Melissa Leong will not be returning to MasterChef Australia next year, it has been revealed.
In 2024, only one of the three original judges will be returning, after Scottish chef Jock Zonfrillo passed in April of this year, right before the season was about to premiere.
Season four winner and judge since 2020, Andy Allen, will continue his hosting role on the show, along with runner-up of the competition’s first season, Poh Ling Yeow, Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and food writer Sofia Levin.
Read more: Say hello to your new MasterChef Australia judges.
“After an extremely difficult year in 2023, and upon reflection, the decision to return to the series is not one I took lightly,” said Allen in a statement issued by Network Ten.
“But there is something special in the MasterChef Australia kitchen, and it feels right to come back to work with the amazing production team, and to play my role in seeing the contestants do as I have done,” he added.
Leong has previously been nominated for the Gold Logie in 2022 and will continue to co-host the second season of Dessert Masters, which is set to return next year.
A spokesperson for the network said the decision to replace Leong was due to conflicting filming schedules and her publicity demands outside of the show.
“Melissa Leong remains a key member of the MasterChef Australia family,” the spokesperson said. “Melissa is set to return for a second season of Dessert Masters in 2024, alongside fellow judge and pastry prodigy Amaury Guichon.
“Next year, MasterChef Australia and Dessert Masters will air back to back, therefore each show needs its own distinct style and personality and its own unique hosting team.”
Paramount, the owner of Network Ten, is expected to reveal its full 2024 line-up on Tuesday morning.
Leong has shared the news on her social media.
