MasterChef Australia fans are left baffled by ex-judge Melissa Leong’s unexpected new hosting gig: ‘So weird’

MasterChef Australia fans are stunned by Melissa Leong’s unlikely career move following her departure from the cooking competition.

The 42-year-old food critic was sacked from the Channel Ten show last year, leaving her fans devastated, and has since had a number of other presenting jobs.

In addition to her role as a judge on Dessert Masters, Melissa has also taken on an unexpected role as a presenter on Fox Sports and Kayo.

Melissa surprised fans with her cooking background and appeared on screen during a UFC 305 interview on Tuesday.

She showed off her MMA knowledge when she spoke to iconic New Zealand fighter Israel Adesanya ahead of his August 18 showdown against Dricus Du Plessis.

Melissa shared footage of the interview on Instagram and MasterChef fans were quick to take to the comments to express their surprise at the dramatic change in her career.

One wrote: ‘From Masterchef to MMA,’ while another said: ‘A bit different from MasterChef?’

One fan agreed that the move was “so weird.”

In addition to her work as a judge on Dessert Masters, Melissa has also taken on a very unexpected role as a presenter on Fox Sports and Kayo, when she interviewed Israel Adesanya (pictured) this week

Others admitted they were fans of the change, writing, “I love this!!!” and calling the two a “couple of GOATs.”

This isn’t Melissa’s first foray into sports presenting, she recently guested on an episode of Fight Week for Fox Sports and Kayo.

Melissa, who has long been a secret UFC fan, admitted that she likes to “surprise” her fans and do things that people don’t expect.

“I like to surprise people,” she told the Daily telegram earlier this year.

‘I don’t do things on purpose for that reason, but it does make me happy when people notice that I’m not quite who they expected me to be.’

“I have a background in nutrition and food journalism, but now I have the opportunity to learn more about people’s lives through opportunities like this,” she added.

In another unexpected change, Melissa also recently returned to the screen as the host of a three-part documentary series about Australia’s healthcare system.

The TV star appeared in the SBS documentary series The Hospital: In The Deep End on Thursday, June 6, alongside Samuel Johnson and Costa Georgiadis.

Melissa indicated that she was interested in participating in the project so that she could gain insight into her mother’s career as a nurse.

The 42-year-old food critic was fired from MasterChef Australia last year, leaving her fans in a frenzy (she’s pictured on the show with Andy Allen and the late Jock Zonfrillo)

“Spending time in the emergency department gave me an insight into what she did,” she told TV Week.

‘I think [my mother is] such a hugely empathetic person. A lot of my inspiration for how I want to be in my life comes from her.’

But Melissa hasn’t given up her work as a food critic completely: she’s also a judge on MasterChef Australia’s new spin-off series Dessert Masters.

Melissa recently described her new role as a “dream come true” when speaking to Ny Breaking Australia.

After pulling out of MasterChef, Melissa insisted she had nothing but love for her former co-stars, despite the changes in the presenting world.

“I have nothing but love and respect for not only Andy, but everyone I’ve worked with,” she insisted. “We’re a team, we’re a family, and that’s really all you need to know.”

She co-presented the series with Andy Allen and the late Jock Zonfrillo, who was tragically found dead in a Melbourne hotel room on April 30, 2023.

Andy returned to the cooking competition this year, along with new judges Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli.