Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, recently made a guest appearance on MasterChef Australia, sharing insights into her approach to cooking and her family life. In a teaser for her upcoming judging spot, Markle mentioned that her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, enjoy eating Brussels sprouts.
Markle, 44, served as a guest judge on the Channel 10 program, where she presented contestants with a challenge to create a dish using specific ingredients including honey, macadamia nuts, citrus, edible flowers, and celeriac. She advised the competitors to approach the competition with a sense of humor and to cook from the heart, emphasizing that for her, cooking is a way to express love and nurturing towards her family and friends.
"I like to cook in a really relaxed fashion," Markle stated in the preview. "So, all I can say to the competitors was to just remember to have fun, to keep a sense of humour about it, and to cook from the heart."
The former actress filmed her cameo during a visit to Australia with Prince Harry approximately three months prior to the episode's airing. She cited her affection for both food and Australia as the primary reasons for accepting the guest judging role.
"What attracted me to the MasterChef Australia kitchen? Two things: my love of food and my love of Australia. It was an easy yes," Markle said in a press release. "It's such a great show. I'm just really honoured that I was asked to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals."
She encouraged contestants to find a personal connection to their dishes, suggesting they incorporate family stories or memories. "What is the story behind it?... What is something from your family or from a memory... something sentimental that we can also taste as we taste your dish? These are all things that, for me, feel really nostalgic," she added.
This appearance follows a Daytime Emmy nomination for her Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan." The lifestyle program, launched in March 2025, explored hosting tips and cooking lessons. Despite a mixed reception from critics and viewers, the show secured a nomination in the outstanding lifestyle program category.
There were reports of friction during the filming of her MasterChef Australia appearance, with claims that Markle and her team expressed frustration over the show's promotional material describing her as "royalty," reportedly preferring to avoid the term "royal."