The Adelaide best friends say Jane and Shane came across as though they “thought they were better than us” during the first Instant Restaurant, with Jane’s sharp criticism of Krysten and Lucy’s food quickly putting the teams on a collision course.

Speaking in an interview with New Idea, Alisha argued that Jane’s professional food-styling background may have set her expectations closer to fine dining than the home-style food at the heart of MKR.

Her message was blunt: the competition is “not five-star Michelin”. She also joked that anyone looking for mystery boxes and highly technical challenges might have chosen the wrong cooking show.

Alisha And Deanne Were Not Impressed By Jane’s Judging

The pair were particularly frustrated by Jane’s comments about plating when they believed she had barely tried the dishes in front of her.

Deanne’s response was simple: “You haven’t even tasted the food.”

Alisha was just as confused by Jane’s description of the menu as considered cooking, admitting she still was not entirely sure what the phrase was supposed to mean.

The tension adds another layer to Alisha and Deanne’s already fiery start to the season. They entered the competition promising big personalities and honest reactions, only to leave the opening dinner feeling judged before they had cooked a single dish of their own.

Jane’s History With Colin Fassnidge Raised More Questions

Jane’s previous professional connection to Colin Fassnidge also caught the pair’s attention. Colin revealed at the table that he knew Jane from her work as a food stylist, prompting several contestants to wonder whether she should have disclosed the history herself.

Alisha and Deanne admitted the connection initially made them question whether Jane might receive an advantage. Colin directly rejected that suggestion during the episode and insisted their past working relationship would not influence his scoring.

There is no evidence Jane has received favourable treatment. The concern reflects what the contestants were thinking in the moment, rather than any proven issue with the judging.

They Are Warning The Other Teams Not To Underestimate Them

The rivalry arrived after Alisha and Deanne were voted the team most likely to leave the competition first. Alisha said the result was intimidating and left them feeling deflated because the table appeared to be judging their personalities before seeing them cook.

Deanne said the pair are used to joking with each other and can normally shrug off banter, but being written off by the entire table landed differently.

They are now promising “big emotions”, plenty of laughter and the chaotic kitchen energy that comes from two busy mums who are used to doing several things at once.

That chaos will not be carefully polished for the cameras either. Alisha said the friends are direct, opinionated and willing to stand their ground, describing their time on the show as “never fake at all”.

The Cameras Created A Very Salty Problem

For all their confidence, filming brought one challenge they had not anticipated. Alisha said cooks could be asked to repeat an action so the camera crew could capture it properly, even if that action involved adding another pinch of seasoning to a dish.

That meant a harmless shot of salt could become a genuine cooking problem when it had to be performed twice. The constant attention also added time and pressure to jobs that would normally be automatic at home.

Neither woman seemed put off by the television experience. Alisha loved wearing a microphone, while Deanne joked that once filming ended they were already asking, “Where’s our mics?”

They may have arrived as one of the three teams Manu Feildel tipped to bring the drama, but Alisha and Deanne clearly want their cooking to have the final word. Their own Instant Restaurant will decide whether the table underestimated them or spotted trouble early.