Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, surprised judges and contestants alike with a guest appearance on MasterChef Australia, earning widespread praise for her affable and grounded nature. The appearance aired on Sunday night, with judges Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, and Jean-Christophe Novelli taking to social media to express their delight.
Poh Ling Yeow, 52, shared a video clip of her interaction with Markle, captioning it "Poh and Meghan becoming instant besties. Finding your bestie in the MC kitchen." This sentiment was echoed by Sofia Levin, 36, who posted photos of herself with Markle, noting the "jaw-dropping" moment Markle entered the kitchen. Levin added, "Tell you what, it's pretty hard to stay starstruck when a person is so lovely."
Jean-Christophe Novelli, 65, described Markle's appearance as an "unexpected last-minute surprise," noting her presence alongside "tremendous seasonal ingredients."
The episode, filmed in Melbourne during the Sussexes' April visit to Australia, challenged contestants to create a dish "fit for a Duchess." The aspiring chefs were tasked with using ingredients such as strawberries, lemons, artichokes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, with an emphasis on edible flowers, which have been associated with Markle's Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan."
Viewers who admitted to knowing little about Markle beforehand expressed pleasant surprise at her "graceful," "down to earth," and "genuinely nice" demeanor. Many described her as one of the program's most impressive celebrity guests, finding that the cooking competition offered a different perspective of the Duchess.
Network 10 had announced Markle's guest judging role in April, describing her as a "passionate foodie." Her appearance was kept secret from the contestants, and her absence from a portion of the Sussexes' Australian itinerary was later revealed to be due to this commitment.