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Home / Entertainment

The not-so-Great Food Race finale

Herald online
27 Apr, 2014 11:00 PM3 mins to read

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While it was Waikato couple Libby Buchanan and Elliot Jones who were named the winners of TV3's The Great Food Race, the show itself didn't come off quite as well during last night's live finale.

After 13 weeks of competition both here and around the world, the show culminated in an hour-long "cook-off", with Buchanan and Jones named clear winners by judges, Wellington restauranteur brothers Leonardo and Lorenzo Bresolin.

However during the show viewers flocked to social media sites, blasting the low production values, the lack of atmosphere, and even how the sound of the judges chewing was broadcast.

Host Zoe Marshall, who is married to ex-Blues rugby player Benji, didn't escape criticism either, as she was seen asking contestants questions like, "Is that parfait or pâté" and waving her cue cards around in front of the cameras.

Herald blogger Chris Philpott might have labelled The Great Food Race "the most underrated show on television right now" early in the season, but viewer numbers have fallen away since its debut. The first show in February attracted close to 150,000 viewers, while 123,160 people watched last night's episode.

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Meanwhile more than 514,000 people watched MasterChef New Zealand on TV One at the same time.

Here are our favourite tweets from viewers during last night's live finale of The Great Food Race:

Paul Henry's Shela Dicshit escapade on TV - still less awkward than #TheGreatFoodRace finale.

#thegreatfoodrace final providing @BestBitsComedy gold since 1900 hours

I'm sure the contestants on #THEGREATFOODRACE would have done so much better if the host wasn't in the way talking to herself

I wonder if #awkward is trending tonight. #TheGreatFoodRace

#thegreatfoodrace I just watched that whole thing with my fist shoved in my mouth. It was meant to be a stress relief. Nope. That was awful.

The #GreatFoodRace. Proudly bought to you by Awkwardly Awkward, making you feel uncomfortably awkward in your own home since 7pm.

Who won the #greatfoodrace was it the Indians, the Chinese or was it a Thai? All great food races either way...

The live final of The #greatfoodrace is so awful that it made Benji's Super Rugby career look legendary.

Is The Great Food Race intended to be a trainwreck? Is the host meant to have notes visibly written on his palm?

Not the most memorable week for the Marshall household #greatfoodrace

- nzherald.co.nz

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Discover more

Opinion

Colin Hogg: Food race looks good, tastes awful

28 Apr 05:00 PM
Opinion

Michele Hewitson: Into the frying pan

02 May 08:00 PM
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