Former MKR contestant Sophia Pou says MasterChef leaves a lot to be desired.

OK, so I’m about to keep it real, and when I say “real” I mean really real.

Let’s face it, reality TV is here to stay. Whether people admit to watching it, or binge on it in private, it is firmly a part of our culture.

Certain reality TV shows have the ability to turn even the most cynical of viewers into hardcore fans.

Fans who actually plan their daily lives around the timing of their favourite shows — even cancelling social plans to stay home and tune in.

How do I know this, you may be asking? Because I’ve lived the reality — pun completely intended. I’ve been a contestant on one of the highest rating shows on national TV, which kind of makes me an expert — just saying.

Sophia Pou (right) was portrayed as one of the villains on the 2013 season of MKR.Source:Supplied

The show I’m talking about is of course, My Kitchen Rules. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, unless you’ve been living in Uzbekistan for the past 10 years in which case I will grant you a hall pass.

Actually, I’m pretty sure that MKR is airing in that part of the world too, based on the fan mail I am receiving … either that or I’m being cat fished. Anyway my point is, this show is hot, red hot, and I’m about to tell you all why.

It is LEGIT people! I’m talking about real people, real pressure, and REAL cooking ability. Whether this ability within contestants is natural or learnt, it is there nonetheless. Otherwise, they would not have been selected to appear on a COOKING show — duh.

Now I know what you are all thinking right now, and that is “How can some contestants be so bad at cooking, if it’s supposedly a cooking show?”

Or perhaps you are pondering, “Why is there always a villain that has to cause trouble, and why does it make airtime if it’s not about the drama?” All of which are valid concerns, I will admit.

But let me ask you this: would you still watch MKR if it didn’t include the drama or the backstories of the contestants?

What if the show purely focused on the way a contestant sous vide a piece of halibut for a good 45 minutes? Or julienne a carrot into identically shaped batons for another 30 minutes?

Would you still be as entertained by the show then? I highly doubt it. I know I’d be bored as all hell, and to be honest, I wouldn’t last 15 minutes watching a show like that.

Sophia and her MKR partner in crime, Ashlee.Source:News Limited

It’s probably the reason why I don’t watch MasterChef. I just literally can’t do it. It doesn’t resonate with me on a personal level, nor am I connected to the contestants through shared life experiences.

I think the reason for this is that their backstories, and individual personalities are so suppressed by the format of the show, that they lose any form of individually that makes them memorable in my mind.

I can’t event distinguish any of them by name, past or present contestants. They might as well be assigned a number, to be called out by the judges.

Now I’m not here to blast any MasterChef contestant in particular, or anyone else affiliated with the show. However I am tired of the constant comparison between My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef and the discussion about which one is the more respectable show.

To me, it’s obvious. One of the things I love about MKR is that not every contestant needs to be great from the start, which is why applicants are not required to cook more than once prior to appearing on the show.

This is opposed to the MasterChef casting process where applicants are required to cook a number of times before qualifying as a contestant.

It’s not about proving ourselves as competent cooks before being selected for the show, but about showing signs of potential that can be nurtured through time, mentoring and practice.

All that I was ever told to do by the show’s producers was to be myself. That’s honestly it. It’s not what you readers probably want to hear, or necessarily believe, but that was all that was ever asked of me.

If I can compare the feeling of what being on such a show is like, I liken it to the way that Charlie must have felt when he was given the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.

That’s what My Kitchen Rules is — a golden ticket. In the hands of every contestant is the chance to achieve their dreams, and to change their lives in a positive way. The world truly is an oyster for each and every MKR contestant, during and after the show ends.

Now tell me all you MasterChef snobs and food industry elitists, what could possibly be wrong with that?

Sophia Pou.Source:News Limited

Follow Sophia Pou on Twitter @Sophiathebabes