EXCLUSIVE: 2024 champion Simone Prest reveals whether contestants are allowed to have professional experience outside of the competition.

My Kitchen Rules' Anne / Colin Fassnidge.

My Kitchen Rules fans are confused about the rules of the show after a shock discovery in Monday night’s episode. Photos: Channel 7

My Kitchen Rules viewers were left baffled watching Monday night’s episode when one contestant was exposed for owning two different food businesses. Mel, who has already clashed with several of her co-stars this season, announced at Maria and Bailey’s instant restaurant that she had discovered Maria runs a cookie business and a pastry business.

“It’s legit, when we’re just home cooks,” her cousin Jacinta chimed in. “We wanted to know what we were up against, and then once we actually did do a deep dive, we were like, ‘Oh s**t’.”

While some fans criticised Mel and Jacinta for being “shady” and “strategic”, others questioned how Maria was allowed to take part in the competition when she works in the food industry.

“I thought that the contestants could not be professional chefs, professional caterers, or professional food producers?” one viewer commented on social media, prompting a flurry of questions about the rules of the show.

Can professional chefs compete on MKR?

Maria certainly isn’t the first MKR contestant who ran a food business before filming the series, with last year’s winner Simone Prest owning two restaurants in Brisbane.

Simone explains to Yahoo Lifestyle that while most people in the food industry are allowed to compete on the reality show, professional chefs are not.

“So basically you can own a food business as long as you don’t work as a chef in it,” he details. “You’re not allowed to have a chef certificate or a cheffing diploma.

“But there aren’t any proper specifications, to be honest. In my case, I am front of house in my business and not a trained chef, so I could have joined the show.”

MKR’s Simone and Viviana.

Simone Prest says contestants are allowed to compete on the show as long as they aren’t professional chefs. Photo: Channel 7

MKR casting rules

Meanwhile, MKR’s online casting application requires contestants to declare if they’ve ever cooked or prepared food as a job before or completed any cooking courses.

Both team members must be at least 18 years of age, Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia, and have a pre-existing relationship.

Applicants are also required to declare if they have appeared in or applied for any other television shows or commercials, or have any criminal charges or convictions, health issues, specific eating requirements, or food allergies.

The latter point makes it clear that Jacinta, who has been criticised by both viewers and her co-stars for not eating meat on the show, would have made the producers aware of her dietary requirements during the audition process.