Melissa Leong Has Quit ‘MasterChef’: Here’s The New Line-Up Of Judges
In the wake of Jock Zonfrillo’s death earlier this year, Channel 10 has announced three new judges for MasterChef Australia 2024.
Fan favourite and food critic Melissa Leong has decided to leave the show. However, Andy Allen – who won Season 4 before stepping into the kitchen as a judge in 2020 – will continue his judging role for the upcoming season.
The network has also added three new judges to the mix: MasterChef Australia’s Poh Ling Yeow, multi-Michelin Star award-winning chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and food critic and journalist Sofia Levin.
Andy admitted on Instagram that making the choice to continue as a judge on the franchise wasn’t easy. “The decision to return to the MasterChef kitchen was one that I thought long and hard about. But I’m super pumped to get back into the kitchen and continue Jock’s legacy, mentoring a new crop of Australia’s best home cooks,” he wrote.
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In a statement, he shared his excitement about the “new chapter”, saying: “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. 2024 will be the start of a new chapter, and it will be surreal – yet brilliant – to share this moment with my fellow judges, Poh, Sofia and Jean-Christophe.”
Why isn’t Melissa Leong returning for MasterChef Australia 2024?
Melissa Leong isn’t disappearing from the MasterChef brand altogether – she’s hosting the new spinoff series Dessert Masters alongside Amaury Guichon – but penned a thoughtful note on Facebook to explain why she didn’t sign on for MasterChef Australia 2024.
“My time as co-host and judge on MasterChef has been a great gift. To be given the opportunity to learn and grow – and now to be given the vote of confidence to expand the MasterChef universe is huge! Stepping away from the main show and into Dessert Masters alongside the extraordinary Amaury Guichon, is yet another sweet present indeed,” she wrote.
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She congratulated the new judges and hosts, with a special shoutout to her colleague and friend Andy for “leading the way”.
“The changing of the guard is one I always planned to embrace, and I’m so glad to do that, on my own terms, today. On top of all that joy, I am excited to share with you (soon), some other projects I’ve been working on behind the scenes, so watch this space!” she added.
Who are the new MasterChef Australia 2024 judges?
Poh Ling Yeow is one of the most iconic MasterChef Australia contestants. She burst onto the scene as the runner-up of Season 1, before competing in MasterChef Australia: Back To Win in 2020, coming sixth.
She’s gone on to release cookbooks, hosted her own show Poh’s Kitchen on ABC, hosted Snackmasters and competed on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! So, a return to where her TV career began makes total sense.
“Talk about a thrilling, full-circle moment. MasterChef Australia is where my food story began, so this feels like coming home. A big part of me will always be standing on the other side with the contestants and I hope when they look to me, they see proof you don’t have to win, to win,” Poh said.
Jean-Christophe Novelli, Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon. Image credit: Channel 10
Jean-Christophe Novelli is a French chef, restaurateur and author who has won multiple Michelin Stars. He’s also had some experience when it comes to teaching amateur cooks – he owns one of the world’s most prestigious cookery schools.
“Fostering culinary talent is something I have cared about for many years, and it is a passion I am excited to share in the MasterChef Kitchen. Australian cuisine has a remarkable reputation on the world stage, and it will be a great privilege to meet and mentor the country’s top home cooks on their journeys to greatness,” Jean-Christoph said.
And finally, Sofia Levin brings over a decade of experience as a food critic, with a soft spot for diverse cuisines and cultures.
“The first season of MasterChef Australia aired the same year I started writing about food. By the time I graduated from journalism, I was sharing lesser-known food stories, while the show was exposing the nation to cuisines and cultures they had never considered before,” Sofia said.
“Becoming a judge on MasterChef feels like two parallel paths converging, and I am giddy with excitement at the people I get to stand beside.”
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Image credits: Channel 10, MasterChef