Melissa Leong has shocked fans by revealing a dramatic new look – and admits it came in the middle of a mental health battle.
The former MasterChef Australia judge, 43, unveiled a sharp cropped bob in a candid social media post this week, where she confessed the decision to cut her hair was made during a particularly difficult time.
‘Not saying you should cut all your hair off while having a mental health crisis, but maybe I’m not not telling you to either?’ Melissa captioned a video showing off her edgy new style.
In the clip, the TV star leaned into the camera to flaunt her transformation.
She complemented her freshly cut locks with a natural makeup look of bronzed skin, glossy lips and bold brows.
The big change comes after Melissa opened up about her upcoming memoir Guts.
Melissa Leong has shocked fans by revealing a dramatic new look – and admits it came in the middle of a mental health battle
The former MasterChef Australia judge, 43, unveiled a sharp cropped bob in a candid social media post this week, where she confessed the decision to cut her hair was made during a particularly difficult time
Speaking to the Herald Sun, she admitted the book had forced her to confront some painful truths.
‘There are unexpected twists and turns and there are definitely some revelations I’ve never shared publicly before that are printed,’ she said.
‘Some of it is dark and pretty relevant for what’s going on in the world today, especially for women.’
Melissa admitted that while the writing process was ‘difficult,’ she hoped it would ultimately prove healing.
‘That was a really difficult process for me. And it’s going to be very difficult to talk about it in a public sense as the book is promoted,’ she explained.
‘But I am committed to healing through it because I think it will help the public. And I really hope it will help me.’
Melissa sparked concern last year when she shared a raw photo of herself crying in her car after starting work on the audiobook version of Guts.
‘Today was a hard day. 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,’ she wrote alongside the picture.
‘Not saying you should cut all your hair off while having a mental health crisis, but maybe I’m not not telling you to either?’ Melissa captioned a video showing off her edgy new style
‘I know 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 moments. You are not alone, and I need to know I am not, either.’
Melissa ended on a hopeful note, saying: ‘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.’
Her celebrity friends quickly rallied in the comments, with publicist Adriana Glass praising her courage: ‘Sharing something like this is never easy, and it matters that you did.’
Melissa served as a MasterChef judge for three years before leaving the Channel 10 franchise in 2023 amid a major hosting shake-up.
She has since taken up a spot on Dessert Masters and has been repeatedly linked to a potential return to the flagship series.
