After a huge year of fronting My Kitchen Rules together, celebrity chefs and best friends Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge are looking forward to winding down these holidays.
And even though they spend a great part of the calendar year working together (eight months to be exact!), they’re still planning to spend the most wonderful time of the year with each other at their annual Christmas lunch.
“We’ve done it for the last five or six years,” Manu tells Woman’s Day, noting that while they usually take it in turns, Colin will be coming over to his place this year.
“There’ll be great food, obviously. And it’ll be fun and mischievous.”
“Colin plus Manu plus Christmas festive spirit and sunscreen – it’s anything but tame,” Colin adds.
Despite working together most of the year, the great mates love spending time together.
(Image: Phillip Castleton, ARE Media)But what do you take over to a world-renowned chef’s house for lunch? “Last year I took a trifle and he gave me grief,” laughs Colin. “The French apparently don’t like trifles. [So] this year I’m taking pavlova.”
Besides the laughs and food consumption, Manu admits there’ll be plenty of “good wine” on offer. Colin says he’s looking forward to hoeing into Manu’s famous beef Wellington the most – which sounds like a compliment at first until the hysterical laughter swiftly follows.
“Yeah, that’s a bit of a joke,” Colin adds.
“A couple of years ago, I was hosting Christmas and I invited Colin’s family and I was about to put the Wellington in the oven and Colin comes running over to me,” says Manu. “Apparently, it wasn’t right.”
“You were also sleeping on the couch while we ate,” Colin jibes.
Manu promises their Christmas lunch will feature great wine!
(Image: Phillip Castleton, ARE Media)The pair’s playful quips are testament to just how far the boys, both 50, have come over the years. In fact, they “hated” one another when they first were introduced but now go together like milk and honey.
“We’re like a married couple,” says Colin.
“We were saying the other day, we’d just spent like six weeks together in New Zealand, basically living together. And then, when we got to the airport, we said, ‘Let’s not chat for a week’. Like, have a little bit of space. It’s not you, it’s me.
“By the end of the week, we were ringing each other.”
Fun, good food and friendship… what more could you want?
(Image: Phillip Castleton, ARE Media)After the holidays, the boys will go straight back on the road for another huge season of MKR. With casting for the next series already underway, the judges have some sage advice for those hoping to score a place on the show.
“We want to see real passion, people’s stories and love on a plate,” says Colin.
“I’d really like to see teams that genuinely love cooking,” Manu adds. “Someone who loves putting a smile on people’s faces.”
Photoshoot Credits: Photographer – Phillip Castleton – Are Media, HMU- Steph Lai @ Reload, Stylist – Anne Kwiatkowski
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