My Kitchen Rules 2026 has suffered its fair share of complaints this year.
From the focus on the drama over the cooking to behind-the-scenes kitchen set-ups, fans have pointed out details that have caused quite a few gripes this season.
Harrison and Oliver’s Instant Restaurant in Sydney’s inner west sparked yet another debate. However, it’s one that many reality TV cooking shows have endured for years on end.
The gripe? Poor hygiene.
However, despite fans’ complaints, Angus and Simon stood by the Gatecrashers’ cooking, as much as they would have preferred for them to fail.
“I think we thought they were going to be like Texas barbecue-style food,” Simon told WHO. “They ended up producing some quite nice Italian food.
“So, look, Angus and I are always happy when we get good food. That’s a good thing for us, because we’ve had enough bad food, aka pigeon. But when they gave us the food that they gave us, we’re like, wow, that’s really impressive for a first cook.”
Fans fume over this hygiene mistake
No matter how good Harrison and Oliver’s food tasted, fans could not get over the hygiene blunder they kept witnessing in almost every frame.
“Touching hair then food?!?!” one fan wrote online, referring to Harrison’s habit in the kitchen. “A big no-no in my book. Please tie it back next cook.”
“Taste testing the food and then dipping the same spoon they have had in their mouth back into the food for the other one to taste is worse!” another chimed in.
“I agree, yuck,” a third agreed.
“I know if you’re cooking for family and friends at home, you don’t do this, but just my opinion: I think all should have hairnets on in the kitchen, and especially when hair is just flying free and not tied back,” another viewer explained. “Harrison’s did my head in last night, watching him constantly pushing it back, and you rarely see them wash hands.”
However, not everyone had a problem with Harrison’s kitchen habit, with many fans asking why viewers care so much as they’re “not eating it” and joking about the standard in “commercial kitchens”.
Either way, it turns out witnessing the crime is just as bad as being part of it, and no matter what explanation viewers give, fans simply can’t get over the fact that loose hair in the kitchen is, well, gross.
MKR isn’t the first reality TV show to get this critique
Of course, My Kitchen Rules isn’t the first reality cooking show to get this critique.
Even wholesome MasterChef was the centre of major fan debate this year as fans ripped into contestants for not tying their hair back.
Judge Andy Allen responded to these hygiene complaints personally, telling WHO about the “strict” measures in place to keep standards healthy and clean during the competition.
“They do get pretty strict training at the start of the season and they’re constantly reminded,” Andy said. “There’ll be a producer from the food team looking after each bench, and if they go to double dip or anything like that, they’re there to stop them, and remind them, and try to get the safest practice that we can in terms of hygiene.
“But you can only do what you can do, right? Like, it’s one of those ones that as much as we can try and control the situation, things are going to slip through the cracks.”
Andy added: “We do definitely, definitely try, and it can never be perfect, unfortunately.”
And I’m sure the reality is no different for My Kitchen Rules. If anything, filming the contestants in their own kitchen makes it even harder to shake the habits so many home cooks grow up learning and loving.
At the end of the day, these hygiene concerns didn’t impact the scoring, as Oliver and Harrison flew to second place with a score of 82.
Perhaps fans’ concerns are valid, or perhaps these hygiene complaints are proof of what My Kitchen Rules does best: showing real home cooking in all its grossness and glory.
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