MKR’s “Meat Master” has riled people up with his controversial comments

Michael and Rielli, both wearing black and white, stand in front of a tree

Michael and Rielli are representing Queensland on My Kitchen Rules.
Channel Seven

My Kitchen Rules contestant Michael reveals he’s received threats since his comments about Logan went to air on the show. Logan, which is situated between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, is home to two other MKR contestants, friends Lil and Lol. In episodes that aired earlier this week, Michael referred to Logan as “the slums” and labelled Lil and Lol “Logan bogans”.

“I’ve had lots and lots of physical threats,” Michael tells TV WEEK. “My DMs have been blowing up on Instagram, and all the hate comments. But I worked in Logan for a long time and I lived very close to Logan. And I stand by everything I said.”
Michael and Rielli, wearing their MKR aprons, stand next to each otherMichael and his partner Rielli are creating controversy on MKR. (Credit: Channel Seven)
Michael, who’s competing on MKR with his partner Rielli, says his main goal in going on the show was to make people laugh.

“With the physical threats, and all of the backlash online, I reckon I’ve had equal – if not more – positive responses, which is really nice,” he adds. “Like people commenting, saying, ‘This is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.’ So you take the good with the bad.”

Rielli, meanwhile, sparked her own controversy when she pointed a butterknife at rival contestant Mel, who’s competing on MKR with her cousin Jacinta.

“I was nervous and I was fidgety,” Rielli explains to TV WEEK. “I was really dreading that instant restaurant, especially coming from the first one. I just happened to be playing with my cutlery when I made that remark to try and lighten the mood, and I feel like they definitely overreacted.

“It’s my first time on TV. I made a mistake. Give me a break. They didn’t have to keep going on about it to try and make me look bad and make them look better.”
Sitting at an instant restaurant on My Kitchen Rules, Michael is speaking and Rielli is looking at himMichael says he wants to make people laugh. (Credit: Channel Seven)
Rielli says she thinks viewers’ opinion on her and Michael is already starting to change.

“The first two episodes, I feel like Australia just really didn’t like us. But after our instant restaurant, I think we’re a bit more humanised. So people are starting to warm up to us.”