Melissa Leong shares tearful post about ‘dark' memoir revelations
The former MasterChef Australia judge, 43, said she had a 'hard day' as she revisited past traumas aired in her upcoming memoir, Guts, which hits stands in September.
'I started recording the audio version of my memoir, and I knew sharing some of what I wrote might be the most difficult thing I have ever had to say out loud to strangers,' Leong shared in her Instagram caption, alongside a photo of herself in tears.
'It's not yet time to talk about it, but I really need to send love to anyone out there who has been forced through the dark. You are not alone, and I need to know I am not, either,' she continued.
'I am not one for posting these kinds of raw moments, but I want to mark today as one where I reclaimed myself and my story once and for all.'
Leong's post prompted an outpouring of love from her followers, praising the food critic for her 'strength' and 'vulnerability'.
The TV presenter, who left the Ten cooking show in 2023 after Jock Zonfrillo's death, revealed in June her debut memoir would 'have teeth, guts and heart.'
'Writing this book hasn't been without fear, doubt, or worry. The result is a book rippled with love letters to food, seeing the world, and most importantly, doing things my way,' Leong shared.
'It's not all light. There are some pretty dark truths in here, but isn't that always the making of who we are?'
She also promised fans there would be 'a bunch' of behind the scenes MasterChef revelations.
Leong, who currently hosts the networks MasterChef spin-off, Dessert Masters, previously opened up to news.com.au about her struggle with anxiety and overcoming self-doubt.
'I have a very loud internal monologue, so whenever I say something I could have articulated a little bit more delicately, I'm rehashing what I did and said in front of people because that's just how my mind works. I'm hypercritical. It's just how I'm built,' she said in October last year.
Leong continued, 'Anxiety and neuroticism is something we all share as human beings. We all have moments where we know we nailed it, and moments where we go, 'Wow, that was a bit special, wasn't it?'
'I think the more time I spend in entertainment, the more I realise that's just what makes us human. What connects us to other humans. I've learned to embrace the mess just a little bit more.
'I don't think that I'll ever be fully comfortable with [being high profile]. I mean, I watch peers and colleagues handle it with much more grace than I do.
'But I have found a way to traverse it in a way that I can live with.'
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