My Kitchen Rules 'WILL be axed' say network insiders - as Channel Seven's cooking show plummets to record low ratings against Married At First Sight
It's the end of the road for My Kitchen Rules.
Channel Seven's once-unbeatable cooking show will soon be cancelled, a network insider told Woman's Day this week.
MKR's ratings, which recently plunged to a record low, are said to be untenable and Seven executives are 'pushing' to cancel it.
Scroll down for video
Off the boil! My Kitchen Rules will soon be cancelled, a Seven insider told Woman's Day this week. Pictured: MKR judges Pete Evans (left) and Manu Feildel (right)
A source told the magazine: 'MKR is no longer safe. There are people in power pushing to end the show for good.'
Share this article
Judge Manu Feildel will apparently be offered other roles within the network because he is 'worshipped over there'.
Meanwhile, Colin Fassnidge will reportedly be given the opportunity to pursue 'passion projects'.
It's over! MKR's ratings, which recently plunged to a record low against Married At First Sight, are said to be untenable and Seven executives are 'pushing' to cancel it
Phew! MKR judge Manu Feildel (pictured) will apparently be offered other roles within the network because he is 'worshipped over there'
The fate of Pete Evans, whose views on health and conventional medicine have attracted controversy, is unknown.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Seven for comment.
It comes after leading restaurant critic John Lethlean said on Friday that MKR should be taken off the air, after ratings plunged to an all-time low of 422,000 (five city metro) on Wednesday.
Mr Lethlean is a food writer and restaurant critic for The Australian, where he writes an influential column in The Weekend Australian magazine, and has been considered an authority in the industry for more than 20 years.
He shared a screenshot to Instagram of the midweek TV ratings alongside the caption: '#17 with a bullet. Please tell me this is the start of the end for ridiculous reality shows with "celebrity chefs".'
Authority: Restaurant critic John Lethlean (pictured) said on Friday that MKR should be taken off the air, after ratings plunged to an all-time low of 422,000 (five city metro) on Wednesday
Dismal: Mr Lethlean shared a screenshot to Instagram of the midweek TV ratings alongside the caption: '#17 with a bullet. Please tell me this is the start of the end for ridiculous reality shows'
In the rankings, MKR: The Rivals sat at number 17 below Millionaire Hot Seat (469,000), The Chase (500,000) and Doctor Doctor (559,000).
As usual, Married At First Sight was the most-watched show on Wednesday night with 1.17 million metro viewers, while Seven News came in second with 963,000.
MKR: The Rivals performed better on Thursday night - placing eighth overall with 517,000 viewers - because MAFS wasn't on the schedule.
No hope: Meanwhile, fellow MKR judge Colin Fassnidge (pictured) recently blasted Seven's management, saying that bad programming decisions had resulted in the show's failure
Meanwhile, fellow MKR judge Colin Fassnidge recently blasted Seven's management, saying that bad programming decisions had resulted in the show's failure.
'Not everyone's watching it at the moment because we've got some people in Channel Seven who don't know how to program!' he told 2GB's Chris Smith.
'A lot of work went into this and then some stupid decisions were made to go up against the [Australian Open men's final] and MAFS. We should have started a week early. But what do I know? I'm only a cook!'
Furious: 'Not everyone's watching it at the moment because we've got some people in Channel Seven who don't know how to program!' Colin told 2GB's Chris Smith
Industry expert and TV Blackbox editor Robert McKnight believes it's only a matter of time before Seven cancels My Kitchen Rules.
'There won't be any more of the show. You might as well write the eulogy and prepare the coffin… it will not be back again,' McKnight said.
'I don't think anyone expected this kind of devastation. I think it comes back to the fact they launched it up against the Australian Open final [on February 2]. That really, really hurt them.
'Can there be any recovery? I really don't think so.'
An inevitability? Industry expert and TV Blackbox editor Robert McKnight believes it's only a matter of time before Seven cancels My Kitchen Rules
