Maria and Bailey serve confidence on a plate as they clinch My Kitchen Rules Grand Final spot

The semi-final kitchen of My Kitchen Rules was hotter than a Perth summer this week, with boss friends Maria and Bailey powering past Lol and Lil to secure their place in Sunday’s Grand Final against footy dads Justin and Will.

Maria and Bailey’s truffle tagliatelle and duck egg crème caramel secured their win, while Lol and Lil exited the My Kitchen Rules kitchen in tears. (image – Channel 7)

From the moment the aprons were tied and the timers started ticking, it was clear this wasn’t just another cook-off — it was culinary combat. The stakes? A life-changing $100,000 prize and bragging rights as Season 15 champions of Channel 7’s long-running cooking juggernaut.

Lol and Lil arrived determined to make the night theirs. “We didn’t come here to come fourth or third, we came here to be in the Grand Final,” declared Lol, with the kind of determination normally reserved for people refusing to share dessert.

Not to be outdone, Bailey shot back with his trademark confidence: “We’ve already mentally sent them home.” Somewhere, a producer surely rubbed their hands together in glee.

Maria and Bailey’s menu — Truffle and Porcini Tagliatelle with Wild Mushroom Sauce followed by a Duck Egg Crème Caramel with Vanilla Tuile — was a blend of ambition and technique that screamed “fine dining,” while Lol and Lil’s Sous Vide Lobster with Lobster Hollandaise, Pickled Fennel Salad and Berry Panna Cotta with Vanilla Crème aimed for luxury with a side of pressure.

From the get-go, Maria and Bailey’s teamwork hummed like a well-oiled KitchenAid. Lol and Lil, however, looked slightly less comfortable — and when you’re wrangling lobster, that’s never ideal.

Judge Colin Fassnidge was quick to dish out the praise, calling Maria and Bailey’s pasta “one of the best mains you’ve cooked for me” and adding it was “full of flavour, heart and personality.” Manu Feildel echoed the sentiment, noting: “We did ask for simple, but they showed amazing technique. The flavour of the pasta alone was amazing.”

Meanwhile, Lol and Lil’s lobster had its moments. Colin admitted it was “a very tasty plate of food,” while Manu offered the classic diplomatic combo of praise and caution: “Yes, the lobster tail is inconsistent, but the combos go well together.”

After mains, the judges revealed that Maria and Bailey were in the lead — leaving desserts to decide the final fate.

Maria’s Crème Caramel, enriched with duck egg, was a silky risk that paid off. Colin couldn’t hide his admiration: “It was rich. That duck egg really shone for me. Every element was on that plate for a reason.”

Lol and Lil swung for the fences with a double dessert — and while Manu admitted he’d “never seen it before and probably never will again,” he was impressed nonetheless. “That pastry was a 10/10 just alone,” he said.

My Kitchen Rules fans were left buzzing as Maria and Bailey powered through to face Justin and Will in what promises to be a fierce Grand Final. (image – Channel 7)

As the scores came in, the tension could’ve been sliced with a paring knife. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so nervous in my life,” Maria confessed. When the verdict was finally delivered, Manu announced Maria and Bailey were heading to the Grand Final — cue tears, hugs and the collective gasp of every MKR fan across the country.

“Oh my God, we did it. To make it this far. Wow,” Maria exclaimed, while Lol and Lil, ever gracious, bowed out with class. “I’m very, very proud of what we have achieved,” Lil said, with Lol adding through tears, “I love you Lil. I think we couldn’t have gone on this journey without each other. I’m proud of us for holding our own, never failing, never giving up, never giving in.”

The emotional exit left the path clear for an all-out Grand Final showdown: the confident culinary duo Maria and Bailey versus the footy dads Justin and Will — two evenly matched teams ready to deliver what promises to be the closest battle in MKR history.

The Fans React

Viewer reaction was split right down the middle. A noisy contingent lamented the absence of Danielle and Marko, insisting that match-up against Justin and Will “should’ve been” the Grand Final. Others, more fatalistic, begged for an outcome where neither semi-final team advanced — a level of cynicism only reality TV can inspire.

Plenty of armchair chefs zeroed in on technique. The use of sous vide was mocked as faux fine dining, while several viewers swore they spotted undercooked lobster, backing in the judges’ comments about inconsistency. By contrast, Maria and Bailey’s Crème Caramel drew surprise admiration, with multiple viewers conceding it actually looked the part.

Dessert discourse went wild. The layered idea of panna cotta on a custard tart struck many as busy and baffling — more “throw everything on the plate” than elegant patisserie — though a few defended the ambition and even praised individual elements like the pastry.

There was no shortage of producer-conspiracy chatter. Some viewers predicted a pre-ordained path for the finalists, accusing the show of favouritism and selective raves, while others argued that on this cook alone Maria and Bailey deserved to progress and that sending them through restored a bit of faith in the judging.

Commentary on judging style and tone also bristled. A number of viewers felt one judge was overly attentive to Lol and Lil during countdowns, while others thought the panel nailed the balance: generous when things tasted good, blunt when execution slipped — particularly on that lobster.

As for the season’s standard, the knives were out. Several long-timers called it the weakest run in years, claiming only Justin and Will (and, earlier, Reilli) consistently hit restaurant-quality heights. Even supporters of Maria and Bailey admitted they’d been inconsistent, but argued their semi-final showed clear improvement in confidence and execution.

Aesthetic quibbles turned into memes. Dry-looking pasta dough, overflowing bay leaves, and stencil-assisted plating were gleefully called out. Meanwhile, viewers confessed they’d started “hate-watching” but ended up unexpectedly cheering when the result went the way of the stronger dishes on the night.

And finally, despite the bickering, plenty of fans were simply relieved the semi-final delivered genuine tension and a decisive verdict. The consensus landing: Maria and Bailey earned their shot, Lol and Lil bowed out with fight, and the Grand Final against Justin and Will now looks like a proper contest.