Reality stars’ awful behaviour – it’s what we want, says Ben Pobjie

As My Kitchen Rules winds to an end for 2018, we look back on the strange, long journey it's been, and we know one thing for sure: in a month's time, hardly anyone will remember who won the series, but everyone will remember the historic night when Sonya and Hadil were booted from the competition for what can only be described as taking the instruction "be yourselves" far too literally.

The producers of the show will certainly remember it: it was the focal point of MKR's marketing pretty much from the start of the year and paid massive dividends in publicity and ratings. For that kind of on-screen conflagration is manna from heaven for reality producers.

This doesn't mean they actually make it happen – if they did, it'd happen all the time and they wouldn't have to lie to us with breathless ads about the Controversy That Will Change The Game Forever which turns out to be one team using chutney from a jar. But when it does happen, when they get their hands on a couple of human holy grails like Sonya and Hadil, they are going to milk that for all it's worth, and we will drink that milk like the thirsty calves we are.

Because as much as might like to tut-tut over reality stars' awful behaviour, it's what we want. The expulsion of Sonya and Hadil was incredibly satisfying for us – the wicked being righteously punished.