Despite what some MasterChef Australia viewers think of Melissa Leong, eliminated contestant Harry Foster says the TV judge was a delight to work with.
WATCH: Editing fail! Masterchef’s Melissa appears in two places at once
Speaking about the barrage of criticism she’s faced since joining the hit series, the amateur cook squashed rumours Mellisa is “bias” and “rude” behind the scenes, telling HuffPost Australia: “This could not be further from the truth. She’s a queen and I love her.”
He added: “She is energetic, passionate and really just vibrant. You can feel the energy. It’s sort of like, she glows in a sense. It’s really refreshing to see that.”
While judges Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo have received nothing but praise since replacing Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston, Melissa has copped an unprecedented amount of backlash.
Last week, an on-set spy revealed tension between the trio has been brewing behind the scenes, and away from the cameras, they’ve been at each other’s throats.
“Don’t be fooled by the calm and collected judges and the smiling and supportive contestants,” the source told New Idea. “It’s up there with Married at First Sight for jaw-dropping antics.”
Melissa has allegedly been embroiled in many of the off-screen scandals, with the outlet’s spy claiming her “ego is out of control”.
“She is not popular with producers, crew or contestants. Network 10 are locked in with her, but they regret giving her the first MasterChef female judge role, which she is milking for all it is worth.”
It’s alleged her unreasonable requests and “diva-like behaviour” have alienated her from everyone on set.
“Jock and Andy try not to engage with her when cameras aren’t rolling,” the source added. “That isn’t hard as she spends most of her time in her dressing room working on her blog and social media, which frustrates producers who just want her to focus on the task she’s been paid to do.”
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