My Kitchen Rules (MKR) is back for 2026, and this season is already dishing up plenty of delicious food, even more delicious drama and some seriously questionable dinner table conversations.
Celebrity chefs Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge have returned as judges, travelling around Australia to sample three-course meals prepared by passionate home cooks in their very own Instant Restaurants. With $100,000 up for grabs, the pressure is well and truly on.
This year’s original six teams include Queensland mother-daughter duo Krysten and Lucy, South Australian best mates Angus and Simon, self-proclaimed ‘classy bogans’ Alisha and Deanne, loved-up Victorian couple Tiffany and Giancarlo, Filipino besties Mary and Golden, and ‘food snobs’ Jane and Shane. Three gatecrasher teams will shake things up: Harrison and Oliver, Zoe and Zac, and Sheridan and Ted.
The contestants have some big shoes to fill after NSW best mates Justin and Will claimed the 2025 championship, narrowly defeating Maria and Bailey by just one point in the Grand Finale and pocketing the $100,000 prize.
So, who’s already emerging as an early frontrunner? We’ve rounded up the MKR 2026 leaderboard, including every team’s Instant Restaurant scores.
The MKR 2026 Leaderboard for the Ultimate Instant Restaurants
Tiffany and Giancarlo: 86/110
Krysten and Lucy: 72/110
Angus and Simon: 70/110
Alisha and Deanne: 68/110
Krysten and Lucy
Krysten and Lucy kicked off My Kitchen Rules 2026 with their Instant Restaurant, Puggles. Their beef tartare and seafood paella received mixed reviews, but their mango and coconut croissant puff impressed the judges, earning two eights.
Teams’ scores: 32/50
Manu’s scores: 20/30
Colin’s scores: 20/30
Overall MKR 2026 leaderboard score: 72/110
Simon and Angus
South Australian besties Angus and Simon brought elevated pub food to their Instant Restaurant, Last Orders. Their Wagyu sausage roll and gochujang chicken parmi received mixed feedback, while their coconut panna cotta proved more successful among the tasters.
Teams’ scores: 33/50
Manu’s scores: 19/30
Colin’s scores: 18/30
Overall MKR 2026 leaderboard score: 70/110
Alisha and Deanne
Self-proclaimed ‘classy bogans’ Alisha and Deanne lived up to their Instant Restaurant’s name, Hot Mess! Between a fire alarm, controversial dinner plates and a collapsing sticky date pudding, it was a chaotic night. However, their lamb backstrap was a standout dish.
Teams’ scores: 29/50
Manu’s scores: 19/30
Colin’s scores: 20/30
Overall MKR 2026 leaderboard score: 68/110
Tiffany and Giancarlo
Melbourne couple Tiffany and Giancarlo stormed to the top of the leaderboard with their Italian-inspired Instant Restaurant, Ciao Bella Ciao. Their eggplant parmigiana earned the season’s first perfect 10 from Colin, while their rabbit agnolotti impressed despite Deanne discovering a bone inside.
Teams’ scores: 39/50
Manu’s scores: 23/30
Colin’s scores: 24/30
Overall MKR 2026 leaderboard score: 86/110
Watch My Kitchen Rules (MKR) 2026 on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
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