My Kitchen Rules 2026: Meet the contestants bringing the heat

Mother-daughter duo Krysten and Lucy are bringing their talents to MKR 2026.

Hailing from a Queensland farm, they will be focusing on home-cooking and fresh ingredients to impress the judges.

Krysten is a self-taught baker who will be bringing her sweet tooth to the competition.

Mary and Golden are ready to represent their Filipino heritage to Australia, and how much they love serving food to people they care about.

The best friends met when they were studying nursing in the Phillipines, and both moved to Australia in 2004 in search of a better life.

“We’re all family having a feat together,” Mary says in a teaser of their instant restaurant.

“I want Australians to experience Filipino cuisine in all its forms. Through our food, I hope they see just how hospitable, generous and caring Filipinos are,” Golden says about joining the show.

“We want to show that our food is made with love. Sharing our cuisine, culture and roots on MKR is our way of thanking Australia for giving us a new home,” Mary adds.

These self-described “classy bogans” are hoping to whip up a storm in the kitchen.

The chaotic best friends are bursting with energy and take over any room that they enter, something that will no doubt cause a stir.

“We’re two peas in a pod. We’re both chaotic, loud, in-your-face, crazy, funny and quick-witted – and we have absolutely no filter,” Alisha says.

Alisha and Deanne have a long history, being inseparable ever since they met at school as teenagers.

“We have massive personalities and are basically one brain. We always say we must have been switched at birth because we should be twins,” Deanne admits.

They spend almost all of their free time together, constantly “yapping” and rarely letting anyone else get a word in!

On MKR, they plan to impress with Alisha’s nan’s sticky date pudding and Deanne’s crowd-pleasing birria tacos.

When it comes to cooking, food stylist Jane and builder Shane make sure their food is “vibrant, passionate and packed with flavour”.

The married couple, who call the Blue Mountains home, are ready to make their mark on the cooking competition with their bold flavours and sophisticated presentation.

We’ve already seen some teasers of the pair, and it looks like Jane is going to raise some eyebrows.

She says she’s “more of a taster than an eater”, and doesn’t hold back with her opinions. She’s confident and believes she can replicate anything.

Her husband, on the other hand, sees himself as the calm to Jane’s storm. The former hairdresser-turned-builder knows when to step in or step aside to let his wife shine.

Best friends Angus and Simon are bringing their wicked sense of humour to MKR 2026.

They’re confident that their aptly named restaurant, Last Orders, will triumph over their rivals.

“The only thing we’re burying is the competition,” funeral director Angus jokes.

Angus and Simon have been friends for 11 years while working in a pub, and have bonded over their love of food.

Chalk and cheese in the kitchen, they’re convinced their differing styles will be the recipe for their success.

Tiffany and Giancarlo are making up the cast, but so far, little is known about this cooking duo.

They will be putting their talents to the test in the hopes of being crowned the 2026 champions.