My Kitchen Rules 2026 has turned up the heat in Round Two, with the Gatecrashers and original teams going head-to-head both at the dinner table and in the kitchen.
While there have been some questionably seasoned meals so far, the real drama has centred around one newcomer in particular, and her dietary restrictions.
Zoe, from the Newcastle-based ‘Sassy best friends’ duo of Zac and Zoe, is a pescatarian, and that did not sit well with a lot of contestants at the table.
It has also caused quite a stir among fans, with everyone having the same complaint: What is she doing in a cooking competition if she can’t even taste all of the food?
“OMG, just eat the food!” one fan wrote online. “These pescatarians and vegans on MKR are INSUFFERABLE every year!”
While a lot of negative energy has been directed at Zoe for simply existing, many viewers have redirected the blame to the producers of My Kitchen Rules.
“Blame the stupid producers,” one viewer replied. “They shouldn’t even be on the show. There would have been plenty more people suitable.”
“The producers have a lot to answer for!” a third agreed.
What fans may not expect is that Zoe and Zac actually agree with them, and have a few gripes with the producers themselves.
Speaking to WHO, Zoe and Zac unpacked how much production controls the drama behind the scenes on the show.
Zoe and Zac tried to stay out of the drama, but didn’t have a choice
When the contestants took issue with Zoe’s pescatarian lifestyle, she was seriously taken by surprise.
However, looking back, Zoe and Zac realised that the drama and conflict around her presence on the show was just what producers wanted.
“I definitely think it was a narrative that production was also pushing,” Zac said, addressing all the backlash they received from contestants at the table. “Which, you know, that is the job that they have to do, but also people didn’t have to buy into it.
“There were so many things where we turned around and were just like, ‘No, we’re not responding to that because we don’t see the point,’ but other people were like, ‘Yes, this is perfect’, and we were kind of like, ‘Oh, do you really need to do that?'”
Production was more involved than contestants expected
Fans have called out production for scripting the show in the past, but now Zoe and Zac have revealed just how much producers steer what is and isn’t said.
“I think I was surprised by how much [producers] try and make people cause conflict and say things,” Zac admitted to WHO.
The pair knew they had to keep things entertaining, but witnessing it in action behind the scenes was quite a shock.
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