MasterChef Australia judge, Melissa Leong, came under fire in 2020 after it was reported that former contestant Tessa Boersma believed she showed favouritism to the other contestants. And now, she has spoken out about it.
In an interview with TV WEEK, Melissa addressed the concerns saying that she takes her job “very seriously”.
“Of course, you feel fond of them [the contestants],” Melissa told the outlet. “But we are still judging the food on the plate at the end of the day.”
“As much as we love spending time with them, I think any judge needs to remain impartial in that regard.”
While on set she remains objective and keeps her distance, it doesn’t mean that she withholds a relationship altogether.
“When the competition is over, or somebody leaves, and I’ve had some kind of connection with them, I may keep in touch with them on some level, but when it comes to competitions, I take my job very seriously,” she said.
What Did Tessa Boersma Say About “Favouritism” On MasterChef Australia?
Back in May 2020, Tessa — a season 11 and 12 contestant — was said to have become “frustrated” by what she perceived to be “favouritism” by Melissa.
According to New Idea at the time, there was an emotional exchange between the pair on set.
Speaking to 10 Daily in 2019, Tessa explained the mental game that is MasterChef.
“It’s definitely a mental game,” she said. “I think for me, I was just lucky that that’s just the way that my brain works.
“You know, when I’m given a task, I want to always complete it to the best of my ability and I’m quite competitive,” she added.
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