Manu and Pete on MKR catfights

My Kitchen Rules is just as well known for its dining room drama as for its culinary antics in the kitchen.

But according to judges Manu Feildel and Pete Evans, most of the sneaky swipes and daggers thrown across the table between competitive contestants, happen when the judges are not actually around.

"They often do it when we’re not there, full stop," Manu tells Be, with Pete adding that when the two judges are present, the contestants play the game and "they're on their best behaviour".

Upcoming promos for the popular Channel Seven reality show already tease plenty of drama to unfold in the upcoming season.

Most contestants are confident with their own competitive advantages, whether its their depth of experience, cultural cuisine speciality or their teamwork dynamic.

But more often than not, the judges walk into the dining room completely unaware of any showdowns that have taken place just moments earlier.

"We don’t get involved with a lot of that," says Manu.

Pete adds: "We eat, and we go and watch the cooking team so our focus is 'How are they cooking, what can we do to help?'".

"We give them the critique to make them better teams so sometimes it all unfolds while we’re in the kitchen watching the teams."

Lifting the lid on what else to expect from the new season, Pete says: "We get really beautiful family, home cooking recipes.

"We also get some quite modern takes on sort of what’s happening in the food industry around Australia as well so it’s fantastic."

Commenting on the diversity of the dishes they get to taste, the 43-year-old says trying Laotian contestant Betty's food was a highlight.

"Betty’s from Lao and we get to try some interesting, different Lao type food... I can't say whether it’s good or bad because you’ve got to watch the show but it definitely opened up our minds," he says.

The pair are also looking forward to hosting My Kitchen Rules in New Zealand next year.

Fans can tune in to the premiere of My Kitchen Rules on Monday night at 7:30pm on Channel Seven.

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