Why Melissa Leong is happy to hand over MasterChef reins

The former MasterChef judge reveals why she’s handing over the reins of the food juggernaut and why she’s excited to be partnering with the hottest thing in pastry – Amaury Guichon.

To say it’s been a fairly full-on few weeks for Melissa Leong might just be an understatement.

The chatter over Leong no longer being part of the MasterChef line up reached fever pitch last month, overshadowing the announcement that her new show – and new addition to the MasterChef universe – Dessert Masters had been renewed for a second season, before its first instalment has even aired. It was a huge vote of confidence by Network 10.

And while Leong had plenty of other exciting news to share – such as the joy that she would be returning to SBS – it all had to stay under wraps until the following week.

“That was really the only the frustrating part because part of my good news was on one network and so I couldn’t give the full story at the end of the first week,” Leong says.

“But then of course, when people haven’t quite understood ‘Oh why is she going? This is the job everybody wants. Why are you happy about this? You can’t be happy about this’.”

“I’m like, Well, because I haven’t told you…’.”

There’s a decidedly pink twist on the usual MasterChef kitchen for spin off Dessert Masters, with Melissa Leong as judge. Picture: Ten

So it was a huge relief when SBS announced her new venture with Gardening Australia Costa Georgiadis and Samuel Johnson on the three-part doco The Hospital: In The Deep End.

There’s no spin or artifice when Leong explains it truly is a joy to hand over the MasterChef reins to the new line-up which includes new faces MasterChef favourite Poh Ling Yeow, Michelin-star chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and food critic Sofia Levin, joining Andy Allen.

“The reason why is to give me the space in my life and my career to expand and to explore the other parts of human stories,” Leong shares.

“That’s really what I have come to appreciate so much about my MasterChef experience is how much it taught me and just how special it is to be in a position to share other people’s stories and also the skills that I’ve developed in helping people feel comfortable enough to share that with me and therefore the audiences.

“I wouldn’t have known that had I had not gone through these last four incredible years. But now I want it to put it to the test in other ways.”

Melissa Leong is looking forward to having the space to continue sharing human stories, outside food, such as on this three-part doco with Samuel Johnson and Costa Georgiadis on SBS. Picture: SBS

But surely it’s exhausting to have to constantly be on the defence.

“No, because there is so much to celebrate,” Leong says. “But also you know there is a moment where you shut the door when you get home and you sit down, and you pour yourself a cup of tea.

“And you do need to collect yourself and you do need to be quiet and just sort of sit with the enormity of change, because that is in itself a huge undertaking.”

Leong is waiting to watch Dessert Masters when it hits our screens on Sunday, saying she’s feeling the excitement akin to when she, Allen and the late Jock Zonfrillo first stepped into the void left by original judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan back in 2019.

“I’m excited – it’s like I’m back on episode one of 2020, I want to see it for the first time when the audience sees it.

“It’s very rare that you get to kind of relive that kind of moment like this.”

MasterChef Judges Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen rate the final four. Picture: Ten

Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon while filming Dessert Masters. Picture: Ten

Leong’s also loved the fresh challenge of partnering with the genius that is her new colleague, pastry wizard Amaury Guichon.

“I mean, really, there is no one hotter than him because of what he does and how he does it,” she says. “It is alchemy. So it is an honour to stand alongside him in the Dessert Masters kitchen to soak up some of that magic and that genius and learn what he knows about pastry. “Because the way he approaches (it) is a little different to others who follow a bit more of a traditional path. That kind of left-of-centre thinking permeates everything he does.”

A little left-of-centre thinking was also needed to cope – and combat – the sugar highs of a purely dessert-centred show. Leong says there are just a few little tools and tricks of the trade to help cleanse the palate and get back to an equilibrium. Like cups of Wood Apple tea, which has been used for many years in Thai culture as a blood sugar regulator. And slices of green apple, which Royal Show judges have employed for years when faced with mountains of tasting baked goods and sweet treats

The 10 professional pastry maestros including Anna Polyviou, Adriano Zumbo, Kirsten Tibballs and dessert king Reynold Poernomo, who honed his wizardry in the pressure cooker that is the MasterChef kitchen. Picture: Ten

There’s an impressive list of 10 professionals tasked with crazy challenges to be crowned Australia’s inaugural Dessert Master including Adriano Zumbo, who notoriously set the croquembouche challenge in the inaugural MC finale, Queen of Chocolate Kristen Tibballs and dessert king Reynold Poernomo, who honed his wizardry in the pressure cooker that is the MasterChef kitchen. Was it fraught giving constructive criticism to people who are at the top of their game?

“No, because they get it – they really get it,” Leong explains.

“So when you are explaining the why, they know because they’ve been in the industry for a very long time.

“They’re true professionals, which means they take that feedback with humility.

“Not that amateurs don’t. But it’s harder because it’s newer to them.

“I think professionals are able to kind of take it on the chin, and learn and apply constructively immediately. And that’s why you’ll see just flawless dish, after flawless dish, which of course makes it very difficult for us. The calibre is just mind-bogglingly amazing.”

Her spring racing commitments as part of her Lexus ambassadorship, means there’s little downtime anytime soon for Melissa Leong. Picture: MARK STEWART

With Spring Racing Carnival commitments, chatting with Jamie Oliver at the Opera House on Saturday, and a host of pre-production for other new projects, there’s no downtime in sight as yet for Leong. But she’s grateful – and used – to being busy,

“I’ve been freelancing since my mid-twenties, so at 41 I think just that mentality of make the most of everything while you have is something that will stay with me forever,” Leong shares. “But I’m really mindful to take breaks. I did that earlier in the year when I was in Italy for three weeks with friends and travelling around and eating pasta twice a day.

“I do definitely take the time to make sure that I don’t hit that stage of burnout again because I’ve been there and it wasn’t fun.”

Dessert Masters, Sunday, 7.30pm, Channel 10.

Originally published as Why Melissa Leong is happy to hand over MasterChef reins