Meghan Markle's appearance on "MasterChef Australia" has reportedly led to friction with one of the show's judges. Judge Poh Ling Yeow was reportedly "upset" after unintentionally referring to Markle as "royalty," a term the Duchess and her team had asked producers not to use.
During a promotional clip for the episode, Yeow introduced Markle by saying, "We’ve had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before but no one like this... All the way from sunny California, please welcome to MasterChef Australia … the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle!"
Sources claim Markle was "very frustrated" by the remark. Yeow, in turn, felt "unintentionally drawn into a royal protocol issue she never intended to be part of," according to an insider. The judge reportedly wanted to apologize directly to Markle but was advised by production to let them handle the matter.
Another source suggested that Yeow, who is known for her energetic and joking demeanor, attempted to bring that same spark when interacting with Markle. However, "not all of it landed as intended," and some moments that did not work on camera were cut during editing.
Markle filmed the "MasterChef Australia" episode during her and Prince Harry's visit to Australia in April. The couple stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 and have since relocated to Montecito, California. Prince Harry recently spoke about his decision to step away from his royal role, stating at the InterEdge Summit, "I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role — wherever this is headed, I don’t like it.'"
The "MasterChef Australia" episode featuring Meghan Markle is scheduled to air on Sunday, July 26, on Network 10 and 10 Play in Australia at 7:00 p.m. AEST.