Melissa Leong hints that she will lift the lid on MasterChef in new book amid rumours she could return to the cooking show

Melissa Leong has teased that she will be lifting the lid on her time on MasterChef Australia in an upcoming book release.

The food critic, 43, famously served as a judge on the Channel 10 cooking competition for three years but left last year amid a huge hosting shake-up.

She has since joined spin-off show Dessert Masters as a judge and has been repeatedly hit by rumours that she could be lining up a return to MasterChef.

Now, Melissa has hinted that she will be telling all about her time on MasterChef as she teased that she is working on a memoir about her life and career.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Friday, Melissa asked fans what they would like to read about in the book, prompting a whole range of responses.

One eager fan asked her if she would be including any 'behind the scenes MasterChef stories', to which Melissa replied that she would be.

'Oh there are a bunch, don't you worry,' she teased in a cryptic reply.

She also revealed that she will be discussing other aspects of her career including her little-known passion for UFC while every chapter will also include a recipe.

However, Melissa urged fans to stop asking her about aspects of her life she has 'publicly drawn a line' under as she hinted some things will be off limits in the book.

'Anything I've already publicly drawn a line at is off the cards, so please don't ask me. That's not really fair on me,' she shared in another post.

'Thanks so much for all your questions. Aside from that, it's all in there, but it helps me know what to focus on.'

Her exciting new project comes after Melissa was hit by rumours she could be lining up a return to MasterChef Australia.

Melissa left the program last year under a cloud of suspicion about an alleged feud with her former co-host Andy Allen, who still serves as a judge.

'Melissa told Ten that she'll go back to MasterChef Australia when Andy Allen goes,' a TV insider recently told Daily Mail Australia.

'I think the idea of returning to what the show once was for her seems a bit daunting and the only way Melissa would ever return is if the whole format was revamped.'

Melissa shocked fans when she shared news of her departure to Instagram one day before Network Ten's 2024 Upfronts.

'The changing of the guard is one I always planned to embrace, and I'm so glad to do that on my terms, today,' she penned in a statement last October.

Melissa's departure came after claims she had been axed following a string of publicised off-camera dramas.

She infamously had a blow up with the program's hair and make-up team along with a substitute freelance hairstylist in 2022. 

'Andy has no beef with Leong,' the source told Daily Mail Australia. 'But he previously expressed his former colleague wasted a lot of time in hair and make-up.

'He felt her control over what was filmed was compromised by her perfectionism.'

Andy returned to the show this year alongside three new judges - media darling Poh Ling Yeow, Michelin-star chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and Melbourne food critic Sofia Levin.

Melissa has since gone on to take on a new role on MasterChef's spin-off show Dessert Masters co-judging alongside French-Swiss pastry chef Amaury Guichon.