The Duchess of Sussex appeared as a guest judge on the July 26 episode of the reality competition series
Credit: Manny Carabel/Getty; News 10
NEED TO KNOW
- Meghan Markle appeared on the July 26 episode of MasterChef Australia
- She received a surprise video call from husband Prince Harry while judges were reviewing a contestant’s dish
- The Duchess of Sussex filmed her appearance on the reality competition series during a recent trip to Australia with Prince Harry
Prince Harry cooked up something sweet for Meghan Markle during her MasterChef Australia appearance.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, appeared as a guest judge on the July 26 episode of the reality competition series. The cameo was initially teased after it was filmed during her and Harry’s visit to the country in April.
During the episode, as the judges were reviewing a contestant’s dish, Meghan received a surprise video call from her husband— shocking the contestants and other judges in the room.
“Hi, my love! My husband’s here,” Meghan said, as the camera panned to her fellow judges waving at Harry, 41.
Credit: Endemol Shine Australia, a Banijay Entertainment company. Photographer Kelly Gardner
“What’s going on? Have I interrupted something important?” the Duke of Sussex then jokingly asked.
“Well, we are actually in the middle of tasting all the dishes. We have four incredible cooks here. It’s amazing, they’re so talented. We wish you were here,” Meghan replied, telling the judges, “He’s in Canberra right now with the veterans.”
“I wish you could try this. These dishes are fantastic,” she continued to Harry. “It’s really delicious, and there’s a hot sauce that, well, you know me … it is so good. I think it might be too much for you. It’s spicy.”
Prince Harry then told his wife: “Well, go and enjoy it. I’m very sorry to disturb you. All is well here. I’ll see you later.”
The judges and contestants then all applauded as one of the contestants reacted: “That’s crazy!”
Before the episode aired, Alexandria Funnell, a former MasterChef Australia post-producer, posted a video on TikTok, sharing behind-the-scenes details from Meghan’s guest judge gig.
Funnell asked a friend who still works on the show about their experience with Meghan, per Marie Claire.
The producer texted that “she was so great” and “really good at judging.”
They added that Meghan “was so nice to all the crew, had a good sense of humor and was just a normal human,” and recalled, “Her entourage was only two people, and they were so great, too.”
MasterChef Australia first teased Meghan’s upcoming appearance in April, posting a photo of her alongside judges Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin on Instagram.
The account captioned the image, “We’re welcoming someone SUPER special into the MasterChef Kitchen 🙌 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, makes a special guest appearance this season as she returns to Australia for the first time since 2018 ❤️.”
The caption continued, “Joining a star-studded lineup of Guest Judges and culinary icons, Meghan helps guide some of the most impressive home cooks the competition has ever seen. This is the series of MasterChef you don’t want to miss 👀.”
Credit: Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
During the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s four-day Australian trip back in April, the couple engaged in private, business and philanthropic duties.
They had previously visited the country eight years ago on their first official joint royal tour as newlyweds, and the couple stepped back from their royal roles two years later.
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The MasterChef Australia appearance is a natural fit for Meghan, who served as a guest judge on a 2016 episode of Food Network’s Chopped Junior, and more recently showed off her skills in the kitchen with her Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
She also often posts moments from her kitchen at home to social media. In a video posted in 2025, Meghan took her followers along to create a dessert named after her daughter, Princess Lilibet. The dish, which Meghan described as a “spin on my grandma’s banana pudding recipe,” was dubbed Chantilly Lili.
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