Well-loved series, My Kitchen Rules, hits our screens tonight on Channel 7 for its eighth season. MKR is set to tantalise and excite with new twists, turns and culinary adventures for the contestants while continuing with the format that we love to devour.

The line-up of contestants is better than ever with 18 teams set to inspire Australian tastebuds. Here are our top five teams to watch.

David and Betty, New South Wales

These two are friends with benefits, and those benefits are all about eating the sumptuous South-East Asian meals they’ve prepared. Meeting in a body-piercing parlour, the two bonded over a mutual love of food. The effect of growing up with Laotian and Vietnamese influences shines through in their culinary style. They both admit that they are hustlers, so perhaps they will hustle themselves an MKR win?

 Josh and Amy, Western Australia

This married couple from Broome say they will bring the best seafood that this competition has ever seen. A mighty big call, but Josh works on the ocean and the two spend weekends catching their own mud crabs. While Josh is the “seafood master,” Amy handles the dessert sides of things, giving these guys a well-rounded, if fishy, start in the competition.

Valerie and Courtney, Queensland

This Brisbane mum and daughter may be hot contenders if Valerie just remembers that mum is in charge. Drawing on their Anglo-Indian roots, these two are huge fans of big, traditional flavours. Mum Courtney prizes her book of her father’s recipes while Valerie loves to inject a modern flair into the pair’s dishes.

Mark and Chris, Victoria

These best buddies from Melbourne think that they can handle the stress of the MKR kitchen. They liken it to footy which is their other passion. They know how important it is to work as a team and they’re looking forward to proving that footy guys eat more than just meat pies. And as both have Italian heritages, we may see some silky pastas and perfect risottos… or their nonnas will not be happy.

Court and Duncan, Victoria

This married Melbourne couple has declared they are the “King of Protein” and the “Salad Ninja”, so they have dinner covered. While Court was a vegetarian and vegan for much of her life, she now enjoys eating meat responsibly, which is a blessing because her husband’s pride and joy is his offset smoker. Duncan’s piece de resistance is his smoked beef cheeks, and Court will bring the sides.