MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong confirmed her split from husband Joe Jones in December, almost four years after they tied the knot in California.
And it seems as though Joe, who owns the Romeo Lane cocktail bar in Melbourne‘s CBD, is being comforted by friends as he moves on from his failed marriage.
The tattooed businessman held hands with an unidentified female pal as they took a stroll through the city on Tuesday.
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Friends: Joe Jones (right), the estranged husband of MasterChef judge Melissa Leong, went for a stroll in Melbourne with an unidentified female friend (left) on Tuesday
End of the road: The sighting comes weeks after food critic Melissa (left) confirmed the couple’s split in a post shared to Instagram on December 20
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting they are anything more than friends.
Tattooed Joe wore a white linen shirt, which he teamed with smart black trousers.
His female companion kept things casual in a jumper and leopard-print shorts, which she paired with flat ankle boots and oversized sunglasses.
Pals: Joe, who owns the Romeo Lane cocktail bar in Melbourne’s CBD, held hands with the woman. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting they are anything more than friends
Stylish: The tattooed businessman wore a white shirt, which he teamed with smart black pants
Outing: Before they briefly held hands, Joe and his friend had entered a house together as he clutched two bottles of champagne
Chic: Joe’s female companion kept things casual in a jumper and leopard-print shorts, which she paired with flat ankle boots and oversized sunglasses
Wardrobe change: They were inside the property for a few minutes, during which time the woman changed out of her grey jumper and into a black one
Before they briefly held hands, Joe and his friend had entered a house together as he clutched two bottles of champagne.
They were inside the property for a few minutes, during which time the woman changed out of her grey jumper and into a black one.
That same day, Joe shared a video to Instagram of the pair strolling down the street with a male pal, which he captioned: ‘Day for the favourites’.
The sighting comes weeks after food critic Melissa, 40, confirmed the couple’s split in a post shared to Instagram on December 20.
Trio: That same day, Joe shared a video to Instagram of the pair strolling down the street with a male pal, which he captioned: ‘Day for the favourites’
‘It has brought us such happiness to walk together, but the time has come for Joe and I to part ways and walk on, apart,’ she wrote.
‘We ask for your kindness and consideration for our privacy, we will not be making any further comment as our private lives have, and will always remain exactly that.
‘We wish you peace at the end of such a challenging year for all.’
Before the break-up, Joe was last seen on Melissa’s account in late June, when she uploaded a photo of him holding their cat Ghost.
The pair married in a small ceremony at California’s Joshua Tree National Park in February 2017, after dating for just five months.
Busy: While the reason for Joe and Melissa’s split has not been disclosed, the bartender hinted in February last year as they celebrated their three-year anniversary that his wife’s filming schedule for MasterChef had taken a toll on their relationship
‘I first met him briefly at his bar in Melbourne, Romeo Lane,’ Melissa previously told TV Week of their romance.
‘Then we met again properly about 18 months later at a function. We started talking there and we’ve just not ever ceased since really. It’s pretty cool.’
They eloped in the U.S. just three months after deciding to get engaged.
While the reason for their split has not been disclosed, Joe hinted in February last year as they celebrated their three-year anniversary that Melissa’s filming schedule for MasterChef had taken a toll on their relationship.
Their story: The pair married in a small ceremony at California’s Joshua Tree National Park in February 2017, after dating for just five months. Melissa and Joe are pictured in happier times
‘Mel is in the depths of one of the most challenging, defining career moves of her life,’ he wrote on Instagram.
He then claimed things ‘aren’t always easy’ in marriage, and that his wife’s work schedule meant the pair were unlikely to ‘see a lot of each other today’.
‘The sentiment behind my feelings is that most things worth doing aren’t always easy and have the capacity to be dramatic and really stressful at certain times,’ he added.
‘But I sort of believe the hard parts of your life overlapping and trying to dissolve your comfort is what living really is, and even if it gets heaps harder — I’m still happy to do it with you.’
‘My fancy boys’: Before the break-up, Joe was last seen on Melissa’s account in late June, when she uploaded a photo of him holding their cat Ghost