Mark reveals to TV WEEK that after Rielli’s comment, he measured himself against the other guests

Mark, in a blue jacket, and Tan, in a black jacket, stand outside

Good friends Mark and Tan are competing together on My Kitchen Rules.
Channel Seven

Did Rielli just go too far on My Kitchen Rules? At Lol and Lil’s instant restaurant, Mark was having a dig at Michael over receiving a three for his main course when Michael’s partner Rielli jumped in with, “When you can reach the bench you can say that.”

Mark walked out.
Mark taps Tan on the shoulder as they sit at the table on My Kitchen RulesMark and Tan have been bantering around the table – but did Rielli cross a line? (Credit: Channel Seven )
“That’s how they want to play the game, fair enough,” Mark tells TV WEEK. “But I’m not going to just sit around and let someone be rude to me. If someone was rude like that to me in real life, I’d cut that person out of my life, but obviously, it’s a bit harder.”

He feels Rielli’s comment crossed a line.

“It’s a cooking show, it’s not a height show,” he says. “The food is what we’re meant to be talking about, not each other’s appearances. I never talked about how [Michael] looks or anything.”

Mark isn’t even sure why Rielli had a dig at his height, because it’s not like he’s short, compared to the rest of the MKR contestants.

“After she said that comment, I checked. Other than Rielli and Michael, who are obviously giants, I think I was the third-tallest person.”
Michael, wearing a black jacket, puts his arm around Rielli, wearing a white dress, while the two stand in their kitchenRielli took a dig at Mark’s height after Mark took a dig at Michael’s cooking. (Credit: Channel Seven)
Mark’s friend Tan, who’s competing with him on MKR, says he thinks the comment might have been a “typical in-the-heat-of-the-moment-type thing”.

“I think her role was to really stick up for Michael, and maybe she pushed it to the limit,” he says.

At the first instant restaurant of this round, Mark made a bet with Michael that he and Tan would score higher than Michael and Rielli. Mark proposed that the loser should have to do a shoey, with Manu offering his boot to drink from. Mark admits he’d never done a shoey before he made the bet, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t have to.

“I went in with a lot of confidence because I know Tan’s quite a good cook,” he says.

Tan, who’d never done a shoey either, says he was “definitely not” keen on the idea.

“But I’m always a man of my word,” he adds.