Seven
He may have just taken home the grand prize in My Kitchen Rules, but contestant Simone also has another reason to celebrate, with the fan favourite announcing that he and his partner Victoria are expecting their first child!
“I’m going to be a dad soon! We’re expecting a little boy,” he told TV WEEK.
Reflecting on the news, Simone added, “I’m super happy, but also a bit nervous, especially since we don’t have family here in Australia.”
“It will be challenging at first, but I’m confident everything will be alright in the end.”
As the couple continue to count down the days until they welcome their baby boy, Simone revealed that the pair have already decided on a name.
“I’m sure our little Romeo – Romeo will be the name of the baby – will be fantastic,” he told Yahoo! Lifestyle, joking, “Manu and Colin will be the middle names! Romeo Manu Colin Prest.”
The father-to-be also added that he and Victoria have begun taking pre-natal classes to “get ready and understand what fatherhood is.”
“This year has been a very, very crazy year, too many things are happening and it’s very hard to manage them all, but with the help of Viviana, we’re going to get through it.”
As well as celebrating their My Kitchen Rules win, Viviana also shared that she was overjoyed to discover that she would soon be an aunty.
“I was in my pyjamas and then he video-called me, and I started crying so badly. I was so shocked, I wasn’t expecting it… I’m so happy for them. I can’t wait to be an aunty!”
While he may have dominated the My Kitchen Rules with his standout Italian cuisine, Simone revealed that his partner Victoria was not interested in joining the franchise, adding that he had always envisioned taking on Kitchen HQ with his best friend Viviana.
“[Victoria] knows how much this meant to me… It was meant to be, to do this show with [Viviana], with my best friend. I would say that it worked very well!”
“We never expected this amount of love and support,” Viviana continued, adding, “We don’t even know why we’re getting it, to be honest.”
For fans of the show, it’s difficult to imagine how Simone and Viviana don’t understand their sudden popularity among viewers, with the duo consistently being placed by audiences as the most likely to take home the win.
In their semi-final cook, the Italian duo delivered a picture-perfect menu packed with flavour, with judge Manu Feildel describing their plating as “absolutely delicious.”
“It feels unreal. Honestly, I cannot believe that we are grand finalists,” Viviana said following their cook, with Simone adding, “We have worked very hard for it. I am very proud of us.”
