Meghan Markle insists that she doesn’t want to be called ‘Duchess’ as Poh Ling Yeow introduces her as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia in front of stunned contestants
Meghan Markle insisted she did not want to be referred to as ‘Duchess’ as Poh Ling Yeow introduced herself on MasterChef Australia on Sunday evening.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, made her highly anticipated debut on the cooking show after filming a guest spot during her Australian tour three months ago.
Before Meghan arrived on set, Poh said she was very excited to introduce the contestants to the ‘mystery guest judge’ who will replace Andy Allen, who is on paternity leave, and was trying to avoid ‘swearing’.
Meghan then swaggered into the MasterChef kitchen, shocking amateur chefs.
‘Welcome. ‘Am I going to call you Duchess?’ Poh, noticeably nervous, asked after giving him a warm hug.
‘Oh, call me Meghan. “Absolutely yes,” Meghan insisted.
Meghan Markle insisted she did not want to be called ‘Duchess’ as Poh Ling Yeow introduced herself on MasterChef Australia on Sunday evening
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, made her highly anticipated debut on the cooking show after filming a guest spot during her Australian tour three months ago.
Meghan’s insistence that cast members use her first name rather than her title follows her allegations that her Australian tour with Prince Harry in April profited from royal connections.
Producers were reportedly “frustrated” when she was described as a “copyright owner” in a promo for Australia’s hugely popular reality TV show.
“Meghan and her team had ‘specifically’ made it clear that they did not want the word ‘royal’ to be used,” a source said at the time the promo aired.
The report claimed that Meghan was unhappy about being described as a royal, despite the term being technically accurate due to her marriage to Harry.
She went on to declare her love for the country Down Under after introducing herself as ‘Meghan’ on Sunday night’s programme, revealing that the trip was a ‘full circle’ moment for her and her husband as they announced they were expecting their son Prince Archie while visiting the country eight years ago.
‘Oh, we’re so excited. We love Australia. We had a very emotional and wonderful time. We were here almost eight years ago. At that time we announced that we were pregnant with Archie. So, full circle, here we are, but I’m excited to be here with all of you and taste some really good food. “I heard you are preparing a storm this season,” he said.
Meghan then proudly boasted that both of her children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – enjoy eating Brussels sprouts and encouraged MasterChef Australia contestants to ‘have a sense of humour’.
Before Meghan arrived on set, Poh said she was so excited to introduce the contestants to the mystery guest judge who will replace Andy Allen, who is on paternity leave, that she was trying to avoid “swearing”.
For Meghan’s guest spot, contestants on the popular show were asked to create a ‘Duchess-worthy meal’ using ingredients she carefully selected from her pantry.
He asked them to prepare a dish using ingredients such as honey, macadamia nuts, citrus fruits, edible flowers and celery.
Unveiling a table full of seasonal produce, Meghan told contestants ‘my kids are eating Brussels sprouts’, while judge Poh Ling Yeow was heard saying ‘this is impressive’.
Windfall, netflix With Love’s Meghan was recently nominated for Daytime EmmyHe also offered some words of wisdom to the contestants, admitting that ‘there’s a lot of pressure in this kitchen’.
‘I don’t like to cook that way, I really like to cook in a relaxed way,’ he continued.
‘So all I could tell the contestants was to remember to have fun, keep a sense of humor about it and cook from the heart.’
“I show my care and love for my friends, family, and children through food and cooking,” Meghan added in a sweet nod to her and Prince Harry’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
He told the contestants: ‘If there’s a connection you can find when cooking something, what’s the story behind it?… What’s something that comes from your family or a memory… What’s something emotional that we can taste when we taste your food?’
Meghan then proudly boasted that both of her children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – enjoy eating Brussels sprouts and encouraged MasterChef Australia contestants to ‘have a sense of humour’.
‘These are all things that make me feel really nostalgic,’ he added.
The former actor said his love of good food and Australia were two reasons he chose to be a guest judge on the country’s biggest cooking show.
‘What drew me to the cuisine of MasterChef Australia? Two things: my love for food and my love for Australia. “It was an easy yes,” Meghan said in a press release announcing the release date.
‘This is a great show. ‘I’m truly honored to be asked to be here with you and review some of these dishes.’
Meghan earned a surprise Daytime Emmy nomination for her canceled Netflix cooking series; eight years after he ‘politely declined’ an invitation to the glitzy awards ceremony.
Meghan launched the first series of With Love Meghan on the streaming platform in March 2025 and introduced her lifestyle brand As Ever.
A second series and Christmas special followed; The mother-of-two was offering hosting tips and cooking lessons at a £5million rented mansion close to her and Prince Harry’s home in Montecito.
The former actor said his love of good food and Australia were two reasons he chose to be a guest judge on the country’s biggest cooking show.
However, according to the viewing figures announced by Netflix, the series was widely criticized by critics and viewers when it failed to enter the broadcaster’s 1000 most watched programs.
The show, which went off air in January 2026, was nominated in the outstanding lifestyle program category despite harsh criticism.
