After giving birth to her daughter Kiera Kelly last January, Melissa Ricks admitted she now has a totally different perspective in life as a mom. One of the new celebrity contestants on Kapamilya Deal or Deal, the 25-year-old actress is still coping with the challenges of being a working mom. “Siyempre mahirap siya iwan. Nung first tapings namin ng Deal or No Deal iniwan ko siya sa bahay so ang hirap ng feeling. So ito yung first time na sinama ko siya. Kasi mabilis lang naman yung taping dito matapos. Kung ano naman yung mapapanalunan ko para naman kay Kiera din. Nung una kong napanuod yung show sabi ko, 'Bakit hindi nila sinali?' (laughs) Pero one-month pa lang yung baby ko nun kaya tama lang siguro so naisip ko sana lang may next batch pa. And then tinawagan ako and siyempre di ba wala namang aayaw sa ganun? Kasi it's a good opportunity. Aside from MMK (Maalaala Mo Kaya), first guesting ko ito,” she shared with Push.com.ph.

In Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, Melissa is reunited onscreen with her former boyfriend Paul Jake Castillo. Melissa said there is definitely no awkwardness between them since they have both moved on and are happy with their current relationships. In fact, the two even share the same dressing room in the game show. “Wala naman kasi you know okay naman kami and it's been a year or a year and a half. Hindi ko alam matagal na. Ang weird nga kasi sa Deal or No Deal bunutan ng number tapos naging magkatabi pa kami. Wala naman, it's still the same naman,” she admitted.

Melissa also marks her return to acting in the May 16 episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya where she will be reunited with her former teen love team partner Matt Evans. “Sobrang awkward ko kasi I think one year and a half na hindi ako umaarte, parang ganun. Siyempre yung feeling na 24 hours akong umaarte tapos naka-fat suit ako. Tapos nagka-allergy pa ako nung first taping day. We had to pack up kasi parang nagka-infection ako sa leeg dahil sa init at pawis so hindi talaga ako sanay. Medyo rusty pero naitawid naman namin dahil sa director namin. Sobrang supportive nila sa akin,” she shared.

For her episode, Melissa said she had no issue putting on prosthetics despite her adverse skin reaction to it. “Ako naman ever since wala akong problema sa prosthetics or anything like that. Okay naman ako sa ganun and it's a good opportunity nga kasi first guesting ko na uma-acting tapos MMK pa. Maganda yung role kasi it's from one of the Pinoy Biggest Loser,” she added.