Meghan travelled to Australia in April, undertaking several engagements both solo and with Prince Harry(Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
Meghan Markle is just days away from making her anticipated TV comeback, as a special episode of MasterChef Australia featuring the Duchess of Sussex as a guest judge is finally set to air.
Meghan filmed her appearance on the show during her and Prince Harry ’s trip to Australia in April, with a teaser video released at the time showing the Duchess walking into the huge kitchen to cheers and applause from the excited contestants.
Entering the kitchen in a chic black outfit, Meghan greeted judges Poh Ling Yeow, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Sofia Levin before waving at the hopeful cooks with a beaming smile.
A premiere date of Meghan’s special episode of MasterChef Australia has been announced
Now, three months after the episode was filmed, the Australian network and channel behind the production, Channel 10 and Endemol Shine, have announced that the episode will air on Sunday July 26.
During the special episode, Meghan will task the contestants with creating a dish fit for a Duchess by making one seasonal ingredient the focus of their plate. The cooks must also explain the personal story or memory connected to their chosen produce.
Some of the ingredients available to the contestants are carrots, brussels sprouts, lemons, apples, local Australian honey, and macadamia nuts. Meghan will then sample each dish alongside the judges.
According to Mediaweek, there were two deciding factors for Meghan when agreeing to appear on the programme. She said: “What attracted me to the MasterChef Australia kitchen? Two things: my love of food and my love of Australia. It was an easy yes.”
“It’s such a great show. I’m just really honoured that I was asked to be able to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals.”
During the episode, Meghan says that the selected ingredients held a sense of nostalgia for her and encouraged the cooks to draw on their own experiences, as she tells the contestants: “These are all things that, for me, feel really nostalgic.”
“I’d love it if there’s a connection that you can find when, as you’re cooking something, what is the story behind it?… What is something from your family or from a memory…something sentimental that we can also taste as we taste your dish.”
In recent years, the Duchess has established herself in the culinary world through her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which has produced two seasons alongside a holiday special.
Meghan filmed the special episode while she and Prince Harry were in Australia in April (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
With days to go until Meghan’s appearance on MasterChef Australia airs, it seems Aussie audiences are divided over her inclusion in the programme, given guest judge spots are usually reserved for professional chefs.
One frustrated viewer wrote online: “Are we serious? She’s only a home cook,” while another watcher said they were “grossly disappointed” and may not tune in to the episode.
However, others were excited for the premiere, with one fan writing: “Looking forward to this! She’s a passionate foodie, and also a health and wellness/intentional living advocate. I think she’ll bring such an extra dimension to the MasterChef table.”
