Melissa Leong's shock career move after MasterChef exit: 'Like to surprise people'

Melissa Leong has made a surprising career move following her shock MasterChef exit last year, with the Dessert Masters judge revealing she guest hosted an episode of Fight Week for Fox Sports and Kayo.

The closet UFC fan spoke to the Daily Telegraph, saying, "I like to surprise people."

She added, "I don’t do things deliberately for that reason, but I do get a little bit of joy out of people realising I’m not quite what they were expecting me to be."

Melissa shared that while she is trained in food journalism, she enjoys the chance to "learn about people's lives" in different ways like this.

RELATED:

• Dessert Masters' Melissa Leong shows off 'unrecognisable' transformation

• MasterChef 2024: Real reason behind Melissa Leong's departure revealed

• Melissa Leong breaks silence following rumours of a MasterChef feud

"And all the better that it happens to be a sport that I have come to really value and respect and love," she says, adding that she is "not a huge sports fanatic across the board".

She's previously shared on the Who the Fook Are These Guys podcast that she doesn't see the sport as just "people beating the s**t out of each other", adding that she believes it's "the ultimate display of athleticism".

It comes after Melissa revealed she would be appearing in SBS' new documentary series The Hospital: In The Deep End alongside actor Samuel Johnson and Gardening Australia's Costa Georgiadis.

The show will explore the challenges faced by the Australian public health system by going behind the scenes of one of Australia's busiest hospitals. Samuel, Melissa and Costa will work alongside staff as they help deliver frontline care and experience what it's really like working in the public health system.

Speaking about the new project, Melissa shared that she was approached by SBS due to her mother's healthcare experience.

"She was a nursing unit manager in the emergency department in Sutherland Hospital for about a decade, and she’s been a nurse since she was 17," Melissa said, according to news.com.au. "So to be given the opportunity to be a deeply unqualified fly on the wall, to get a feel for how much pressure the public health system is under, why would you say no to that?"

It comes following rumours that she was axed from MasterChef after four years and moved to the new show Dessert Masters due to a feud between the host and others on set.

SHOP:

• The 'game changing' beauty brand supermodel Robyn Lawley swears by

• The popular body wash that gets rid of back pimples for good: 'Amazing'

• Koala's award-winning sofa beds are what every Aussie home needs

Speaking with The Herald, Melissa slammed the claims, saying it was always part of her plan to eventually leave, "I always said I would love to be in the position where, when it’s my time, I get to welcome and congratulate the next batch of judges and hand that baton on.

"And I get to do that, which is the most wonderful thing, and I get to explore so many other parts of who I am."

Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyle’s daily newsletter.

Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com.