Former MasterChef star Melissa Leong has insisted she has nothing but love for her co-stars on the Channel 10 cooking show.
The food critic and TV personality spoke about a feud between herself and fellow judges Andy Allen and the late Jock Zonfrillo during a candid chat with Ny Breaking Australia at The Birdcage at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday.
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Leong, 41, declared, shaking off the speculative stories as part of 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 everyone I’ve worked with.”
“We’re a team, we’re a family, and that’s all you really need to know,” Melissa added.
Former Masterchef star Melissa Leong has insisted she has nothing but love for her co-stars on the Channel 10 cooking show. Pictured on Tuesday
“Again, these things (claims) are par for the course,” she explained.
When asked about the grief the MasterChef family experienced following Zonfrillo’s shock death, Leong demurred.
“I think out of respect for everyone involved and the way people deal with grief individually, it’s just not for me to say.”
However, Melissa’s enthusiasm was palpable as she talked about her new gig on Dessert Masters.
When pressed about friction on Ny Breaking Australia’s MasterChef set, Leong said: “I have nothing but love and respect for not only Andy, but everyone I’ve worked with.” Pictured with co-stars: Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo
She describes it as a “dream come true” and is about to co-host with Amaury Guichon, billed as the world’s most popular pastry chef.
On the personal side of things, the recent rumors had fans speculating about a romance rekindling with her ex, Rob Mason.
When pressed on matters of the heart, Leong kept her poise and subtly steered the conversation back to her professional life.
“That’s completely off-topic,” she pointed out.
Leong instead chose to focus on her various endeavors, including her upcoming SBS documentary series The Hospital: In The Deep End.
“I’m so focused on all the incredible projects,” she said.
She describes it as a “dream come true” and is about to co-host with Amaury Guichon, billed as the world’s most popular pastry chef.
Zonfrillo’s widow Lauren Fried responded last month to MasterChef Australia’s new line-up following Leong’s departure 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 said on Instagram that Zonfrillo would be “very happy” with the new lineup – which no longer features Leong.
Her comment has led to speculation that Zonfrillo, who died of natural causes on April 30 at the age of 46, did not get along well with Leong behind the scenes.
Off-topic: When pressed on matters of the heart, Leong kept her poise and subtly steered the conversation back to her professional life