Meet his wife!

Getty & Instagram.

As a judge on My Kitchen Rules, Colin Fassnidge is constantly travelling to homes across Australia to judge the nation’s best home cooks.

But in his own home, the 51-year-old is a devoted husband and father. Meet his wife and kids!
Colin and Jane in 2021. (Credit: Getty)
Colin Fassnidge has been with his wife, Jane Hyland, since 2000 and their meeting is straight out of a romantic comedy.

The Irish-born celebrity chef was working in Sydney’s EST restaurant while Jane, also Irish, was the venue’s assistant manager at the time.

“We were both here on a working holiday at the time. It was just prior to the Olympics, so it was a good time to be in Sydney,” Jane told New Idea of their  first meeting.

“I don’t know what Colin’s first impressions of me were, but I thought he talked a lot!”
Colin with his wife and daughters. (Credit: Getty)
They didn’t have an instant connection, and actually butted heads for a while.

“She was tough,” Colin told the Australian Women’s Weekly, adding that they frequently shouted at one another.

“Not a good thing when you’re trying to chat her up, but I was born on knockbacks,” he admitted.

They eventually overcame their rift and realised just how perfect they really were for each other after being set up on a date by their boss.
Fassnidge (L) and his wife, Jane, middle on Colin’s Instagram story in 2025 (Credit: Instagram)
Their shared love of and interest in food bonded them together and things progressed quickly between the couple.

“We were both into food, so it went well,” Colin told New Idea. “It became serious within about six months.”
A recent photo of Colin with Lily and Maeve. (Credit: Instagram)
A few years later, on 8 January 2006, Colin and Jane tied the knot in a stunning Sydney ceremony overlooking Watson’s Bay.

They have since welcomed two beautiful daughters together.

Colin and Jane’s eldest daughter Lily was born in 2009 and is now 16 years old, while their youngest, Maeve, was born two years later and is currently 14.

“I love being a dad,” the 50-year-old told TV WEEK in an exclusive interview. “I think it calmed me down. When I had kids, I was like, ‘You know what? It’s not all about you.’ Especially in my house. Nothing is about me.”

“They’ve asked me to quit all my TV shows now that they’re teenagers,”
Colin confessed. “They’re embarrassed. They made me sign a contract that I’m not allowed to take pictures of them and put them on social media anymore.

Fassnidge has also said of his co-star on My Kitchen Rules, Manu Feildel, “we’re like a married couple!”

“When we’re away, we get an apartment together, rather than two hotels,” Colin revealed to TV Week. “I’ll bring a nice steak to surprise Manu, and we’ll cook together. Then he makes breakfast. It’s like knowing what your wife likes!”

Colin often shares insights into his family life via his Instagram page, where he uploads photos and videos with his wife and children. The Fassnidges are always creating beautiful new memories together!