Meghan Markle's guest appearance on MasterChef Australia, where she challenged contestants to create a dish fit for royalty, will be broadcast later this month. The episode is scheduled to air on Sunday, July 26, at 7 p.m. on Channel 10.
The Duchess of Sussex filmed the segment during her visit to Australia with Prince Harry in April. She cited her love of food and Australia as the primary reasons for accepting the guest judge role on the country's popular cooking competition.
During the filming in Melbourne, the 44-year-old former actress, known for her culinary interests and her lifestyle brand As Ever, worked alongside judges Poh Ling Yeow, Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Sofia Levin. A promotional video released by Channel Ten showed Markle arriving on set in a black outfit.
For the challenge, contestants were tasked with using seasonal Australian ingredients such as Brussels sprouts, celeriac, and macadamia nuts. Quince, lemons, apples, mandarins, strawberries, and Australian honey were also made available. Markle reportedly asked the contestants to imbue their dishes with personal stories, seeking a connection to family or memories.
"It's such a great show. I'm just really honored that I was asked to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals," Markle said in a press release. She added that the dishes should contain "something sentimental that we can also taste as we taste your dish," noting that these elements felt nostalgic to her.
Markle's appearance reportedly led to some friction regarding the use of the term "royalty" in promotional materials. Sources indicated that Markle and her team had specifically requested that the word "royal" not be used, leading to frustration when it appeared in a promo. "We've had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before but no one like this," Poh Ling Yeow was quoted as saying.
The visit to Australia by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had previously drawn attention due to a series of commercial appearances and charity events. The couple faced accusations of leveraging their royal status for financial gain, with one report claiming they were using Australia as an "ATM" to fund their home in Montecito. Questions were also raised about whether Australian taxpayers should cover security costs for a visit described by the couple's spokesman as private.
During their tour, Markle participated in other events, including a retreat in Sydney that charged attendees thousands of dollars for access, champagne, and photos. She also attended a gala dinner where she reportedly spoke about her "very hard" life in the public eye since marrying Prince Harry. Another event included serving frittata at a women's homeless and family violence shelter in Melbourne.