Manu Feildel

Emmanuel Feildel
Emmanuel Feildel
Born	March 26, 1974 (age 52); Nantes, France
Occupation(s)	Chef, restaurateur, television personality
Years active	1999–present
Known for	Judge on My Kitchen Rules

Emmanuel Feildel (born 26 March 1974) is a French-Australian chef, restaurateur, and television personality who received his culinary training in England. He is widely recognized for his role as a judge on the competitive cooking series My Kitchen Rules.

Feildel initially gained acclaim as the head chef at Bilson's before launching his own establishment, Manu at L'Étoile, in 2009. This restaurant ceased operations in March 2014.

Biography

Although coming from a lineage of professional chefs, Feildel pursued an unconventional path by enrolling in circus school at age 13. There, he spent three years mastering skills such as juggling, unicycling, and clown performance before deciding to focus on cooking. His culinary education took place in London, where he trained at the Cafe Royal restaurant and gained experience working at Les Associes, Cafe des Amis du Vin, and the seafood venue Livebait.

Career

After relocating to Australia in 1999, Feildel worked across multiple restaurants before securing the position of head chef at Bilson's. During his tenure, he played a key role in the restaurant earning its prestigious "three-hat" rating for contemporary French cuisine, which elevated his status within the culinary community.

Feildel has appeared on television programs such as Ready Steady Cook (2006) and MasterChef Australia (2009), and has served as co-host on My Kitchen Rules since 2010. In 2009, he departed from Bilson's to establish his own French bistro, Manu at L'Étoile; however, the venue closed in 2014 due to heightened competition and the demands of his television career affecting its performance.

In 2010, he took part as a celebrity contestant on Australia's version of Beat the Star. The following year, he won season 11 of Dancing with the Stars, participated in that year's Good Food & Wine Show, and was nominated for Most Popular New Male Talent at the Logie Awards. Additionally, he hosted the reality dating program Dinner Date in 2011.

Following the closure of Manu at L'Étoile, Feildel collaborated with chef George Calombaris to open Le Grand Cirque in Melbourne; this venture lasted only four months before closing in August 2014.

In April 2014, he presented My France with Manu, a travel and cooking documentary highlighting the culinary traditions and culture of western France.

Feildel portrayed French chef Andre Mont Blanc in the 2018 film The BBQ. In 2019, he joined as a judge on the revived season of Australia's Got Talent. The next year, he reunited with former MasterChef Australia judges Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston on the cooking competition series Plate of Origin.

Community work

In March 2013, Feildel undertook a trek along the Kokoda Track to raise funds for CanTeen, an Australian organization dedicated to supporting young people affected by cancer. Each participant contributed $5,000 to take part.

He also serves as an ambassador for Camp Quality, a charity focused on providing support to families dealing with childhood cancer.

ANZUP Cancer Trials Group

In 2019, Manu became involved with the ANZUP Cancer Trials Group's Rude Food initiative, where he crafted bold dishes to promote awareness of cancers affecting the lower body regions, including penile, prostate, testicular, bladder, and kidney cancers.

The following year, 2020, saw him appointed as an ANZUP Below the Belt Ambassador. During this time, he completed the #YourWay Challenge by cycling a total of 854 kilometres and successfully raised $987 to support cancer research.

In 2021, Manu took part in the Seven Network’s Dancing with the Stars, choosing to support the ANZUP Cancer Trials Group as his designated charity.

Personal life

Feildel and his former partner Veronica Anne "Ronnie" Morshead ended their relationship in 2009 after being together for 12 years; they share one son named Jonti.

In November 2013, he became engaged to Clarissa Weerasena, who manages a go-go bar in Pattaya. The couple later married in January 2018. They are parents to a daughter named Charlee, born in 2015. Clarissa also appears as a cook on the television show Better Homes and Gardens.

References