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MANU Feildel likes to play the clown, but the French favourite on My Kitchen Rules has revealed he had a long-running feud with new co-star Colin Fassnidge before the Irish chef joined Channel 7’s hit cooking show.

More a lover than a fighter, Feildel confessed he only settled the score with the Irish restauranter when he was hired to join MKR and started prerecording episodes last year.

Feildel told NewsCorp Australia: “Colin and I didn’t start off well a few years ago, before we worked together. There was some controversy, but that was just chefs’ ego talking ... young chefs do a lot of talking.”

While the famously fiesty Fassnidge has been open about his battles with other chefs, including a Twitter war with Nomad chef Nathan Sasi, Feildel has brought his fight with his MKR co-star out into the open for the first time.

EARLIER: Colin Fassnidges’s Twitter war

Brewing friendship ... Feildel and Fassnidge at this year’s season launch of My Kitchen Rules. Picture: Richard Dobson Source: News Corp Australia

It was Fassnidge who sparked the feud, by sniping about Feildel’s appearance on Seven’s Dancing With The Stars and future as a full-time chef in a pot-stirring interview with The Sunday Telegraph.

MKR fans reacted angrily to the article in which Fassnidge was dismissive of Feildel’s TV appearances, telling the newspaper:

“If I did do a show it would be a good show. If you do these things it’s got to be on your own terms and not be (made to look) a fool, like making you wear a clown suit and dance around a studio.”

Asked if it was a veiled swipe at Feildel, Fassnidge said: “F**k, I’d be kicked off in the first week. Look I don’t knock your man Manu but he’s not going to go back in the kitchen again … and that’s fine, he’s changed careers.

“He’s going to make a lot of money out of that, but don’t go back and say you’re a full-time chef.”

Feildel said working with his former foe on MKR had forced a reconciliation between the pair.

“Since we’ve worked together we realise we’ve got a lot in common ... he’s a great guy and I’m happy things have changed between us because there’s no need to be like this (feuding).”

“When I got told he was going to join the team (last year) I was a bit like ‘whoa’ ... then I just said to myself ‘maybe it’s a sign, what the heck, we’re going to work together, let’s make the best of it’. I remember when he walked on set, I went to him and shook his hands and said ‘welcome on board, if you need anything at all don’t hesitate to ask, more than happy to help you.’”

Burying the hatchet was done the Australian way — over a few beers, Feildel said.

“Since that day we hit it off and we’ve had a few long nights, drinking nights and now we are very good friends.”

His hiring sparked rumours either Feildel or his co-star Pete Evans were planning to leave or be axed from the show.

But Feildel denied he feared for his future.

“No, I didn’t. If it had been anybody else I would have questioned it, but there’s a purpose with Colin. He’s opinionated, he says what he thinks and he’s not scared of saying it. Pete is more, um, the entrepreneur, running restaurants; and I’m the more well-travelled chef, who knows a bit more about food. I think (the addition of Fassnidge) we just got stronger. We needed a bit of difference in the team and that’s what happened there and I think it’s worked out for all of us.”

Celebrating the birth of his new baby girl with partner Clarissa Weerasena, Feildel is also on a career high — with the second series of his popular cooking travelogue, My France With Manu to premiere this Sunday (7pm AEDT) on Seven.

In a magnanimous gesture, Feildel said he was also prepared to share his status as the show’s resident flirt with Fassnidge.

“I’m the good cop and he can be the bad cop. And really, women like bad cops too so he’s going to do well. He’s a beautiful, strong Irish man and they will love it.”

Source : NEWS.com.au    February 17th 2015