Between the nervous jokes, a carefully placed love heart on dessert and some relentless encouragement from the table, the South Australian teacher suddenly found himself at the centre of the season’s first romance rumours.
Now Simon has explained what was really going through his mind. Speaking in an interview with New Idea, he admitted that “Deanne caught my eye” and that he had been trying to charm her during the dinner.
However, viewers hoping MKR has already produced its next great love story may need to slow down. Simon did not confirm that he and Deanne are dating, and there has been no public indication that their on-screen flirting became a relationship.
Simon Was Trying To Win Deanne Over
Simon said he decided to test his luck after noticing Deanne at the Instant Restaurant, but he was not convinced that his efforts had worked.
He kept the door open with the cheeky admission that “we live in hope”, before adding that sometimes you simply have to “put your best foot forward”.
His teammate Angus appeared happy to watch the flirting unfold from a safe distance. The longtime friends entered the competition as one of the season’s most easygoing partnerships, but Simon’s sudden distraction gave Angus an entirely different challenge to manage outside the kitchen.
The moment also added a new dimension to the MKR 2026 cast. Simon may have arrived as Angus’s methodical mate, yet it took only one dinner for his romantic optimism to become a talking point.
The Love-Heart Dessert Set The Table Talking
The speculation really took off when Simon served dessert with a love heart made from desiccated coconut.
It was not exactly a subtle flourish, especially after the other contestants had already noticed how flustered he seemed around Deanne. Alisha immediately seized on the presentation and asked, “Is there going to be a romance?”
Simon did not shut the suggestion down. Instead, the teasing continued as he acknowledged that he had enjoyed spending time with Alisha and Deanne, while making it especially clear which member of the team he had connected with.
Angus later said Alisha and Deanne were the only team who had not intimidated the pair at the beginning of the competition. Simon quickly turned that observation into another flirtatious joke, suggesting Deanne had left him feeling intimidated for a very different reason.
Alisha Had Already Hinted Simon Was Interested
The romance chatter did not come completely out of nowhere. Alisha had previously teased that Simon seemed interested in Deanne when discussing the chaotic first Instant Restaurant and the alliances beginning to form around the table.
At the time, Alisha appeared delighted by the possible match. Her reaction to the love-heart dessert only encouraged the rest of the contestants to join in.
Deanne, meanwhile, did not make any grand declaration during the episode. The suggestion of a romance came mainly from Simon’s visible interest and the cast’s playful commentary, rather than a mutual announcement from the pair.
Are Simon And Deanne Dating?
For now, the honest answer is that there is no confirmed relationship.
Simon has confirmed that he was attracted to Deanne and tried to impress her, but he stopped well short of saying they became a couple after filming. Deanne has not publicly confirmed a romance either.
That makes this a flirtation rather than a fully fledged MKR love story, at least based on what the pair have shared so far.
Still, Simon’s hopeful response means viewers will be watching closely the next time the teams sit down together. If nothing else, one coconut love heart has ensured that Angus and Simon’s dinner will be remembered for more than what came out of the kitchen.
