Melissa Leong
{{Short description|Food writer and MasterChef Australia judge (born 1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Melissa Leong
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1982}}
| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| occupation = {{hlist|Food writer|food critic|television presenter|cookbook editor|radio broadcaster|marketer}}
| known_for =
| television = {{plainlist|
}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Joe Jones|2017|2020|reason={{abbr|sep.|separated}}}}
}}
Melissa Leong (born 1982){{Cite web |title=A life in travel: MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/masterchef-australia-judge-melissa-leong-on-her-life-in-travel/SWRSG27YY2YLOBOVETTQ5ZKQ6E/ |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} is an Australian freelance food writer, food critic, television host, radio broadcaster, cookbook editor and marketer.{{cite news |last1=Watson |first1=Meg |title=Melissa Leong on MasterChef, diversity and tabloids: 'I will never, ever let this stuff shake me' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/may/13/melissa-leong-masterchef-judge-2020-diversity-tabloids |accessdate=15 May 2020 | date=13 May 2020 |work=The Guardian }} She is currently a judge on Network 10's Dessert Masters alongside Amaury Guichon and was previously a judge on MasterChef Australia from 2020 to 2023, alongside Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo.
Early life
Leong was born in 1982 in Sydney.{{cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong on her life in travel|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=12341827|accessdate=21 August 2020|website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}{{Cite news|last=Cartwright|first=Lexie|date=5 November 2020|title=MasterChef's Melissa Leong named sexiest person of 2020|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrity-photos/masterchef-judge-melissa-leong-is-who-magazines-sexiest-person-of-2020/news-story/a66f2ddfd85aade1c778e3093bc4c6f4|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201220210511/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrity-photos/masterchef-judge-melissa-leong-is-who-magazines-sexiest-person-of-2020/news-story/a66f2ddfd85aade1c778e3093bc4c6f4|archive-date=20 December 2020|access-date=21 December 2020|newspaper=News.com.au}} Her parents emigrated to Australia from Singapore.{{cite news|last1=Lallo|first1=Michael|title='No point in sanitising your past': Melissa Leong praised by viewers|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/no-point-in-sanitising-your-past-melissa-leong-praised-by-viewers-20200501-p54oy9.html|accessdate=2 May 2020}}
Career
She co-hosted The Chefs' Line with chefs Dan Hong and Mark Olive for two seasons in 2017, and 2018.{{Cite web |date=2017-04-03 |title=The Chefs' Line {{!}} TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2017/03/the-chefs-line.html |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=tvtonight.com.au |language=en-AU}}
In October 2019, it was announced that Leong would be joining Network 10's cooking competition show MasterChef Australia, as a new judge alongside Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen, after former judges Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris left the series when Ten refused to meet the trio's pay rise demands.{{cite news|date=10 October 2019|title=MasterChef Australia: New judges announced|newspaper=News.com.au|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/masterchef-australia-new-judges-announced/news-story/a16a90a3c1fb922a48b908abd111245c|accessdate=15 May 2020|publisher=news.com.au|last1=Bucklow|first1=Andrew}}{{Cite web |title=MasterChef Australia New Judges Announced |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/masterchef-australia-new-judges-announced/news-story/a16a90a3c1fb922a48b908abd111245c |website=News.com.au}} Leong, Zonfrillo and Allen debuted on episode one of the show's twelfth season, which premiered on 13 April 2020.{{Citation |title=The Wait Is Over. MasterChef Australia. Back To Win. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diWPAyjZ790 |access-date=2023-08-01 |language=en}} Later that year, Network 10 announced that a third season of MasterChef spin-off Junior MasterChef Australia, was set to air in October 2020, with Leong appearing as a judge alongside Allen and Zonfrillo.{{Cite web |date=2020-07-23 |title=Jock, Melissa, Andy back to judge on Junior MasterChef {{!}} TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2020/07/jock-melissa-andy-back-to-judge-on-junior-masterchef.html |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=tvtonight.com.au |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |title=Junior MasterChef makes its debut next month |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/channel-10-show-junior-masterchef-makes-its-debut-next-month/story-e6frf96f-1225905081836 |website=The Herald Sun}}
In November 2020, Leong was named Who's Sexiest Person of 2020 by Who magazine.
In May 2021, it was announced that Leong would appear as a judge in another MasterChef spinoff, the second season of Celebrity MasterChef Australia alongside Allen and Zonfrillo.{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Kevin |date=2021-05-24 |title=Channel 10 confirms CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA is coming |url=https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2021/05/25/channel-10-confirms-celebrity-masterchef-australia-is-coming/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=TV Blackbox |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Zanda |date=2021-05-24 |title=Ten revives Celebrity MasterChef after more than a decade |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/ten-revives-celebrity-masterchef-after-more-than-a-decade-684214 |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=Mumbrella |language=en-US}}
In late 2022, Leong was announced as a judge on the all new MasterChef spinoff series, titled Dessert Masters. She judged and co-hosted the show alongside international pastry chef Amaury Guichon.{{Cite web |last=Vrajlal |first=Alicia |title=Everything We Know About MasterChef: Dessert Masters |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/2022/10/11141762/masterchef-dessert-masters-2023-show-details |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=www.refinery29.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Haddad |first=Kailah |date=2023-03-02 |title="MasterChef Australia"'s Sweetest Season Yet: Meet the Judges of Dessert Masters |url=https://www.popsugar.com.au/celebrity/masterchef-australia-dessert-masters |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=POPSUGAR Australia |language=en-AU}} Network 10 announced in their 2023 upfronts that the series was to be aired in the second half of 2023, after the fifteenth season of MasterChef Australia finishes.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-06 |title=MasterChef: Dessert Masters Is Set For Sweet Success |url=https://10play.com.au/10-play-trending/articles/masterchef-dessert-masters-is-set-for-sweet-success/tpa221005dsfjg |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=10 play |language=en-AU}}
In October 2023, it was announced that Leong would not be returning as a host of MasterChef Australia.{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Karl |date=2023-10-23 |title=‘Great gift’: Melissa Leong responds to being dumped from MasterChef |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/melissa-leong-dumped-from-masterchef-australia-20231023-p5ee86.html |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}
Personal life
Leong has had depression and anxiety throughout her life and has an autoimmune condition which has caused chronic insomnia and loss of hair.{{cite news|last1=Watson|first1=Meg|date=13 May 2020|title=Melissa Leong on MasterChef, diversity and tabloids: 'I will never, ever let this stuff shake me'|work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/may/13/melissa-leong-masterchef-judge-2020-diversity-tabloids|accessdate=15 May 2020}}
Leong married Joe Jones in 2017. In December 2020, she announced the two have separated.{{Cite web|last=Bode|first=Lucy|date=21 December 2020|title=MasterChef star Melissa Leong's shock walk-out|url=https://www.who.com.au/melissa-leong-separation-joe-jones|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221104006/https://www.who.com.au/melissa-leong-separation-joe-jones|archive-date=21 December 2020|access-date=21 December 2020|website=Who}}
References
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