HELLO! It goes without saying we’re super excited to share today’s episode with you!

Today on the show, we bring you the glorious Melissa Leong. Melissa is a freelance food and travel writer, cookbook editor, radio broadcaster, and TV presenter. She’s been an esteemed food critic for publications like Time Out Sydney, and previously hosted SBS’s television series A Chef’s Line. She’s now working alongside Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo as a judge on Masterchef Australia, and has been requested as a guest on our show so many times we've honestly lost count.

In this chat, Melissa tells us exactly how she found out Masterchef Australia wanted her as a judge on the show, as well as her past experiences grappling with shame and culture.

Thank you so much to today’s sponsor, Beefeater Gin. Don’t forget to use the code ‘SHAMELESS20’ here for that generous discount!

If you’d like to see more from Melissa, which you no doubt 1000% do, follow her on Instagram at @fooderati.

As for us? Here are all the links your heart desires...

Our Insta profile.

Our book-club.

And our weekly newsletter!

Shameless Podcast is run by three women and is charged by the support of our incredible listeners - AKA you! So, if you'd like to support the show, hit 'subscribe' on Apple Podcasts and leave a five-star review if you think we’ve earned it. You can also click 'follow' on Spotify. Then sit back and bask in our eternal, abundant love.

Your hosts are Zara McDonald (@zamcdonald) and Michelle Andrews (@michelleandrews1).

This episode was produced by Annabelle Lee for Shameless Media.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices