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My Kitchen Rules season 8 episode 1 recap

It's back to the kitchen for this reality powerhouse.

Welcome to another year of My Kitchen Rules! To kick things off, Manu and Pete do a speech about how everything is going to be different this year, despite the fact that everything looks eerily similar.

It doesn’t take long before we’re introduced to the couple who will be hosting the first instant restaurant: Damo and Caz. Damo and Caz are from Tasmania: #DamoAndCazFromTaz.

And it seems that being from Tasmania is perhaps their biggest passion. “We just want to do Tassie proud,” becomes their unofficial catchphrase as they potter around our southernmost state prepping for their dinner.

The producers – sorry the couple – decide that they need to use truffles in their entrée, so they visit a truffle farm. Turns out that the truffle farmer, Henry, also happens to look like a Calvin Klein model.

Caz flirts openly with Henry – I knew he was truffle when he walked in! – before Damo declares it’s time to head back to the kitchen.

Their instant restaurant “Sound Check” pays homage to their joint love of music – it’s cute and kitsch and when the guests arrive they seem to dig it.

Speaking of the guests, it’s already clear that “breast” friends Karen and Ros are the stars of this series. They’re midwives and obviously best pals. Karen jokes that her specialty is placenta Pâté – that’s me done.

It’s then a roll call of all the other contestants. Siblings Amy and Tyson – he’s angry and she’s tough. Then it’s David and Betty, they’re “just friends” but you get the feeling David is “just a bit devastated about it”.

Up next, Tim and Kyle – bearded bromantics from Adelaide and Bek and Ash, flirty flatmates from Perth. Something (every single promo we’ve seen) tells me that Bek and Kyle will have a little tension this series.

Now onto the cooking and to start it’s a cauliflower soup featuring truffles. While the contestants indulge in a little truffle small talk – “So what do you think about truffles?” – Damo and Caz serve up the entrée. It’s not quite a #TruffleKerfuffle but opinions are split on the soup. Unsurprisingly, evil siblings Amy and Tyson don’t like it.

Team Tassie then head back to the kitchen and start on mains – steaks. Meanwhile, back at Sound Check talk turns to Tinder, because who doesn’t want to talk about sex apps while waiting for your steak?

We learn that Bek and Kyle both love Tinder – OMG so much in common! – while Tyson isn’t on social media at all. This is hardly shocking given how much he seems to dislike other humans. Luckily, this awkwardness is saved by something even worse – Damo and Caz’s steak.

Poorly cooked and poorly seasoned, the judges are unimpressed. Tyson tells everyone how bad the dish is and that he didn’t come here to be served this type of FILTH by these PEASANTS. He doesn’t say that exactly, but I’m reading between the lines. Everyone silently agrees that Tyson has obviously been cast as the villain and he’s doing a bang-up job.

Onto dessert which is apple cheesecake with rhubarb. It’s a total disaster, even with the best apples Tassie has to offer Damo and Caz managed to crumble.

The scores are settled and #DamoAndCazFromTaz receive a grand total of 62/100 which puts them on top. Because no-one else has cooked. Tomorrow night, it’s David and Betty…fresh out the frying pan intro the friend zone! See you then!

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