Former Masterchef judge Melissa Leong has spoken out after Jock Zonfrillo’s widow Lauren Zonfrillo alluded to a behind-the-scenes feud in a recent Instagram post.
Lauren praised the new Masterchef Australia lineup on Instagram, failing to mention former judge Leong after it was revealed earlier this week that the food critic was pulled from the upcoming season.
In the post, she said: “This is a group of people who respect the privilege of being part of such an extraordinary show,”
“This would make Jock immensely happy – @andyallencooks unexpectedly came into our life 4 years ago. He quickly became a best mate to Jock, shared a passion for food and fun, and was someone who cared deeply for our family,” she wrote.
Leong spoke with the Herald Sun on Friday, revealing she won’t stop being ‘unapologetically’ herself.
“I like to be direct. I like to be heartfelt in everything that I strive to be as real,” she said.
“We are all humans, humans are complex and you are allowed to have off days. For me it’s about being real and that resonates with people.”
The new judges for the upcoming season are Pol Ling Yeow, Michelin-star chef Jean Christophe Novelli and food critic Sofia Levin, and will join host Andy Allen.
After Jock’s shock death in April, The Project’s Sunday program put together a tribute to the chef which left fans questioning why Leong didn’t take part.
An inside source told The Daily Mail at the time: “There was a very emotional tribute from Andy on The Project and it was surprising Melissa wasn’t there sitting beside him.
“You would have thought they would have taken on the media together. Especially since the company line was that they were all best friends.”
Earlier this month, Leong addressed the chef’s death “for the first and last time” after the public noticed she remained quiet on the tragedy.
In an interview with Stellar, “I know a lot of people have been wondering that and so hopefully — for the first and last time — I can address it and we can move on from it.”
“Let’s look at the landscape we currently live in. We can access almost every piece of information we want to know at a second’s notice. We live in a moment in time where instant gratification is a given, and so when you can’t access information, there’s a bit of a disconnect there because people want to know why.
“And, for me, the why is very simple: Because it’s not my story to tell,” she said.