My Kitchen Rules ‘could return’ to Channel Seven ‘as early as next year’

Seven’s iconic cooking show My Kitchen Rules could be returning as soon as next year, despite suffering dismal ratings for its eleventh season.

On Monday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the broadcaster hopes to bring back the once popular cooking contest in order to ‘boost network ratings and attract lucrative advertising dollars’.

According to the news outlet, industry sources anonymously revealed that the network are in the early stages of talking to production companies in the hopes of securing a new contract for the show’s return.

However, as nothing has been signed or confirmed, there’s no guarantee MKR – which was previously produced by Seven Studios – will get the green light to return just yet. 

Daily Mail Australia have contacted Seven for further comment. 

Both MKR and House Rules were axed last year by Seven chief executive James Warburton, who said they had become ‘stale’ and needed a pause.

‘We tried really hard,’ he said. ‘But viewers are looking for something fresh and different. So we’ve rested them. 

‘We’ll bring them back at the right time when we’ve got the right momentum and they can be freshened up.’

MKR had once been a ratings juggernaut for Seven, but its popularity nosedived in recent years as viewers flocked to Channel Nine’s Married At First Sight instead.

In 2020, its eleventh season drew an average of half a million metro viewers per episode.

At its height in 2014, the fifth season had attracted an average audience of 1.891 million across the five major cities.

In May last year, television executive-turned-commentator Rob McKnight said MKR had been the victim of its own success.

‘Basically the show has performed for such a long time but fatigue set in,’ said McKnight, who runs industry website TV Blackbox.

‘The show could absolutely come back in a couple of years once viewers have had a break from it.’

One person who won’t be returning for season 12 of MKR is original judge Pete Evans, who left his $800,000-per-year position at Seven several last year.

It’s rumoured that Pete – who has become known for his controversial anti-vaxxer views – was let go as a cost-cutting measure, but the network maintains both parties reached an ‘amicable’ decision to part ways.

It’s not known if the show’s other stars – Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge – would reprise their judging roles should the show make a comeback.