MKR’s “fabulous friend” Sal hasn’t always been so open about his sexuality.
The divorced hairdresser from Port Pirie, the small seaside town 220km north of Adelaide, only came out 10 years ago because he was worried what his children would think.
“I just didn’t want them to be embarrassed or anything by me,” the 52-year-old says.
Sal is competing on MKR with his pal Lyn (Image: Channel Seven).
But when the kids were 18, 16 and 14, Sal decided to tell them. His eldest, Alyssa, was “very excited” by the news. As it turned out, she was gay herself.
The My Kitchen Rules contestant says his middle child Nikki took it “really hard” for about three days, but then did a turnaround.
“When she’d go out, she’d text me: ‘There’s a really hot waiter here for you!'” he says with a laugh.
As for Marco, Sal says his son was “blasé” about the news.
“He said, “I don’t care, Dad. You’re still my dad and I love you.'”
In fact, Sal – who separated from his wife in 2009 – found he had the support of everyone he told in Port Pirie.
“People bought me flowers and presents,” he remembers. “I got text messages: ‘Oh, about time’, ‘That’s fantastic!’ and ‘We knew before you!'”
Sal says for him, coming out has been a “really, really happy story”.
“I guess all I need one day is that special guy in my life,” he says.
Sal is competing on MKR with his best friend Lyn.
“We’re going to bring fun and energy to the competition!” Lyn tells TV WEEK, with the pair are set to open the doors to their Instant Restaurant on MKR tonight.
But promos are teasing that Lyn and Sal will burn the cake for their dessert, as they are distracted in the kitchen by the show’s resident beauty queens Veronica and Piper…
My Kitchen Rules airs Monday to Wednesday, 7:30pm, and Sunday, 7pm on Nine.
