Final cut for model butchers

Blonde butchers *Katie Brooke *and *Nikki Spehar *had their cooking dreams dashed last night when they were sent home just shy of moving into My Kitchen Rules Headquarters.

The NSW friends and promo models, who also work in a butcher's shop, went head-to-head with *WA * team *Kat Donald-Hill *and *Andre Pagano * for the last place at HQ, dishing up their final instant restaurant in an attempt to stay off the bottom of the leaderboard.

Both teams received the exact same score from judges *Pete Evans *and *Manu Feildel *but it was the other contestants who ultimately sent Brooke and Spehar packing with their scathing group score.

Voting strategically to secure their future in the competition, Donald-Hill and Pagano gave the women just one out of 10 points.

After hearing the verdict, Brooke told _AAA _ she and Spehar were devastated but had expected they would be eliminated.

"We didn't have that great a night and we knew there were couples that would vote strategically," she said.

"We were ready to accept it but it was still upsetting to leave the competition."

Spehar added: "Look, it's a competition. We knew there would be strategy. If we had cooked amazingly it wouldn't have mattered."

The women admitted that plating up chicken livers for the entree did not help, with many of the guests being put off by the unusual dish.

"It was definitely a risk because it was something that most people hadn't had," Spehar said.

"Obviously the people at this table didn't enjoy it but perhaps if we had cooked it during our first round they actually would have liked it. We opened people's minds to the idea of other meats that can be used, so in that respect it was fun."

The pals study business administration and psychology at university but Brooke has deferred her education following their stint on the Seven show to broaden her horizons.

She said she would be open to a career in the food industry down the track but for now wanted to simply enjoy being a 21-year-old.

"I want to travel and try different foods around the world," Brooke said. "We really want to gain experience elsewhere and then do the food dream later."

JESSIE PAPAIN

'We were

ready to accept

it but it was still upsetting to leave the competition.' Nikki Spehar