Meghan Markle faced mockery from viewers after a moment on MasterChef Australia was labeled 'cringe' and spread widely on social media. The Duchess of Sussex appeared as a guest judge on the cooking show, which aired on Sunday.
The episode was filmed in April during the duke and duchess's visit to Australia. A clip from the show circulated online, showing Meghan and judge Sofia Levin announcing there were ten minutes left for contestants. In the clip, Sofia said: 'Mega sparkle for Meghan Markle! Ten minutes to go!' Meghan could be seen giggling while covering her face.
Social media reactions
Some viewers expressed their displeasure on X. One user wrote: 'The one time the MasterChef Australia team may have been low-key trolling Meghan with a Markle Sparkle reference. This show with Meghan is BEYOND cringe.' Another added: 'Producers of this show need to make a comment on why they allowed this cringeworthy introduction of the woman who married the King of England's son when she is so controversial.'
A third commented: 'I've never seen anyone so awkward in my life.' A fourth said: 'As a longtime viewer of MasterChefAu, I can say this whole season has been dire, but previous seasons have been good. Meg's episode was especially cringey.' A fifth noted: 'It looks cringe and fake as h***! Her appearance just added a dusting of markle sparkle to an already moronic show!' A sixth wrote: 'Glad I’ve decided to never watch anything with Markle Markle in it. I’m 99% of the audience. You watch it so I don’t have to, I can’t stand cringe.'
Meghan's on-air comments
During the episode, Meghan praised contestant Aaron Kher’s dish but joked it had 'too much' spice for Prince Harry, who greeted the group with a 'G’Day'. 'He’s a charmer, isn’t he?' she said after the phone call. Asked about cooking for her family, she said she had 'a lot of palates to appease' and that her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are 'great eaters' who enjoy Brussels sprouts. 'The kids jump in a lot, especially with the garden,' she said, describing family cooking together.
Meghan added: 'Family time, I think, is really key to connect through food, so as many meals as we can do together, we always do.' She noted that her husband's British upbringing meant he preferred 'meat, potatoes and cream sauce' while she favoured grilled meats, fish and citrus.
