Love On The Menu! Charlotte & Jaryd's Recipe For Romance

 Hey, what’s cooking with the TV rivals?

- Ellen Mackenze

My Kitchen Rules New Zealand contestants Charlotte Brown and Jaryd Grey didn’t have the most romantic of starts to their relationship. The handsome finance broker recalls, “Our first date was at the MKR dinner table in Rotorua, where we didn’t even talk to each other.”

Charlotte grins. “There was a little eye contact there from me, but it was a bit of a one-way street!”

Yet as much as the Auckland couple try to downplay their reality TV romance, when they come together for our exclusive Woman’s Day photo shoot, it’s clear they’re smitten with each other. “I’ve never met anyone like Jaryd – he’s so caring towards me,” reveals culinary student Charlotte, 19.

Despite being on opposing teams in the TVNZ 2 cooking competition, Jaryd, 27, and his girlfriend shared an instant connection and eventually they started to spend more time together away from the cameras. “The thing that drew me to Charlotte was her fun personality,” smiles Jaryd as he leans in to give the bubbly brunette a kiss. “She’s so infectious – that’s the first thought I had when I met her.”

The young lovebirds then dissolve into a fit of laughter as he sweeps Charlotte off her feet and swings her into the air. It’s a blissfully happy scene, but the pair confess their relationship hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.