{"id":40017,"date":"2025-09-24T04:44:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T04:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/40017\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T04:44:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T04:44:07","slug":"mkrs-manu-feildel-and-colin-fassnidge-on-going-from-hating-each-other-to-besties-big-egos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/40017\/","title":{"rendered":"MKR’s Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge on going from ‘hating’ each other to besties: ‘Big egos’"},"content":{"rendered":"

After starring on My Kitchen Rules<\/a>\u00a0for over 15 years, travelling around the country in a suit and demanding more sauce, Manu Feildel<\/a> is ready for viewers to see a different side to him. The French-born chef and restaurateur has teamed up with his longtime co-host, Colin Fassnidge<\/a>, for a brand new show on Channel 7, Off The Grid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The series, which premieres this week, follows the former frenemies<\/a> as they road trip across New Zealand<\/a>, cooking up a storm. Manu tells Yahoo Lifestyle ahead of the launch that Off The Grid is one of the most enjoyable projects he\u2019s ever worked on, mainly because he and Colin were able to fully be themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think MKR is a different side of us. The real side of us is what you\u2019re going to see on Off The Grid,\u201d he teases.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/p>\n

\u201cOn MKR, especially nowadays, they let us be a little bit more us. But for a long time, we were the suited, respected judges and professional chefs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this is more light-hearted, which is basically us in a caravan, wearing underpants \u2014 or not \u2014 and just cooking roughly, hunting, gathering, fishing, having banter, loving each other, and then having an argument about something stupid, and driving along. It\u2019s just the life of two best mates travelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MKR<\/p>\n

Off The Grid is an \u2018off-the-beaten-path food adventure\u2019 where Colin and Manu travel around New Zealand for a month in a caravan. Photo: Instagram\/off_the_grid_nz<\/p>\n

How Off The Grid was created<\/p>\n

Manu explains that the series came about while they were filming MKR in New Zealand in 2023 and spotted a \u201cbeat-up little caravan in someone\u2019s garden\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took a photo with us in it and sent it to the executive producer of MKR New Zealand, and said, \u2018What about travelling the country next year?\u2019,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe got an answer back saying, \u2018Leave it with me\u2019, and then a year later we were doing it, so we\u2019re pretty chuffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a lot of freedom to do what we wanted to do to make it entertaining, and it’s pretty natural. It\u2019s just the real Manu and the real Colin on the screen, and the differences between us and the things that we agree on. It was just an easy one to do, to be honest, because we enjoyed it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

From enemies to besties<\/p>\n

While Manu describes his current relationship with Colin as an \u201cold married couple\u201d, they certainly weren\u2019t always this close. In fact, the duo \u201chated\u201d each other<\/a> before working together on MKR, which Manu admits came down to their age.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason why we didn’t see eye to eye is because we were two young chefs with big egos at the time, and that was the trouble, I suppose,\u201d he remarks.<\/p>\n

SHOP:<\/p>\n

\u201cBut as you get older, you get more wise, more mature. We\u2019ve been working together for 10 years now, and we’ve got to know each other very well, and we’ve got a lot in common. So when this idea came along, we thought it was going to be a great party, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MKR's<\/p>\n

Manu and Colin ‘hated each other’ before filming MKR. Photo: Channel 7<\/p>\n

Manu’s top 5 New Zealand experiences<\/p>\n

Manu and Colin had plenty of wild adventures in New Zealand while filming Off The Grid, from experiencing the exhilarating power of the Huka Falls Jet in Taup\u014d and clay shooting on the West Coast, to skinny dipping and getting a new tattoo.<\/p>\n

Here are Manu\u2019s top 5 New Zealand experiences, all of which will be featured in the series<\/p>\n

Sea charter with The Provider
\u201cThat was one of my favourites, if not my favourite day of the trip. New Zealand waters are so pristine, and I got to catch the biggest fish that day, a nice fat kingfish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Te P\u0101 Tu traditional feast
\u201cAnother amazing experience, all the edible native plants, herbs and spices were an eye opener and Irihei Walker, what a culinary artist, especially his confit duck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziplining on Waiheke Island
\u201cI\u2019m absolutely in love with Waiheke Island, and zip lining over the vines made us want to try some of the island’s great wines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Underground rafting with Cave Rafting
\u201cThe rafting and the glowworms inside the deep dark cave were beautiful and relaxing and very Jurassic-like, even Colin wanted to stay a tad longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wai Ariki spa
\u201cTalking about relaxing, rainwater showers, steam rooms, cold and hot spring water baths, and mud body mask was incredible, though I would have preferred to be there with my wife instead of my mate Colin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Off The Grid premieres Wednesday, 24 September at 9:15pm on Channel 7<\/p>\n

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