With the catchcry, “One, two, barbecue”, My Kitchen Rules’ favourite Texan-born Robert Murphy gives contestants on the new warm-hearted Channel Seven show for summer, Aussie Barbecue Heroes, their countdown. Who will be king of the grill?
It’s a show that has come in the nick of time for the popular Hazelbrook TV star, who revealed exclusively to the Blue Mountains Gazette in March how he’d been stung with a $250,000 bill for back taxes that could see him lose his property and superannuation.
But he told Sydney media and the Gazette recently “there’s light at the end of the tunnel on the tax front though, thanks to help from a good accountant”.
The 62-year-old said he had “never not paid taxes. But it gets tricky when you’re doing it on two sides of the world and you have to pay it not just twice, you actually have to pay it four times.”
Robert Murphy learned to cook at his Breckenridge, Texas, home, seasoning rabbits he shot himself. He said most Texan families “perfected” the art of barbecue from left over steel pipes from the oil industry. But he’s not critical of Aussie barbecuing.
“I don’t think you need to try and copy it [American cooking]. I think they’re [Australians] pretty good because they get a lot of practice with the great weather here.”
The Iron Chef-style show is looking for one Aussie barbecue hero and there’s more than $100,000 in prize money up for grabs.
“It’s pretty good, I’m enjoying myself [on the show], it’s just another crazy thing that’s happened. But I don’t think this life is ever worry-free, I still worry about my 80-something-year-old mum in Texas.”
I don’t think you need to try and copy it [American cooking]. I think they’re [Australians] pretty good because they get a lot of practice with the great weather here.
- Robert Murphy
Mr Murphy has spent most of the second half of the year working on the show – “I’m seeing the episodes when you do” – doing media interviews, making visits to Texas and cooking for charities locally.
“I think it shows there’s always the chance for anybody to go beyond what they’re doing,” the retired teacher said.
The show airs on Wednesday nights.
