MKR champions Will and Steve have confirmed that two different endings were filmed for Monday's blockbuster finale – meaning they didn't realise they'd won until the episode aired last night.
But the pair have slammed reports their competitors, Jac and Shaz, fled the set in tears after believing they were the winners.
"Absolute rubbish, it didn't happen, not at all," Will tells Fairfax Media.
"You could never expect that sort of reaction from Jac and Shaz. They're just such nice, gracious people. They would never throw a hissy fit because they know what everyone's up for.
"We all know there's rumours of the way the production works, and you just take it in your stride and you live with it. Because you won't get anything out of going against the regime that is Channel Seven."
This year's season of My Kitchen Rules was actually filmed last year.
To avoid the result being leaked, producers film two endings: one in which the glitter rained down on a victorious Jac and Shaz, and one in which Will and Steve claimed the prize. No one who attended the taping – including the contestants or their families – knew the true verdict.
This meant that the women from Mt Isa learned their fate at the same time as the 3 million viewers across Australia did. (This figures includes regional audiences.)
It was the same for Will and Steve, who had rented out a pub in Sydney and gathered 150 friends and family to watch the broadcast.
"[The producers] us guessing until the very end whether we were going to pull it off or not," Will says.
"We were literally surrounded [by our friends and family] when the result came out and that's the first we knew of it."
Was it hard being kept in suspense for months after filming wrapped?
"It was an element I really enjoyed," Steve says.
"To know the result in advance would have been kind of difficult. It would have been hard to keep quiet. And then if you had lost, would have had the same enthusiasm to go through all the publicity and give it your best shot? So the mystery of not knowing was probably one of the greatest things."
But as soon as they did know, they phoned Jac and Shaz.
"We felt it was important as we would have appreciated a phone call if it was the other way around," Steve says.
"And the way [Shaz] answered the phone: she was so happy for us, she was so happy, so happy. And that really sums Shaz up as a person. And we know that Jac felt exactly the same."
Having quit their jobs as investment bankers, the two Englishmen intend to use their $250,000 to publish a cookbook and, eventually, open a restaurant and bar.
"[We won't] just chuck it into the first thing that comes along," Will says.
"We're trying to surround ourselves with some really great people – some talent managers, some marketing people – so that we can really build a solid brand ... our dreams are big but I think they're achievable."
They're unlikely to get a Band-Aid sponsorship, though. As many viewers noticed, Steve was notably plaster-free just moments after seeking medical attention for a wound. Was this scene re-filmed?
"Trust me, the clock never stops, they never re-shoot a cook," Steve says.
"I guess I'm quite lucky in that I heal quite quickly. It's the God's honest truth: if I cut myself, I'll band-aid it for a while and then the band-aid falls off because you're doing so much work with water and everything like that. I tend not to continue to bleed, so I was fine."
Reflecting on last night's dramatic episode – Steve's cut finger, Will burning his face after his blender exploded, a tiff over the best way to cook a duck – the pair say they're closer than ever.
"We've had our ups and downs," Will says.
"We've had our rows, had our laughter, we've had our tears – we've had the whole works. And I thank Steve for bringing me into the journey. We love the word 'journey'."
"And I thank Will for supporting me every step of the way," Steve says.
In Australia's five major cities, last night's episode drew 2.085 million viewers (down from 2.302 million last year), while the "winner announcement" segment attracted 2.123 million (down from 2.596 million). Despite the drop, My Kitchen Rules has been this year's highest-rating show by a huge margin. (These figures includes regional audiences.)
