Melanie Sykes 'quit TV for good' after comment from MasterChef's Gregg Wallace

Melanie Sykes has announced that she will never make a return to mainstream TV, following a comment made by MasterChef's Gregg Wallace. The 53-year-old vowed to leave television permanently after comments made during her participation on the celebrity edition of the BBC cooking programme.

Renowned for co-hosting Today with Des and Mel alongside Des O'Connor and Let's Do Lunch with Gino D'Acampo, Melanie says she decided she was done with TV during her time on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.

Melanie's career in TV presenting took off when she began hosting Sky One's Real TV UK series in the mid-90s. Her career thereafter saw her appearance on a plethora of shows including The Big Breakfast, The Paul O'Grady Show, as well as participating on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off.

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Reflecting on the last year, she says she remembers being informed by Gregg that her stint on the BBC reality show would prove beneficial for her career as he assured her it "would do a lot for you", reports the Liverpool Echo. Nonetheless, the supposedly encouraging words from Gregg ended up steering Melanie down an entirely different route, leading her to pledge to never again return to the small screen

Coming into view on the show "made her decide to conclude her television career once and for all", she stated. The comment triggered a realisation within Melanie that she was "done". Melanie revealed to the Guardian: "I will no longer be tap-dancing for corporations who couldn't give two hoots about my wellbeing. Mainstream TV just doesn't interest me." You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.