The first My Kitchen Rules (MKR) 2025 semi-final saw Justin and Will go head-to-head with Danielle and Marko — the two teams widely regarded by fans as the strongest left in the competition.
The match-up meant that Maria and Bailey will compete against Lol and Lil in the second semi-final, with one of those teams guaranteed to be competing in the grand final.
However, many fans are upset that Danielle and Marko and Justin and Will were pitted against each other, and believe those two teams should have been in the finale together, suggesting that the match-up was a way to ensure that Lol and Lil make the grand final.
“[Danielle and Marko] should have been in the final with Justin and Will, set up for the girls to win perhaps,” one person wrote.
“The girls should have been cooking tonight against Justin and Will, as they got the second-highest score. Then tomorrow night, it should have been the two teams against each other. Can not help but think it’s rigged so the girls end up on the final,” another person penned.
A third person expressed their unhappiness that Danielle, Marko, Justin, and Will were put up against each other, and said they’ll be boycotting the rest of the season.
“I have no idea how they decided to put these two together. In my opinion, they were the best in the competition. The cookie girl and her partner have only got to the semifinals because they cheated. So disappointed that they can do this. Won’t be watching tomorrow.”
How were the MKR semi-final contestant match-ups chosen?
While many viewers believe that the choice to pit Danielle and Marko against Justin and Will was a producer’s ploy to get Lol and Lil into the grand final, some argued that it’s actually the format that MKR has used for years.
“Unfortunately, [Danielle and Marko] were at the bottom of the table, so they had to compete with the top team,” one person wrote.
However, a quick glance back at the MKR 2024 semis proves this theory wrong. Caz and Fergus came fourth in the Ultimate Restaurant Round and competed against second-place team Janey and Maddie in the semis. Meanwhile, Simone and Viviana — who topped the leaderboard in the Ultimate Instant Restaurant Round — were up against third-place team Mike and Pete.
“They should have been in the finals with the guys. Normally, 1 would play 3 & 2 would play 4,” one seasoned fan commented.
So, if the format remained the same as in 2024, Justin and Will should have competed against Maria and Bailey, while Lol and Lil should have been up against Danielle and Marko.
At the beginning of the first semi-final episode, the narrator simply said that the “top team, Justin and Will”, will face the fourth team, Danielle and Marko, without any further explanation on how the match-ups were picked.
The MKR grand final will air on Sunday, November 16 on Channel 7 and 7plus.
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