My Kitchen Rules turned up the heat in a nail-biting elimination episode on Tuesday as controversial duo Mark and Tan failed to impress the judges.

Everything was at stake for the notoriously outspoken best mates during the Ultimate Instant Restaurant cook-off as Perth couple Danielle and Marko were just a few points ahead on the leaderboard.

But after a strong entrée, the boys from Adelaide were brought unstuck by a lacklustre main and a dessert failure – which, in the end, sent them home.

Instead of being wowed by the combination of flavours, the boys’ boozy bitter orange steamed pudding was disastrously undercooked.

‘It should be light, fluffy, airy, warm… and that’s what we didn’t get,’ Judge Colin Fassnidge told the disappointed foodies.

The second choice, an overbaked Thai milk tea tart, was just as underwhelming.

My Kitchen Rules turned up the heat in a nail-biting elimination episode on Tuesday as controversial duo Mark and Tan (pictured) were sent home after failing to impress the judges

Everything was at stake for the notoriously outspoken best mates during the Ultimate Instant Restaurant cook-off as Perth couple Danielle and Marko (pictured) are just a few points ahead on the leaderboard

It was a major miscalculation for the highly competitive Mark and Tan, after scoring well for their entrees, which included pork and prawn dumplings with Thai red curry sauce.

They also dished up a flavoursome tuna tartare with fried seaweed crisps.

Each dish scored an eight out of ten from judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge.

Things quickly went downhill for the pair when they dished up their mains:  a Pad See Ew with grilled steak and pan-seared duck with chilli orange sauce.

Manu thought the duck lacked ‘balance’ and flavour, while Colin was not convinced by the ‘fusion’ of the Thai classic with steak, saying it felt like ‘two separate dishes’.

In the end, Mark and Tan scored 56 out of 60, which relieved Danielle and Marko, who remain in fourth place with 62 out of 100.

The pair later reflected on their dramatic exit from the cooking competition.

‘It’s heartbreaking to hear we messed up and we’ve just got to pay the price,’ Tan said.

‘We didn’t deliver tonight, but it’s been an awesome experience, so we’ll walk out with our heads held high,’ Mark said.

After a strong entree, the boys from Adelaide were brought unstuck by a lacklustre main and a dessert ‘fail’ – which, in the end, sent them home. Pictured: Colin Fassnidge

Going into the semi-finals Justin and Will are on top of the leaderboard with 75 points, while  Lol and Lil are not far behind on 68.

Maria and Bailey are hot on their heels with 65 in third place.

It comes after Danielle and Marko had a close call on last week’s cook-off.

The fan-favourites went into this Tuesday’s round facing elimination after their Ultimate Instant Restaurant went awry, with the couple scoring just 62 out of 100.

The loved-up couple from Perth entered the kitchen confident to showcase a melting pot of their Asian and Serbian heritage.

The menu was ambitious and creative: Asian Scotch Fillet Taco with Slaw and Cevapi and Ajvar on Pita for entrée, mains of Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Honey-Roasted Carrots and Tzatziki and Tamarind and Chilli Lime Snapper with Cajun sauce and Sweet Potato Mash.

The couple faced some harsh criticism as the judges weighed up the results.

Wiping away tears, Danielle said: ‘We’re super disappointed in ourselves.’