MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong addresses a long-standing rumour

She was named Who’s Sexiest Person of the Year in 2020.

And MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong always looks fantastic while taking a bite of food on camera.

Now Melissa, 39, has addressed a long-standing rumour going around the internet that she practiced sensually eating the various dishes for the popular show.

KIIS FM hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson claimed the way Melissa ate slowly on TV appeared ‘very sensual’, and wanted to know if she did it intentionally.

‘I heard that you practiced in the mirror before going on the show,’ Jackie asked on Monday’s radio show, as Melissa laughed: ‘It’s the best rumour going around.’

‘Did you do it though?’ Jackie prodded, as Melissa responded: ‘I’ve been a professional eater for quite some time, but it never hurts to see what you look like when you’re doing something in front of millions of people.’

Melissa also said she’s learnt to maintain a poker face while judging and tasting food, even if it’s not appealing.

‘I’ve trained myself even with food I find tricky to experience it in a more analytic way until it’s at least down the hatchet,’ she said.

The TV judge previously revealed to The Daily Telegraph that during her first season on the show she would need multiple takes to get the eating shots perfect.   

‘I think anyone who has to eat on camera learns pretty quickly to not take the bite they wish they could have,’ Melissa said at the time.

‘I worked with some very kind producers early on that said “you might like to have another go at that,”‘ she added. 

Melissa added that ‘a montage of that would have been pretty funny’ if the footage ever surfaced.  

Last year, she was widely considered the saving grace of the revamped MasterChef franchise. 

The new season began on Monday night. 

MasterChef Australia continues on Tuesday from 7:30pm on Channel 10