Meghan Markle's appearance as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia has been cleared of any drama, as judge Poh Ling Yeow has publicly dismissed reports of a 'meltdown' on set as 'ridiculous'.
Claims of a 'Meltdown'
The Duchess of Sussex appeared on the 18th season of the cooking show last month, where contestants were challenged to create a dish 'fit for a duchess'. The episode was filmed in April during the Sussexes' visit to Australia.
Reports had suggested a tense moment between Meghan and Ms Yeow after the Duchess was introduced as 'royalty'. Celebrity journalist Rob Shuter also claimed that production insiders said Meghan's presence left the cast and crew 'exhausted', describing her as 'one of the most demanding celebrity guests the long-running series has ever hosted'.
Judge Sets the Record Straight
Speaking to a Perth radio programme, Ms Yeow dismissed the allegations, saying: 'If I had a buck for every time I've been asked about Meghan, I'd be a billionaire.'
She praised Meghan's behaviour on set: 'We had such a lovely time with her. She was a model citizen, honestly. Just no fuss, she actually hung out with us judges and didn't scurry away into her green room. She was completely engaged with the whole process, and she really knows her food. There was nothing to complain about at all.'
Regarding the negative reports, she simply said: 'It's ridiculous. It's the first time anything like that has happened to me. So it's been very eye-opening to me to see what Meghan cops everyday, and it's really full on.'
Support from Sources and Ratings Success
Last month, sources close to the Duchess dismissed the claims as 'false', telling the Daily Express that Meghan had an 'incredible' time with all involved, including judges, contestants, and crew, and stressed that there were 'no issues'. They also dismissed the latest reports, saying 'everything was so positive'.
Network 10 has reportedly been pleased with Meghan's appearance, which drew 1.6 million Total TV viewers, breaking the record for the biggest overnight Sunday audience since July 2023 and the biggest-ever overnight streaming audience at 118,000 viewers. It also topped the seven-day Total Viewing audience with 1.22 million national viewers.
