The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, is poised to make a high-profile television appearance as a guest judge on the upcoming season of MasterChef Australia. This culinary cameo forms part of her and Prince Harry's current four-day tour of Australia, which represents her first visit to the nation since 2018.
A Royal Addition to the Kitchen
Meghan will feature on the premiere episode of the cooking competition's 18th season, which airs this Sunday, 19th April, on 10 And 10 Streaming in Australia. She will mentor and guide the amateur cooks alongside the show's regular judging panel, which includes Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
According to a media alert released by the Sussexes' office, this new season promises to showcase the "most impressive amateur cooks the competition has ever seen." Previous seasons of the Australian version of MasterChef have been broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4.
Precedent and Preview
The Duchess joins an esteemed list of British culinary figures who have guest-judged on the show, including celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. Notably, chef Rick Stein is also scheduled to make a guest appearance later in the same season.
Preview footage circulated in Australian media offers a glimpse of Meghan's involvement, showing her warmly hugging her fellow judges before waving to the contestants and greeting them with a cheerful, "Hi everybody."
Blending Business and Charity
The couple's privately funded tour, which does not include their children, spans Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. It is described as combining charitable initiatives with private commercial engagements.
Their office stated the trip will focus on key themes of "mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families, alongside private meetings and special projects." Notably, the itinerary explicitly includes no public walkabouts.
Commercial Engagements Detailed
Among the private commercial activities, Meghan is scheduled for an on-stage interview at a "girls' weekend" retreat in Sydney, organised by Gemma O'Neill of the Her Best Life podcast. Tickets for this exclusive event are priced at £1,400.
Concurrently, Prince Harry will appear as a guest speaker on Thursday at Melbourne's InterEdge Summit, held at the Centrepiece conference venue. The summit explores the "intersection of leadership, psychosocial safety and human connection in the workplace." Delegate tickets start at £525, with platinum tickets costing £1,250. A virtual ticket offering on-demand access to Harry's speech is available for £260.
Connecting to a Personal Passion
The Duchess's foray into culinary television aligns with her established interests in the food sector. She has her own food line, which includes jams, cookie mixes, and herbal teas, marketed as part of her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
This high-visibility role on a popular international cooking show underscores the Sussexes' ongoing strategy of blending advocacy, commercial enterprise, and selective public appearances during their overseas tours.
