Meghan Markle has been confirmed as a co-host on Junior MasterChef Australia, a move one media consultant says shows "resilience" but also requires caution. The Duchess will join Poh Ling Yeow on Network Ten's cooking competition, following her guest-judge appearance on MasterChef Australia earlier this year.
A Strategic Return to Television
Media consultant and publicist Jayjay Epega told Express.co.uk that the announcement "makes a lot of sense" from a career perspective. He noted that "power has always needed a human face, and television is where audiences go to find one," adding that "people don't connect with titles; they connect with people they feel they know."
Epega highlighted that Meghan's guest-judge turn on MasterChef Australia, filmed in April during her and Prince Harry's visit, drew the show's largest Sunday audience since 2023, according to Paramount ANZ. He described the new role as "a safe, proven return rather than a gamble."
Navigating Family Controversy
The announcement comes shortly after reports about Meghan's father, Thomas Markle. Meghan said she was "deeply distressed" by the reports, which her father has denied. The allegations are under investigation, and Epega warned that "in a moment like this, tone is everything."
Epega advised Meghan to "let the work speak for itself, avoid anything that reads as celebration or spin, and keep her public comments on the matter focused on the children who may have been harmed." He concluded that continuing her career with this careful approach "is a matter of resilience, not insensitivity."
Meghan is scheduled to film the show in Melbourne in early-to-mid 2027.
