Prince Harry made an unexpected appearance on "MasterChef Australia" when he FaceTime-called his wife, Meghan Markle, during Sunday's episode. The Duchess of Sussex was serving as a guest judge at the time of the call.
A member of the production crew informed Markle that she had a call to the studio, at which point she took the phone. Upon seeing her husband's face, Markle, 44, expressed delight, exclaiming, "Hi, my love!" The other judges present, including Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin, reacted with smiles and laughter.
Harry, 41, greeted those in the studio with a "G'day" and playfully asked, "What’s going on? Have I interrupted something important?" The audience responded with cheers and excitement as he waved.
Markle explained to Harry and the studio audience that they were in the midst of tasting dishes. She then introduced her husband to the contestants, praising their talent. She mentioned that Harry was in Canberra, Australia, with veterans.
"Well, go and enjoy it. I’m very sorry to disturb you. All is well here. I’ll see you later," Harry said before ending the call. He is the founder of the Invictus Games.
Online reactions to the appearance were divided. Some viewers found the interaction "sweet" and a demonstration of the couple's support for each other. Comments included sentiments such as "Wow, these two are so in love" and "Prince Harry and Meghan will always do whatever it takes to show up and support one another and it’s one of the reasons their marriage is so successful." Others described the moment as "cringe," "so fake," and "staged."
Markle, a former "Suits" actress, filmed her guest judge appearance earlier this year during a visit to Australia with Harry. The couple, married in 2018, are parents to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. An insider reportedly told Page Six that Markle "had a great time" working alongside the show's judges.