Melissa Leong’s strict social media policy

DessertMasters judge Melissa Leong has a strict policy when it comes to social media. Here is why.

Melissa Leong has a strict policy on social media.

The former MasterChef judge restricts comments from followers, it is a strategy she has implemented to protect herself, not offend.

“I know a lot of people, especially on social media, have found quite difficult when it comes to me, is my boundaries,” the Dessert Masters judge said in a wide-ranging interview on the season two premiere of the Mental As Anyone podcast.

Melissa Leong, judge on Dessert Masters on Channel 10.

“So before I started MasterChef, I turned my comments off. People take that a number of different ways. Some people take it as an insult that I don’t want to engage with people, and that’s completely incorrect. I care about what people will think, but for me, the vast influx of information coming at me, questions, comments, feedback, I can’t take all of it on again. As an introvert, it’s too much for me, so I feel like it’s safer for my own mental health to respectfully draw the line and say, ‘look, I do care what you think, and I do interact sometimes’ but for me, if I were to wake up and check my phone and have a whole bunch of comments on … what I’m wearing, how I pronounce something, recommendations on restaurants to take their date to, all of that, for me, it’s tantamount to anxiety. And for me, as someone who has dealt with anxiety and depression for their entire life, that’s where I need to draw the line for myself in order to make this all sustainable.”

Leong, 42, has close to 400,000 followers on Instagram alone.

The foodie is one of Australia’s biggest name television stars and has understandably amassed a huge fanbase.

Social media is a way of connecting with fans but it can also be a big money earner for celebrities.

Dessert Masters judges Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon.

“I think there’s an element of FOMO that people have if I restrict comments, or if I don’t allow sharing, or whatever it is, that you are somehow shooting yourself in your foot and you’re not actually being able to capitalise on the growth and the benefits of a large social media following and a highly responsive following,” Leong told Mental As Anyone.

“But if I can say anything to anyone out there who’s thinking about it, you need to weigh up the benefits and the drawbacks, and if your mental health is important to you and caring too much about what people are saying about you is dominating your thoughts, there are ways of limiting it so that you can manage and you can be in the world with people, be present and I think that’s much more important, and you can still have a successful career.”

* A new episode of Mental As Anyone drops each Tuesday.

* Do you need help? Lifeline: 131144; Beyond Blue: 1300224636; Kids Helpline: 1800551800.

Originally published as Melissa Leong’s strict social media policy