Two Endings Were Filmed For MKR S7 & Not Even The Cast Knew Who Won

THINGS YOU ALREADY KNEW: Reality TV is staged as shit.

We’re not about to insult your intelligence by suggesting that this is a massive brainbuster of a revelation.
Most competition-style reality TV shows – at least the ones that are pre-taped and not aired live – usually film multiple versions of their season finales in order to prevent the result from being leaked to the media ahead of time. This means that contestants who, for example, make it to the final two of a competition would have to pretend they’ve won for the cameras, and then endure an agonising wait over the course of the season’s airing; only finding out if they’ve actually won at the same time the public does.
This was no different for the recently completed season of Seven‘s ratings behemoth ‘My Kitchen Rules.’
Tasia and Gracie, the eventual champions, along with runners-up Lauren and Carmine, filmed the finale of the series way back in December. One team shot an ending wherein they were awarded the crown, showered in confetti, and celebrated. Then the set was reset, and the shot was filmed again with the other team.
Neither were told who actually won until the episode aired earlier this week.
MKR is notoriously tight on keeping their production secrets under-wraps, so much so that even after they won, Tasia & Gracie were barred from speaking about how the production managed to pull it off.
On an interview with Rove & Sam on 2DayFM, the pair had to shut down questions from Rove at the behest of Channel 7 publicists.

“Sorry guys but unfortunately we can’t talk about any production stuff.”


“Let’s just say we only found out yesterday too, but we can’t talk about production. We found out the same time you guys found out.”

The production has utilised the tactic since 2012, filming two different endings for each year. Last year’s series was mired in controversy after scuttlebutt emerged that runners-up Jac & Shaz had some sort of emotional meltdown after believing they’d legitimately won at the time of filming, only to have the rug yanked away when the crew reset for the alternate take.

Other shows, including ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ ‘The Biggest Loser,’ and our highly beloved ‘MasterChef‘ also employ the same tactic. Though on rare occasions some productions have used a slightly different method where everything up to the final reveal is pre-taped, and then the actual announcement is retro-fitted in as a live broadcast on the night.
The whole idea is, obviously, to dodge spoilers and filming two segments negates the need for hundreds of non-disclosure agreements that more or less rely on the honour system to succeed.
Still, managing to keep the result under wraps entirely – and particularly given that the season was SO. BLOODY. LONG. – is no mean feat. So a tip of the hat to Channel Seven in that regard.
Long story short reality TV isn’t as real as what you might think and don’t trust your Government.
Source: News.com.au.
Photo: MKR/Seven.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV