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MKR's Sonya on THAT 'fine dining' comment
It was the comment that left a sour taste in everyone's mouths during tonight's episode of My Kitchen Rules, and now contestant Sonya has come clean on why she said Suong 'can't afford fine dining'.
Speaking to Be, the 34-year-old Sydneysider has apologised for the controversial remark, before insisting, 'I was only repeating what she [Suong] was saying'.
"They’re words that came out of her mouth," Sonya tells Be.
"She said, 'What, you think I’m stupid because I can’t afford fine dining?' and I said, 'Well I didn’t say that, you’re saying that. Like you’re putting those words in my mouth'."
"I was only repeating what she was saying," adds Sonya.
During the episode, tensions flared between both MKR contestants when Georgie and Alicia's main meal was served.
"Seriously is that really fine dining for you? Seriously?" Suong asked Sonya and Hadil, while waving her 'thickly' cut piece of tuna at the end of her fork.
"What do you mean I’m stupid, I don’t do fine dining?" Suong then aked.
"I’m not talking to you like you’re stupid honey," Sonya rebutted.
Then a piece-to-camera of Hadil and Sonya, seemingly filmed after the dinner party, showed the girls sharing their strong views.
"Thank god she doesn’t go out fine dining," said Hadil.
"She wouldn’t be able to afford it so…" Sonya then giggled.
When speaking to Be, Sonya says 'emotions were high' during filming, especially when Suong laughed at her for thinking Alex and Emily's main meal was too 'salty'.
"We were just a bit snappy and I actually felt quite disrespected by Suong," she reveals.
"We’re good friends and I respect Kim and Suong but I felt disrespected by Suong because I was giving my critique and I went into the show to play fairly and be honest.
"If I was in elimination, I would want everyone to score the food and not score our personalities per say and play fairly.
"Next minute I had Suong laughing in my face and it just made me feel extremely uncomfortable and disrespected. It’s not the way I would want to react. I don’t want to be feeling embarrassed by everyone at the table for my honest opinion and that’s kind of what happened there."
Regardless of who said what first, it's fair to say the 'fine dining' remark was very explosive, and Sonya says she's sorry for saying it in the first place.
"I apologise if I’ve offended anyone in that comment," she tells Be.
As for the critics who've suggested Sonya's comment was racially motivated, the MKR star says, 'That would be the last thing I’d ever do'.
"I’m the type of person for whom money is definitely not everything in this world," she explains.
"For me it’s my family, it’s my happiness above everything else and I know well and truly that buying a pair of heels or having a handbag is not going to make you happy and that’s not important."
"My family also migrated to Australia in 1986 and they came here with nothing more than the clothes on their back and a suitcase and growing up we struggled," she continues.
"As soon as I hit 16 and I was able to go out and get a job, I did that so I could help my parents to pay off rent."
Nowadays Sonya enjoys running her successful company Fashion Palette, but says she knows the value of money and doesn't ever forget that.
"Today, yes I have set up my own business and I created my own company from the ground up, and today I help them [my parents] pay their mortgage," she explains.
"If they need money, I’m the first to turn around and offer that."
My Kitchen Rules continues at 7:30pm on Channel Seven.
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