EXCLUSIVE: Why Kim and Suong were dreading watching last night's episode of MKR.

Last night, the country’s most dramatic reality show came to a close amid criticism about, well, the drama.

My Kitchen Rules’ runner-ups Kim and Suong had their very first fight of the competition, only for fans of the show to declare it “staged” on social media.

So was it?

In an interview with Mamamia on Monday, both Kim and Suong were emphatic in promising it was very, very real.

“No, it definitely was not staged,” Kim told Mamamia. “We were at the very end and the pressure just got to us. We wanted to make our dessert and it didn’t go the way we were planning. We ran out of time and our frustration kind of just came out,” she said.

Suong said the fight was so real, she was dreading watching it back.

“I didn’t want it to be on TV. I was praying the fight wouldn’t be on TV. That was the only time we fought and I was very nervous about people seeing it. When it showed I was like, ‘Oh My God’.”

A post shared by Kim & Suong (@kimsuongau) on May 1, 2018 at 11:32pm PDT

“We have been friends for 20 years and we have never argued before now. We were just under so much pressure that we fought. It has made us stronger as individuals and our friendship is stronger than ever.”

The Melbourne mums admitted it was a little strange filming two entirely different endings; one where they won and one where they lost. No contestant knew the outcome of the finale until Australia did.

“Look, honestly, I had a feeling we may have had a chance [at the win],” Suong said. “I was hoping with our cuisine and our recipes and the complexity of how we cook would give us an advantage. Based on what we did, we did worry a little about our dessert, but it wasn’t a bad dessert.”

“Alex and Emily got to do the win first,” Kim explained, “so when our time came to film it, it was a bit harder and very strange. Still, we were still so thrilled to be filming [any ending]. To be at the end of the journey was very emotional in itself, it was a bit like a celebration.”

The two were effortlessly diplomatic when asked about Sonia and Hadil, the season’s most polarising contestants, who they were kicked off the show for bullying. Though the duo did admit the season was brimming with “so much personality”.

“What the audience didn’t see is that there’s so much love behind the scenes. Through food, we became family, so there was just so much love. The support we all gave each other was amazing,” Suong said.

“There’s a lot of pressure on My Kitchen Rules, and the pressure can make people say the wrong thing. It makes people be a little more irrational and not thinking before they [act],” Kim said.

And both women now have big plans to take on the Melbourne food scene.

Kim has a restaurant opening in June in Williamstown, Melbourne,  called ‘Ms Kim’ and she will, of course, serve modern vietnamese. Meanwhile, Suong is still working away on her cookbook titled ‘Mumma Suong’. She’s also releasing her own brand of sauces and condiments.

Result and separate paths aside, the women can agree on one thing.

“[The show] is going to change our lives.”