Melissa Leong has spoken out after her SBS cooking show Taste of Art was cancelled amid the misconduct allegations levelled against her slated co-host Vaughan Mabee.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Leong — also known as a former MasterChef Australia judge — shared her “great disappointment” about the axing of the show, which was supposed to premiere on SBS last Thursday but was pulled from programming hours before it aired.
“I signed on to helm Taste of Art last year, excited and honoured to contribute to a show that celebrates the highest potential in cuisine artistry,” Leong wrote on her Instagram Stories.
“It is with great disappointment that the show’s resounding success has been hampered by such unfortunate circumstances these past weeks,” she added.
Leong went on to recall her own experience of sexual assault in the hospitality industry, which she opened up about last year, and said it would “feel like a betrayal” if she didn’t address the current allegations.
“As a victim-survivor, it would feel like a betrayal to me if I did not say something about the situation at hand, and it’s this: We need to listen when women speak up, because it isn’t without fear, trepidation and personal cost when we do so,” Leong wrote.
The cancellation of Taste of Art came after his resignation as head chef at the New Zealand restaurant, Amisfield, in February. That was followed by a New Zealand Herald report earlier this month that included complaints of Mabee’s alleged bullying, derogatory language and lewd behaviour toward the restaurant’s female staff.
The NZH reported that at least seven staffers had filed formal complaints against Mabee over his alleged behaviour, with the chef saying in a statement to the publication that he “unreservedly apologise[s] to my former staff and colleagues at work for my inappropriate behaviour to them or any inconsiderate comments made”.
“I love and respect all my team at the restaurant and meant no malice or harm with my actions. So, I’m stepping down to first focus on addressing my personal health issues, and being a present and loving father to my family,” Mabee said.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has contacted Leong, Mabee and SBS for comment.
It’s not yet known whether Taste of Art will air at a later date. At the time of writing, the series no longer appears on the program slate of SBS’ website.
Leong ended her social media statement by wishing “much kindness to you all” and said she “look[s] forward to seeing you all before too long”.
Lead images: Channel 10, SBS and Instagram
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