“My Kitchen Rules” season 6 has launched on Monday, and already there’s a stinky cheese involved. Queensland cousins Jac and Shaz were off to an upbeat start, but their enthusiasm eventually plunged when their dessert was savagely rated by judges Pete Evans and Manu Feildel.

The high-rating Seven Network reality show took off to a positive start on Monday. The first team was quickly introduced and thrust into the kitchen. Jac and Shaz from country cousins from Mt Isa. Shaz, who admitted she’s bossy, works in the local court, while Jac, who conceded she likes to be bossed around, is a fashion boutique owner.

They chose a classy country-style and mining theme for their home restaurant and called it Stack, setting off their table with rustic ornaments complete with tree barks. It was doing well enough, with Shaz setting the pace and order in the kitchen by happily giving off instructions after instructions to her obedient cousin. Jac and Shaz finished preparing their dishes early enough. They only complained that they had “over-prepared” at one time.

Their fellow contestants were very impressed with their motif, and this has built up the other teams’ expectations of their dishes. Victoria socialites Ash & Camilla, who claimed they would win the show because their “highly educated” and “well-travelled,” balked at their menu, though, saying the cousins lacked creativity. The sassy pair call themselves snobs when it comes to food, and would not hesitate to give another team a score of zero if they thought they deserved it. Mother and daughter Canberrans Gina & Anna also turned their noses up at the meals, saying Jac and Shaz played it safe.

Entrée: Zucchini and Potato Rosti Stack with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche

The entrée, Zucchini and Potato Rosti Stack with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche, looked “stacked” as the cousins had envisioned it to be. Pete remarked that the pressure of being the first team to serve the group didn’t appear to get to their first meal. Although he also said the zucchini and potato stack was simple, he also said that he loved it.

“Yes, it’s simple, but it works,” Pete told them. Manu, on the other hand, told them the entrée looked beautiful. The French chef said it lacked a little dash of salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon, but overall, the meal was great.

Main: Rack of Lamb with Crushed Potatoes and Lemon Green Beans

The pair’s main dish, Rack of Lamb with Crushed Potatoes and Lemon Green Beans, however, wasn’t as successful. Jac and Shaz admitted that they weren’t happy with what they were about to serve the group, and the group also didn’t think it was the best. As the vibrant cousins said it themselves, the lamb looked “a little bit like Sunday roast.”

“I know what we’re capable of, and that’s not it on the plate,” Shaz admitted defeat early on. Manu said he was disappointed with the meal. He thought the lamb was undercooked, and there were many things on the plate that didn’t jive with one another. Pete, meanwhile, the saving grace of the meal was the lamb.

Kat, from “The Kat and Andre Show,” as she and partner Andre call themselves, was the only one of the guests who loved the dish. “I really liked it!” she said. The other teams didn’t like it at all. Ash declared she needed hand surgery afterwards, claiming the lamb was so difficult to cut through.

Dessert: Pear and Walnut Crumble with Pear Wafers

The serving cooks knew that they failed the main dish, so they were hoping to nail the dessert. Unfortunately, the Pear and Walnut Crumble with Pear Wafers smelt so badly that the whole table was turned off by the overpowering odour. The surprise element in their dessert, the blue cheese, was so pungent, and actually became the factor that brought the whole plate down.

As Manu had told them, they shouldn’t have kept an ingredient so strong a secret. The dessert looked beautiful, but the guests all quickly surmised there was something in it that just isn’t agreeable. Pete and Manu didn’t agree with their secrecy and inventiveness with the dessert. The rest of the guests all thought that the dessert was a total failure.

Scores

Jac and Shaz got a combined score of 28 out of 50 from their fellow contestants, and received 31 points from Pete and Manu. Pete gave Jac and Shaz 8, 5, 3 for the entrée, main and dessert, while Manu gave them a slightly lower 8, 4, 3.

The scores given by the other contestants:

Kat and Andre (WA): 6
Annie and Lloyd (SA): 5
Robert and Lynzey (NSW): 6
Gina and Anna (ACT): 6
Ash and Camilla (VIC): 5

“It’s not actually so bad,” Jac said later. Shaz also didn’t object to the score, saying it was a fair one. The gracious pair accepted their score good-naturedly, though. They did what they could, and though it wasn’t their best, it was what they got for the evening.

Kat and Andre / Robert and Lynzey

On Tuesday, couple Kat and Andre would be entertaining the guests from their home in Perth. Then on Wednesday, Texan father and daughter team Robert and Lynzey would be giving their Aussie guests a Midwest-style dinner.