MasterChef judge Melissa Leong falls out with Network 10 crew

In the latest saga to rock Network 10 amid a growing cast of departing famous faces, Melissa Leong is said to have fallen out with MasterChef crew members.

As underperforming television Network Ten takes an axe to its stable of stars, programming budget and network Christmas party to reduce costs, this column has learned the broadcaster is battling to contain fire on a new front regarding MasterChef judge Melissa Leong.

The food critic – who broke up with Joe Jones, her husband of three years in 2020 just as her star was rising on Ten’s rebooted cooking show – has fallen out with members of Ten’s production crew.

Sources say they no longer wish to work with each other.

The 40-year-old star, say insiders, has become popular with the network’s audience and Ten is yet to address the issues as it does not want to upset her.

Complicating matters for Ten is that any complaints made by crew members have been countered by complaints from Leong in response.

Melissa Leong, pictured at the 2022 AACTAs, has reportedly fallen out with members of the MasterChef production crew. Picture: Brendon Thorne

On Friday, Ten did not provide a response to specific questions asked of it.

Instead we received a legal letter from lawyers representing Leong.

It is understood the driven Leong now does her own hair and make-up for the program after falling out with production partner Endemol Shine’s appointed hair and make-up professionals.

Insiders say the situation was further aggravated after a freelancer later hired to attend to Leong’s tresses sought comfort from fellow production crew.

Joe Jones and Melissa Leong together before 2020 split. Source: Instagram

Leong pictured with Chris Brown, Karl Stefanovic and Melanie Bracewell at Logies preview. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

The woman, we hear, later asked not to work with Leong.

Ten also didn’t respond to a claim that Leong accused the MasterChef crew of bullying her in April after members – having failed to produce a cake for Leong’s birthday, which had fallen weeks earlier but on a non-production day – produced a cake in honour of fellow judge Andy Allen’s birthday.

Leong with fellow MasterChef Australia judges Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo with guest chef Gordon Ramsay. Picture: Supplied

Leong is no stranger to controversy.

After signing on to MasterChef in 2019, she was forced to defend a series of historic tweets in which she’d slammed the program. In one tweet, posted in 2011, Leong described MasterChef as “an amateur (chef’s) … biggest mistake”.

In 2021 she made headlines again for “clapping back” at a contestant.

Singaporean-Australian Leong, who has become a fashion icon, makes no apology for taking her image seriously.

As she previously said: “I’ve always had ultimate say over how I look … so I’m very clear about what I want to look like and how I wish to project myself.”

Leong has been flagged with changing the nature of television, recently becoming the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for a Gold Logie.

“It was an honour to be in the class of people and while I stood alone, it’s a sign again that change is on its way,” she said.

Controversy surrounded the nomination when a group publicity photo emerged of all the nominees, bar Leong.

At the time it was taken, Leong was in Tasmania filming MasterChef and couldn’t be in the photo. However that didn’t stop some on social media questioning her absence.