Their instant restaurant round hasn’t aired yet, but already Russian duo Olga and Valeria have been tagged the coldest My Kitchen Rules contestants to date.
But are their cutting comments and harsh exteriors all just for show?
Well, according to talent website StarNow, Valeria is no stranger to being in front of, and behind, the camera.
In fact, the 26-year-old lists herself as an actress, producer, model and camera operator. She also previously admitted to TV WEEK she’d like to star in her own cooking show once MKR ends.
“Why not?” she reveals with a grin.
Further proof the girls aren’t as mean as they’re being made to look comes from their MKR competitors. They say they aren’t buying into the girls’ rude and obnoxious exteriors we’ve seen roll out in the show’s recent TV promos.
“Olga and Valeria aren’t really as bad as they’re made out to be,” cavalry officer Matt, 26, says.
He explains he’s spent a bit of time with them off-screen.
“They made me laugh more than anyone else,” he says. “They had a high standard, but they stuck to their guns.”
Tassie truffle farmer Anna says she couldn’t agree more.
“The first time I saw them critiquing a meal, I was overwhelmed,” the 24-year-old admits. “They’re honest, but they’re in no way nasty.”
Anna explains the duo are just passionate about their food. “They call a spade a spade,” she says.
“I love that about them. I’m actually really close to them now after filming.”There’s no doubt Olga, 33, and Valeria, 26, have been painted as the villains.
During the instant restaurant rounds, they’re set to be portrayed as the nastiest competitors in MKR history.
This week also sees an ugly clash between Olga and fellow contestant Hadil, 30, which leads to one of them walking out.
“I think the Olga and Hadil fight all felt a bit over the top,” nursing officer Aly, 25, recalls.
“I actually admire Olga. She stands her ground a lot and says what she thinks, but she’s never malicious.”
For her part, Olga doesn’t seem to be fazed by how she and Valeria have been portrayed on screen. But she does admit she doesn’t think it’s particularly accurate.
“We pretty much got along with everyone,” Olga says. “We didn’t clash with anyone to the point that we were feuding. “We were true to ourselves. We are happy with how it looks so far.”
Meanwhile, Valeria says she’s already prepared herself for an onslaught of criticism.
“I think I’m mentally ready for it,” she explains.
“I know that being on TV you’re going to have people who are not going to like you. “I’m going to try to not read any comments on social media, because we can’t really do much about it.”
