teams prepare lunch platters for the judges and eight mystery guests.
Episode 23
The teams compete in two challenges to find who’s safe and who will face sudden death. But there’s a twist that throws all the teams off their game.
Episode 24
The bottom two teams face sudden death, cooking for Ben Bayly, Gareth Stewart, and four guest judges, Robert Oliver, Sean Connolly, Nadia Lim, and Grace Ramirez.
Episode 25
The top five teams compete in a People’s Choice pizza challenge on Auckland’s Federal Street.
Episode 26
Three teams face two challenges at kitchen headquarters to find who is safe and who will go to sudden death.
Episode 27
The bottom two teams face sudden death, cooking for Ben Bayly, Gareth Stewart, and guests Robert Oliver, Sean Connolly, Nadia Lim, and Grace Ramirez.
Episode 28
In the first semifinal, two teams cook their best three-course meals for the MKR judges and guests to find who will go through to the Grand Final.
Episode 29
In the second semifinal, the two remaining teams compete to find who will win a place in the Grand Final.
Episode 30
The Grand Final. The two finalist teams cook five courses each for the MKR judges and guests to find who will win the first-ever MKR New Zealand title and the grand prize of $100,000.
