It looks like a MasterChef Australia judge will be joining the next season of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Former judge and food critic Melissa Leong is expected to join a host of celebrities in the jungle.
Leong, 42, who currently hosts Dessert Masters alongside Amaury Guichon, previously acted as a judge on MasterChef until his departure in 2023.
And the amount she is supposedly paid to appear on I’m A Celebrity appears to be eye-watering, according to a source who spoke to Yahoo Lifestyle.
“If Melissa could get a quarter of a million dollars over the proposed 21 days, no one should easily turn it down,” the source said.
They also mentioned that Channel 10 is unlikely to renew Dessert Masters but “they don’t want to lose their relationship” with Leong.
Executives may need to “play on Melissa’s fearless nature and unpredictable career choices” to include her in I’m a Celebrity.
The source also claimed that the network will need to frame the offer with a “very smart pitch” to lure Leong into the jungle.
It looks like a MasterChef Australia judge will be joining the next season of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Pictured: Current MasterChef judges Sofia Levin, Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli
Former judge and food critic Melissa Leong is expected to join a host of celebrities in the jungle. in the photo
It comes after Melissa was hit by rumors that she could also be preparing a return to MasterChef Australia.
Melissa left MasterChef Australia last year under a cloud of suspicion over an alleged dispute with her former co-host Andy Allen, who still serves as a judge.
“Melissa told Ten she will return to MasterChef Australia when Andy Allen leaves,” a TV insider recently told Daily Mail Australia.
The amount Leong is allegedly paid to appear on I’m A Celebrity appears to be eye-watering, according to a source who spoke to Yahoo Lifestyle. “If Melissa could get a quarter of a million dollars over the proposed 21 days, no one should easily turn it down,” the source said.
“I think the idea of returning to what the show once was for her seems a little daunting and the only way Melissa would come back is if the entire format was revamped.”
Melissa surprised fans when she shared the news of her departure on Instagram a day before Network Ten’s 2024 Upfronts.
“I always planned to accept the changing of the guard, and I am very happy to do so today on my terms,” she wrote in a statement last October.
Melissa’s departure came after it was claimed she had been fired following a series of publicized off-camera drama.
In 2022, she infamously had a breakup with the show’s hair and makeup team along with a substitute freelance stylist.
“Andy has no problems with Leong,” the source told Daily Mail Australia. But she previously expressed that her former colleague wasted a lot of time doing her hair and makeup.
“He felt that his perfectionism compromised his control over what was filmed.”
Andy returned to the show this year alongside three new judges: media darling Poh Ling Yeow, Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and Melbourne food critic Sofia Levin.
