When it comes to TV chefs, few partnerships are as entertaining, or as unlikely, as Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge.
But the pair, now known for their cheeky banter on My Kitchen Rules and their new travel-cooking series Off the Grid, didn’t exactly get off on the right foot.
Are Manu and Colin friends?
Back in the late 2000s, Irish chef Colin Fassnidge wasn’t shy about throwing a jab or two at French-born restaurateur Manu Feildel. He publicly critiqued a dish Manu cooked at Sydney fine-dining spot Bilson’s, before accusing him of being “more TV star than chef” once My Kitchen Rules exploded in popularity.
Looking back, Manu admits their bad blood boiled down to clashing personalities. “The reason why we didn’t see eye to eye is because we were two young chefs with big egos at the time,” he told Yahoo Lifestyle.
So, when producers announced Colin would join MKR as a judge, first alongside Pete Evans in 2020 and then replacing him entirely in 2022, Manu was understandably hesitant. Still, he welcomed his new co-star with open arms, and Colin later apologised for the early sledges.
What started as frostiness has since turned into one of reality TV’s most endearing bromances. “We are actually very close – we’re like two brothers to be honest,” Manu told the Daily Telegraph. “We are pretty much together between six and eight months a year – more than we are with our own wives. Our relationship is pretty tight now.”
That closeness has become the secret sauce of MKR, with their friendly ribbing and kitchen banter proving just as much of a drawcard as the contestants’ cooking.
But like any good dish, too much of a good thing can get overwhelming. While filming Off the Grid, a road trip series that saw the duo crisscross New Zealand in a vintage caravan, tensions bubbled up.
“Maybe two or three days before the end, we started really getting angry at each other,” Manu admitted with a laugh to the Daily Telegraph. “And when we got back to Sydney, we just said, ‘listen mate – don’t call me for a couple of months’.”
Between Colin’s famously messy cooking style (and habit of eating with his fingers!) and Manu’s more precise, clean approach, their differences are on full display in their new adventure series.
Despite the occasional blow-up, both chefs agree their friendship is stronger than ever. Manu describes their current dynamic as being like “an old married couple,” complete with affection, bickering, and the occasional need for space.
And if audiences have learned anything from watching them, it’s that their differences are exactly what make them so watchable. As Manu put it, Off the Grid captures the “real Manu and the real Colin” — messy, hilarious, competitive, and ultimately inseparable.
