MEL'S HEALTH BATTLE - ‘I WAS BURNT OUT'

Stressed Mel was at crisis point before overhauling her life

She’s one of the most established food writers in the country and has built a career editing cookbooks, presenting TV shows and writing columns in acclaimed publications, but things haven’t always been easy for MasterChef judge Melissa Leong.

“I worked on a book, which involved a lot of travel and close living with a small crew. As an introvert, who manages depression and anxiety, it was a situation asking for disaster,” Mel, 38, recalls of her life before MasterChef.

“Managing my mental health in such close confines was challenging. Add to that the fact that living on the road can pile on the pounds…” she adds, revealing that when the book was complete she replaced her high pressure work with “crazy exercise and a diet regimen” instead of taking a break.