There’s a whole lot more to MKR judge Pete Evans than white teeth and a love of paleo. Read on to find out more:
He’s an award-winning chef
Before Pete was a TV star, and waaaay before starchy carbs were the devil, Pete was at the helm of some of Sydney’s most respected – and most awarded – restaurants and bars. He opened Hugos Bondi in 1996, followed by Hugos Lounge in 2000, and – shock, horror – a pizza place, also in Kings Cross, in 2004. He also opened Hugos Manly in 2008. Over that time, his various venues were awarded eight Sydney Morning Herald Chef’s Hat awards.
He’s a prolific author
Pete has written more than 20 books over the past 12 years, many of which have gone on to become best sellers.
He has over a million Facebook followers
In recent years, Pete has become exceedingly well know both nationally and internationally for championing the Paleo way of eating. He now has over 1.5 million Facebook followers, who regularly check in on his healthy eating updates, via his page.
He’s got his own Netflix special – and it’s causing controversy
In 2017, Pete released The Magic Pill, a documentary which examines the controversial Ketogenic diet, which claims to have the ability to eradicate some common illnesses. It was picked up by Netflix last year, and has caused controversy recently for some of its assertions that it’s able to manage autism, asthma and cancer. At the time of its release on the streaming service, the AMA (Australian Medical Association) demanded Netflix pull the doco, saying the “risk of misinformation is too great.”
He sells his own branded pet food
It’s not just humans who get to sample Pete Evans’ food – he’s also got his own range of dog and cat food too!
Pete has been doing TV since 2001
He began his TV career with a show on the Lifestyle Channel, titled Home, before appearing on a range of specials for Foxtel, as well as Fresh: Cooking With the Australian Woman’s Weekly on Channel Nine. He became a judge on MKR in 2010.
Pete’s been married twice
Pete was first married to Astrid Edlinger, whom he was with for 11 years, and has two daughters, Chilli, 14, and Indii, 12. He met his current wife Nicola Robinson, in 2011. The couple got engaged under New York’s Manhattan Bridge in 2014, before marrying in 2016. They now live in the Southern Highlands, in New South Wales.
He loves getting nude
The couple regularly go naked on their remote property, and their social media posts often reflect this. Pete explained during an interview on Sunrise that the couple were “usually” naked on their farm. “That’s the beautiful thing about having a farm, why do you need to wear clothes?” he said.