Wednesday night’s grand final for MKR was tense, to say the least. Both teams were neck and neck for most of the challenge before Janelle and Monzir powered ahead to take home the $100,000 prize money.
The NSW couple spoke with New Idea about their experience on the show and their plans for the future.
Watch Below: Janelle and Monzir win MKR 2022
Janelle and Monzir were pretty confident going into the competition.
“Our first dish in the competition after we got that ten” explained Janelle, that’s “when we thought we had a chance.”
The NSW couple brought a unique mix of Sudanese and Turkish cuisines to the competition, blowing the judges and guests away with their delicious meals.
And it was the process of sharing and cooking traditional family recipes that made their relationships stronger.
The couple made the surprising admission at the beginning of the season that their families didn’t know they were dating, but, after their relatives joined the grand final Monzir thinks Janelle has “become my mum’s favourite,” explaining that they connected through shared recipes.
Once the cameras stopped rolling for the finale the family introductions didn’t stop!
Janelle reveal that she introduced Monzir to her grandparents, “that was a huge moment” she explained.
“I’ve never introduced anyone to my grandparents and they all got along so well.”
For Janelle, meeting Nigella Lawson was a dream come true – and one of her favourite parts of the season.
“Cooking for Nigella was really nerve-wracking,” she told New Idea, “but beautiful.”
“It was a bit calming in a way because I just know that she loves home food, she does not expect anything fancy or fine dining – she just wants it to taste good.”
“It kind of feels like you are cooking for family, so it was a really nice thing to do.”
Janelle and Monzir are also quick to credit group one of the show, explaining how they really “clicked” with all the teams.
“They were all so beautiful and lovely” explained Janelle, “particularly Fuzz and Arrnott.”
“They’re from NSW as well so we were really excited…but we loved our whole group and were so lucky.”
“I’d do it [MKR] again if I had the chance” explained Monzir – but Janelle wasn’t so sure.
“Honestly I feel like I would do it again, but watching it last night I was like, ‘ I can’t believe we even did this!’”
Watch Below: My Kitchen Rules 2022 – Meet Janelle and Monzir
The couple’s ability to stay focused and calm in the final competition was what saw them charge ahead, revealing that their recipe to win was all in the plan.
“We had the focus, we had to stay organised and calm and clean” shared Janelle.
“I think we went into it with a similar mindset that we had in our instant restaurant – stay calm and stay clean.
“It’s all about sticking to your tasks, trust and honestly just going for it.”
“Go for it – go hard or go home.”
So what’s next for the winning couple?
“There’s honestly a lot that we want to do” explained Janelle, “we want to continue with our food dreams – Monzir has dreams now to do more with Sudanese food.”
“I want to open a food truck” shares Monzir, “we want to buy a house… and then maybe go on a holiday!”
“Yeah, there’s just so much that we would like to do, it’s surreal that we will have the opportunity to do that now” adds Janelle, “the sky’s the limit really!”
Want to know more about My Kitchen Rules Australia? Check out the links below!
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