My Kitchen Rules has delivered plenty of drama this season, but Alisha and Deanne’s chaotic Instant Restaurant has left viewers asking whether there was more to their kitchen struggles than meets the eye.

The Adelaide best friends, who call themselves the “Classy Bogans”, faced a series of setbacks during their dinner service, from overcooked scallops to a sticky date pudding that ended up on the floor.

Yet after watching the episode, some fans began questioning a detail that could have made the challenge even more difficult: whether the women were cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen, surrounded by equipment they did not know how to use.

Their concerns have added another layer to an already tense competition, where the friends have felt underestimated because of their outspoken personalities. And their own account of the experience suggests the pressure started long before their first dish reached the table.

The Instant Restaurant That Quickly Turned Into a ‘Hot Mess’

Alisha and Deanne entered their Instant Restaurant, aptly named Hot Mess, determined to prove that good home cooking mattered more than elaborate presentation.

Their menu featured seared scallops with burnt butter and cauliflower purée for entree, lamb backstrap for the main course, and a family-recipe sticky date pudding for dessert.

But the evening did not unfold as smoothly as they had hoped.

The scallops became a problem, with the pair struggling to keep track of which ones were cooked and which still needed attention. Later, their sticky date pudding ended up on the floor, adding another setback to an already stressful service.

The friends had to step away from the kitchen to collect themselves before continuing.

For contestants trying to impress judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge, every mistake carried the risk of affecting their final scores. But viewers soon began looking beyond the food itself, wondering whether the kitchen environment had contributed to the chaos.

The Kitchen Detail That Caught Viewers’ Attention

After the episode aired, some viewers questioned whether Alisha and Deanne had been cooking in either of their own homes.

Their theory was that the pair might have been unfamiliar with some of the appliances and equipment available in the kitchen.

One viewer suggested they had struggled with a Ninja air fryer and stand mixer, while another pointed to the oven setup as a possible factor in the dessert mishap.

The comments prompted a wider discussion about how contestants prepare for their Instant Restaurants and whether being unfamiliar with a space could affect their performance.

Several viewers argued that contestants should have enough time to familiarise themselves with an unfamiliar kitchen, including its appliances, oven and utensils.

Others pointed out that My Kitchen Rules has previously used alternative locations when a contestant’s home was not suitable for hosting an Instant Restaurant.

However, these remain viewers’ observations and theories. There is no confirmed evidence that production deliberately disadvantaged Alisha and Deanne or that unfamiliar equipment was responsible for all their mistakes.

Nevertheless, the discussion has raised a question that viewers may not have considered before: how much does the cooking environment matter when contestants are already under intense pressure?

‘We Thought It Was Going to Be Judged by Cooking’

The kitchen mishaps were only one part of the challenge for Alisha and Deanne.

Throughout the competition, the pair have attracted attention for their loud, playful personalities and candid approach to the other contestants. While some viewers have embraced their energy, others have questioned their cooking knowledge and presentation choices.

Speaking to WHO, the best friends said they were surprised by how much they felt their personalities influenced the way they were perceived.

“We thought going in, it’s going to be judged by cooking, but it was definitely personality-based, which was quite unfair,” they said.

They explained that other contestants had suggested they would be the first team to leave the competition before they had even served their own Instant Restaurant meal.

“I think there were so many who said that we’ll go home first,” they added.

For the friends, those early assumptions were difficult to hear because they believed the competition should ultimately be about the food on the plate.

The experience left them feeling they had to prove themselves on two fronts: as cooks capable of delivering a strong menu and as contestants whose personalities should not determine how their dishes were judged.

Alisha and Deanne Refuse to Pretend to Be Someone Else

Despite the criticism, Alisha has been clear that she and Deanne never intended to manufacture a television persona.

“There are a lot of people that are like mine and Dee’s personality, just out there, having a laugh, saying whatever,” she told WHO.

“We’re not sitting there knowing that this is going to air on TV and we’re trying to be people that we’re not.”

The pair have acknowledged that their energy can be a lot for some people, but they believe their straightforward, unfiltered approach is also what makes them relatable to many Australian viewers.

Their willingness to admit when they do not understand a culinary term or technique has become part of their identity on the show.

For their supporters, that honesty makes them feel like genuine home cooks rather than contestants trying to project a polished image.

But in a competition where presentation, communication and scores all contribute to the outcome, being outspoken can also make it harder to separate personal impressions from judgements about the food.

The Scoring Controversy Adds Another Layer

The friends’ concerns about being judged for their personalities have also fed into a broader debate among viewers about scoring on My Kitchen Rules.

The competition combines feedback from the judges with scores from fellow contestants, creating a situation in which teams are assessing both the cooking and the performance of their rivals.

Some viewers have speculated that personal tensions could influence those scores, particularly when contestants have clashed at the dinner table.

Alisha and Deanne have said they felt the scores they received did not always match the feedback they heard about their food.

Alisha suggested that personality may have played a role in how some contestants assessed them.

But while fans have questioned whether strategic voting occurs, there is no proof that contestants deliberately marked the pair down or that the competition’s scoring was manipulated.

The debate nevertheless shows how quickly tensions outside the kitchen can become part of the conversation about what happens on the plate.

A Difficult Night That Has Left Fans Asking Questions

For Alisha and Deanne, their Hot Mess Instant Restaurant was supposed to be an opportunity to demonstrate what they could do as home cooks.

Instead, a series of kitchen mishaps, existing tensions with their fellow contestants and questions about the cooking environment turned it into another highly debated episode.

The theory that an unfamiliar kitchen contributed to their mistakes has gained attention online, but it remains unconfirmed. What is clear is that the pair were already under pressure to prove themselves after being labelled potential early exits.

Their experience has highlighted how difficult it can be to perform in an unfamiliar environment while knowing that every mistake may be replayed and judged by both fellow contestants and viewers at home.

And as My Kitchen Rules moves deeper into the competition, the question remains whether Alisha and Deanne will be judged primarily on their food — or whether the personalities that have made them such a talking point will continue to shape their journey.