Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge return to judge and co-host season 17 of My Kitchen Rules, which will travel from Queensland to Western Australia in search of the country's strongest home cooks.

The line-up brings together couples, best friends and parent-child teams, with Italian, Filipino and hearty home-style cooking all on the menu. Here is the complete MKR 2026 cast.

Tiffany And Giancarlo

Victorian couple Tiffany, 37, and Giancarlo, 41, have been together for almost 20 years and describe themselves as a package deal, even though they have never felt pressured to marry or have children.

Giancarlo taught Tiffany how to cook, but she now suspects the student may have overtaken the teacher. Their menu draws heavily on his Italian family traditions, including fresh pasta, roast chicken and melanzane alla parmigiana.

Tiffany has worked as a flight attendant and in corporate marketing, while Giancarlo works with his family's engineering company and has pursued several business ventures.

Krysten And Lucy

Queensland mother and daughter Krysten, 50, and Lucy, 23, live on a 12-acre family property where food, fishing, free-diving and entertaining friends at the smokehouse are part of everyday life.

Krysten co-runs the family's medical practice and cooks with instinct and bold flavours. Lucy is the methodical baker behind micro-bakery Burnt Croissants, and even has a pain au chocolat tattoo to prove her commitment to pastry.

Their early MKR promotional video leaned into the pair's close relationship and belief that memorable food does not need to be fancy or expensive.

Angus And Simon

South Australian best mates Angus, 31, and Simon, 36, met while working at an Adelaide pub 11 years ago and have built their partnership around very different kitchen personalities.

Fifth-generation funeral director Angus inspired the name of their Instant Restaurant, Last Orders. He is a natural entertainer with a Type B approach to cooking, while Simon is the methodical, recipe-focused half of the team.

Angus has joked that “the only thing we're burying is the competition”, and hopes a win could help him open a small Adelaide restaurant focused on quality produce.

Jane And Shane

Blue Mountains couple Jane, 49, and Shane, 55, have been married for two years and share a blended family of five adult children, along with a love of cooking, travel and growing their own produce.

Jane is a food stylist who has picked up plenty of techniques while working alongside chefs. She believes presentation matters as much as flavour and describes their food as vibrant, passionate and packed with flavour.

Former hairdresser turned builder Shane is the calmer half of the partnership. Their signature dishes range from Sri Lankan prawn curry to handmade pasta, with plenty of Italian influence in the mix.

Alisha And Deanne

South Australian best friends Alisha, 33, and Deanne, 34, have been inseparable since meeting at school as teenagers.

The self-described “classy bogans” are both mums and promise loud personalities, quick one-liners and very little filtering at the dinner table. Their food is proudly home-style and designed to feed a crowd.

Alisha's nan's sticky date pudding and Deanne's birria tacos are among their favourites, while making their children proud is as important as surviving the chaos of an MKR kitchen.

Mary And Golden

Victorian nurses Mary and Golden, both 38, met while studying in the Philippines before moving to Australia in 2004.

The best friends want Filipino food to sit at the centre of their MKR journey. Mary brings infectious energy and a straightforward approach, while Golden is the calmer presence in the partnership.

Their long-term dream is to launch a food truck serving Filipino street food to hospital workers on late-night shifts, combining their nursing lives with the food they grew up loving.

Who Are The MKR 2026 Gatecrashers?

After the first round of Instant Restaurants, three gatecrasher teams will enter the competition: Harrison and Oliver, Sheridan and Ted, and Zoe and Zac.

The late arrivals expand the cast beyond the six teams in Seven's initial announcement and bring Western Australia into the geographical mix.

Harrison And Oliver

NSW mates Harrison, 30, and Oliver, 28, met by chance at their local brewery six years ago and quickly bonded over food, craft beer, fashion and music.

Bar manager Harrison favours hearty, slow-cooked dishes and a good beer pairing. Oliver draws on his Italian roots with handmade pasta and rich, savoury flavours.

They call themselves “two mad scientists” in the kitchen, with Harrison's quick wit and Oliver's bold fashion sense likely to make them difficult to miss when they arrive.

Sheridan And Ted

Western Australian mother and son Sheridan, 53, and Ted, 25, are close, even when their cooking styles send them in different directions.

High school maths teacher Sheridan is organised and no-nonsense, while Ted enjoys experimenting with flavours and techniques he has learned online.

The pair are used to turning cooking into a family competition. Ted has won their Christmas cook-off two years running, giving him some useful bragging rights before the MKR scoring begins.

Zoe And Zac

NSW best friends Zoe and Zac, both 30, met at work as teenagers and have been close for 15 years.

The pair are loud, competitive and ready to have fun, with Zoe supplying the drive and Zac bringing the jokes. Both draw plenty of cooking inspiration from their families.

Their shared dream is to open a brewery in Newcastle serving their own beer, fresh bread and food built around a relaxed atmosphere.

When Does MKR 2026 Start?

MKR 2026 premieres at 7.30pm on Monday, 28 September on Channel 7 and 7plus.