2022 Gold Logie nominee: Melissa Leong

The very eloquent Melissa Leong from MasterChef Australia has her first Gold Logie nomination.

As she reminds us, she stands on the shoulders of many who have come before her.

How does it feel to be a Gold Logie nominee for 2022?
ML: It’s extremely extremely strange. It’s no secret I’ve been doing this for all of 0.25 seconds. So it’s been quite a surprising experience. Obviously, I’m very flattered to have been nominated. I’m very much of the mindset of ‘When things like this happen in life that you don’t expect, just roll with it.’

What’s been the highlight of your TV work over the past year?
ML: This time last year we were filming Celebrity MasterChef and that was such an incredible experience -being in the room with people who all in their own fields have just been a total game-changer. It’s always such a privilege to be surrounded by people who are just exceptional at what they do. You can’t help but sort of soak up the spirit of that. So that was a tremendous privilege of a month or so spending time with all of them. And then of course, in this past year with Fans and Favourites. I mean, Julie bloody Goodwin, the OG winner continues to bring that incredible magic that she has, to the kitchen into everything that she does. That wonderful vulnerability that everyone connects with has also been a great joy of this last season to me.

There’s a moment in Episode 4 this season where she said, ‘I came back to see what was left of me.’ I still feel emotional, just recounting the words. I remember what that feels like and I think we can all on some level, if we’ve lived a life, relate to that feeling of wondering who we are. I think to be able to do that, on television, in front of the world, takes such bravery. I have such huge admiration for her because of it.

Give us your best campaign lobbying… why should viewers vote for you?
ML:  This is really tough because as an Asian, it’s not in me to be like, ‘Hey, you should vote for me, I want to win!’ But obviously we all want to win, so there’s that…. I would love to win and I think that I should win because if I do win, I will be the first woman of colour to ever receive this award. And in 2022 I find that astounding. There have been some incredible people of colour who make up the multicultural fabric of Australia who have come before me that have trailblazed and it’s on their shoulders that I stand. I really hope that it can make people proud to see another part of who Australia is.

There have been incredible artists, actors presenters from so many different cultural backgrounds that have graced our screens over the last decades. To be here in 2022 is quite a confronting experience for me.

If not you… then who?
ML: Julia Morris is just such a graceful, amazing human being. But she also is one of those people who legitimately lights up the room when they walk in. I mean, you can’t fault that. That’s just incredible. To bring such warmth and sunshine to every single place you grace is an extraordinary thing. I think she’s done an incredible job. She definitely deserves to win.

And Sonia Kruger’s been doing this for two decades. No one can ever question her work ethic. She is such an incredibly hard worker, she does everything with style and I’m in huge admiration of her as well.

I think it’s an amazing class of people just in general. It’s such an honour to be amongst people who have contributed so much to Australia, popular culture and entertainment. Like I said, I’ve been doing for not very long at all, and to be in the same sentences, as incredible names such as those, it really kind of blows me away.

Live voting for all the Most Popular awards, including the Gold Logie, is open right through until the end of the red carpet telecast on June 19. Fans can now vote for their favourites from the shortlisted nominees at tvweeklogiesvote.com

62nd TV Week Logie Awards 7pm Sunday June 19 on Nine.