Meghan Markle has been criticized by a body language expert who claimed her reactions on MasterChef Australia were fake. The Duchess of Sussex has stayed off social media since returning from the UK with Prince Harry and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Last week, MasterChef Australia aired the episode where Meghan made a surprise appearance as a guest judge. Her dramatic entrance visibly shocked the contestants, with one saying: "Who would have thought you come on here to make a roll, and you get to meet the Duchess of Sussex?"
Expert's Analysis
Body language expert Scott Rouse claimed "everything in there is fake." Royal expert Kinsey Schofield then compared the episode to an older clip of Meghan making a salad on the streets of New York City. She spoke on her YouTube channel: "The reason I show you that is because I think that is a woman that is so much more confident than the woman I watched on MasterChef."
Analysing the 2016 clip, Scott said: "This is fairly authentic, I don't think there's much going on in there. She doesn't have that fake smile. She's not pandering to the audience or anything constantly and she's not trying to act. She's acting like a TV person acts. She's acting like a royal, or what she thinks a royal should be.
"What we're seeing is the television version of her, because I think she knew who she was. She was in the pocket there, she had that under control. But when she left that, that's when she doesn't understand how to act like a royal except for what she thought a royal was when she was a kid. But back then, that was real. She was excited about it."
Body Language Differences
In the MasterChef episode, Scott noticed how the contestants' reactions and Meghan's body language differed, adding: "When she comes up the man and hugs him, that's not the first time she's met the guy. Watch how he hugs her and he pushes her away. He nods his head. Yes, they don't even lock eyes."
Behind the Scenes
The special episode was filmed in April, and celebrity journalist Rob Shuter claimed that production insiders said Meghan's appearance left the cast and crew "exhausted." They described the duchess as "one of the most demanding celebrity guests the long-running series has ever hosted."
But sources close to the Duchess dismissed the claims and said they are "false," telling the Daily Express that Meghan had an "incredible" time with all those involved, including the judges, contestants and crew. They stressed that there were "no issues."
