Melanie Sykes has said she made the decision to quit TV for good after a comment she received while being part of Celebrity MasterChef.
The TV personality, 52, no longer has any interest in pursuing a career in mainstream TV, and has set her sights on a new venture instead. Melanie, who is best known for co-hosting Today with Des and Mel with Des O'Connor and Let's Do Lunch with Gino D'Acampo, has vowed to never return to presenting after feeling like she was "thrown under the bus" while on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
Melanie's TV presenting career began by hosting Sky One’s Real TV UK series in the mid-90s, and she went on to appear on shows including The Big Breakfast, The Paul O’Grady Show, and she also competed on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off.
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However, the last time she was seen on TV was during her stint on Celebrity MasterChef back in 2021, the Mirror reports. In her autobiography, Melanie recalls a moment with MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace which made her rethink her entire TV career and all of her future TV prospects.
The TV star recalls being told by Gregg that her appearance on the BBC reality show would be a boost to her career as he told her it "would do a lot for you". However, Gregg's well-meaning words of wisdom sent Melanie on a completely different path, ultimately leading to her vowing to never again return to the small screen.
Melanie said in her book that appearing on the show made her "decide to end her television career once and for all". She said the comment made her realise she was "done".
She told 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."
Melanie is gearing up to release her autobiography, titled, Illuminated: Autism & All The Things I’ve Left Unsaid, in which she explains a series of events that lead her to walk away from her long-running TV career.
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