Former MasterChef star Melissa Leong has insisted that she has nothing but love for her co-stars at the Channel 10 cooking show.
The food critic and TV personality addressed whispers of a feud between herself and fellow judges Andy Allen and the late Jock Zonfrillo during a candid chat with Daily Mail Australia in The Birdcage at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday.
‘This is not my first rodeo,’ Leong, 41, declared, shrugging off the speculative stories as par for the course in the high-stakes world of reality TV.
When pressed about friction on the MasterChef set, Leong said, ‘I have nothing but love and respect for not only Andy but everybody that I’ve worked with.’
‘We’re a team, we’re a family, and that’s all you need to know really,’ Melissa added.
Former Masterchef star Melissa Leong has insisted that she has nothing but love for her co-stars at the Channel 10 cooking show. Pictured on Tuesday
‘Once again, these things [claims] are a par for the course,’ she explained.
When asked about the grief the MasterChef family experienced in the wake of Zonfrillo’s shock death, Leong demurred.
‘I think that out of respect for everybody involved and the way that people deal with grief individually, it’s just not for me to say.’
However Melissa’s enthusiasm was palpable when speaking about her new hosting gig on Dessert Masters.
When pressed about friction on the MasterChef set by Daily Mail Australia, Leong said, ‘I have nothing but love and respect for not only Andy but everybody that I’ve worked with’. Pictured with co-stars: Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo
Describing it as a ‘dream come true’, she is poised to co-host alongside Amaury Guichon, billed as the world’s hottest pastry chef.
As for the personal side of things, recent buzz had fans speculating about a rekindling of romance with her ex, Rob Mason.
When pressed on matters of the heart, Leong maintained her poise, subtly steering the conversation back to her professional life.
‘That’s completely off topic,’ she remarked.
Leong instead chose to focus on her various endeavors, including her forthcoming SBS documentary series The Hospital: In The Deep End.
‘I’m so focused on all the incredible projects,’ she said.
Describing it as a ‘dream come true’, she is poised to co-host alongside Amaury Guichon, billed as the world’s hottest pastry chef
Zonfrillo’s widow Lauren Fried last month reacted to the new MasterChef Australia line-up following Leong’s exit from the series.
The upcoming sixteenth season will see three new judges – series alum Poh Ling Yeow, Michelin-star chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and food critic Sofia Levin – join returning host Andy Allen.
Following the announcement, Fried took to Instagram to say Zonfrillo would be ‘very happy’ with the new line-up – which no longer features Leong.
Her remark has sparked speculation that Zonfrillo, who died on April 30 of natural causes at the age of 46, did not get along with Leong behind the scenes.
Off topic: When pressed on matters of the heart, Leong maintained her poise, subtly steering the conversation back to her professional life
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