Meet the 2017 MKR contestants

From cooking meltdowns to dining room showdowns, viewers can expect plenty of drama when My Kitchen Rules returns tonight.

The judges for 2017 include fan favourites Manu Feildel and Pete Evans, as well as Colin Fassnidge later in the series.

And wait for it, there’s another mystery guest judge to look out for, who’s set to stir the pot like never before!

Before the aprons go on tonight and the tasting begins, we introduce you to the six teams in group one of 2017 MKR.

From Tassie sweethearts Damo and Caz, to flirty midwives Karen and Ros, and outspoken siblings Amy and Tyson (TV villain alert), it’s safe to say there’s the right combination of ingredients to make this our next television addiction.

DAMO & CAZ – TASSIE SWEETHEARTS (TAS)

This married couple from Tasmania shares two young boys, and look forward to showing their love of music through their restaurant design.

“Cooking is that one thing that we do together and we enjoy together,” says 30-year-old Damo. “It’s our couple thing.”

Damo works as a sparky at the local hospital, while Caz, also 30, is a social worker.

The pair’s strength is their “sweetness”, and their signature dishes are poached pears in a spiced red wine sauce with cinnamon ice cream (Damo) and and roast chicken and vegetables (Caz).

DAVID & BETTY – JUST FRIENDS (NSW)

These best friends from Sydney’s western suburbs are hoping to bring some fire to the competition, and go all the way.

Fans may already follow 27-year-old Betty who is a popular social media influencer, while 32-year-old David is a SMB category manager.

“We’re like brother and sister and we’re going to stand up for each other no matter what happens,” says David.

The pair’s competitive advantage is also their cultural expertise, which they hope to demonstrate through their cooking.

David’s family came to Australia on a boat from Vietnam, while Betty’s family are from Laos.

“We’re cooking food our mama’s have taught us, that we’ve grown up with, that we love to eat, so hopefully we’re serving up something they’re not expecting or haven’t tried before,” says David.

KAREN & ROS – MIDWIVES (VIC)

These housewives from Victoria are ready to deliver in the kitchen!

With three and four adult children respectively, these Melbourne mums enjoy a shared passion for their families, their work, fitness and cooking.

Ros, 55, says: “Because we cook so much for our big families we’re really bloody good at it”.

“And being midwives, we’re used to being organised which gives us a huge advantage,” adds 50-year-old Karen.

In terms of their signature dishes, they would have to be tiramisu (Karen) and roast pork (Ros).

BEK AND ASH – FLIRTY FLATMATES (WA)

These girls have their eyes on the prize, and it looks like that may be more than just the MKR winning title.

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so it’s a good thing that we can cook,” says 27-year-old self-proclaimed flirt Bek.

No stranger to dating app Tinder, the vet surgeon says “We’ve swiped left, we’ve swiped right and now we’ve got our game faces on”.

Her partner-in-crime, 30-year-old Ash, reiterates that they shouldn’t be underestimated in the kitchen, as she says: ““We will be bringing our A game”.

They say variety is the spice of life and it looks like these Western Australian beauties bring just the right balance as Ash’s strength lies in savoury dishes while Bek’s is with sweet.

TIM & KYLE – PUB MATES (SA)

These best friends from Adelaide describe heir cooking style as Modern Australian hunter gatherers.

Bartender Kyle, 27, shares his philosophy: “Good food, good mood... I’ve always said that”.

Meanwhile his mate, 30-year-old Tim, shares a similar sentiment, quitting his advertising sales job to focus on his passion for food.

The bearded blokes learnt their culinary basics from their parents, and are “here to win” no matter what.

“I quit my job for this competition so it’s really important we do well,” says Tim.

AMY & TYSON – SERIOUS SIBLINGS (QLD)

Amy and Tyson have already raised eyebrows in recent promos, with their unapologetic approach at the dining table.

Viewers can expect 26-year-old Uber driver Tyson to speak his mind, as he admits he can’t promise the other contestants won’t hit a nerve with him.

“Physically I swell up in the neck and some veins might pop in my forehead and I go red and really tense,” he reveals.

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Meanwhile his 29-year-old sister Amy, who works in human resources, says: “We call Tyson the angry, angry man because he can get quite hot headed very quickly”.

The team’s food philosophy is: “Cook and eat food that has interesting ingredients, flavour and texture combinations. It doesn’t have to be crazy or fancy. It just has to be fun and delicious”.

My Kitchen Rules premieres at 7:30pm tonight on Channel Seven.

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