MasterChef judge Melissa Leong admits she struggles to enjoy her fame

She’s a judge on Ten’s popular cooking show MasterChef Australia alongside Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo.

But on Friday, Melissa Leong, 39, admitted she struggles to enjoy her fame because she likes to keep her life private.

‘I do a job that’s public [but] I don’t understand the fascination with anything other than what I do for work. I don’t understand why people want to know more than that to be honest,’ the 39-year-old told the Herald Sun.

‘I live a very straight forward life and my job is public, my life isn’t. That’s a very clear delineation I’ve made from the beginning and will always tread that line.’

Melissa also admitted that the ‘trivial fluffier parts of being in a high profile job’ never appealed to her.

‘I believe in being able to reserve things to yourself. That’s the way I was brought up,’ she said.

Melissa and co-stars Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo replaced veteran judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston on MasterChef in April last year.

At the time, Melissa said it’s a ‘great privilege’ to have been the first female judge on the cooking show.

In an interview with News Corp Australia, she said: ‘I think if you’re going to be the first female judge ever, then wear it with pride, [and] wear it with confidence.’

‘It’s a great privilege to be taking this role, for sure,’ she continued.

Meanwhile, fans are eagerly awaiting season 13 of MasterChef, which is set to premiere on Monday.

The top 12 contestants were recently spotted together out and about in Melbourne, ahead of the highly anticipated debut.

MasterChef Australia will premiere Monday April 19 at 7.30pm on Channel 10