It’s all hearts and flowers now, for the kitchen mischief-makers.
They may be the most despised cooking duo in MKR history, but to Luca and Dave, the Perth BFF’s are perfect just the way they are.
The men behind the reality TV show vixens, wisely opted out of the limelight as their girlfriends became public enemy number one with many online MKR fans for their snide comments and inappropriate smirks.
But it’s happy days ahead for the foursome, who are now jetting off to New York for Chloe and Luca’s wedding at the luxurious Plaza Hotel.
Making the finals was a dream come true for runners-up, 28-year-old Chloe James, whose friends call her ‘Clover’, and her snickering sidekick Kelly Ramsay, who celebrated her 28th birthday on Easter Sunday.
But the polarizing pair’s uber stardom has come at a cost, affecting everyone close to them, thanks to a relentless hate campaign that began shortly after their culinary debut, in late January.
“It has been a real shock for us,” confesses Chloe’s mum, Jo, who is appalled at the comments she’s read on social media, and astounded that police were on high alert at some of her daughter’s public appearances.
“It got to the point where I didn’t read a lot, because I couldn’t afford to – emotionally.
“The girls have copped so much, and I want everyone to know that they have been absolutely misrepresented. Away from television, Chloe is a beautiful, intelligent girl who loves music and being active. She’s never been a troublemaker.
“She’s a gorgeous mum to (8-year-old) Dylan, and pretty soon, we’re all off to New York to see her marry the love of her life, Luca.”
The loved-up pair have been seeing each other for six years, but while Luca laughs off criticism of his girl, Chloe’s family has been in tears.
“It’s been tough on the whole family – even Chloe’s grandma has cried over this,” says Jo, pointing to a particularly vicious volley of barbs from a woman in Adelaide.
“She raided our Facebook pages and posted pictures and venomous comments online of our whole family – including one of Dylan, as a baby. We reported her, but she’s never really gone away.
“I used to read everything about the girls, but had to stop because as a mum, I felt like killing someone. They’re pigeon-holed as villains now.”
Adds Chloe, who owns an online allergen-free kids snack food company: “I have had to close down (my business) because of some nasty things coming through there.”
Family anxieties peaked recently when the budding chefs, cruelly dubbed “The MKR Know-It-All’s”, gave a public cooking demonstration at the Mandurah Crab Fest.
Says Jo: “All of us, including Chloe’s dad Ron, went down to look out for the girls, but as it turns out, the police had been briefed and all went smoothly.
“When people meet Chloe, they love her. I know that nobody knows her like I do, but she really is a loyal, trustworthy sweetheart.”
The fresh-faced pair plans to use their MKR success to springboard into the café business.
“Once we get back from New York, it will be full steam ahead,” says toothy grinned Chloe, who sees herself as the brains behind the idea, and Kelly the food expert.
“We’ll probably start small, just to test the water, with a stall at our local Stirling Farmers’ Market, then grow it from there.”
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