Meghan Markle’s episode of MasterChef Australia has been highly anticipated ever since Channel 10 announced the Duchess of Sussex would be making a guest judge appearance.
The news has been widely reported internationally, with many royal fans eager to catch a glimpse of the Duchess of Sussex after what has been a dramatic month for both her and Prince Harry.
From their reunion with King Charles, to rumours of the couple spending more time apart due differing business and financial goals, even Meghan’s much awaited MasterChef appearance didn’t come without the drama.
When it was first announced, disgruntled fans took to social media to voice their grievances, upset that the Duchess would be appearing in a guest judging role.
“Are we serious…she’s a home cook,” one person commented at the time, with another bluntly saying: “For goodness and foodness sake, there are better judges.”
But, it’s worth noting Meghan’s appearance isn’t the first time the show has gone royal.
Back in 2015, then-Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla paid a visit to the MasterChef kitchen during their own Australian tour, meeting judges and contestants before cameras.
However, it turns out not all Royals were fans of Meghan’s appearance, with her estranged brother-in-law Prince William reportedly being less than impressed with her moment of Aussie TV fame.
Prince William’s blunt two-word response to Meghan Markle’s MasterChef episode
Not everyone was rushing to tune in for Meghan’s guest appearance on MasterChef. According to sources who spoke to Woman’s Day, Prince William reportedly laughed when he was told about the episode and, when asked if he’d like to watch a snippet, simply replied, “I’ll pass.”
“William was told about it and wasn’t surprised,” the source claimed. “He thought it was a bit of a desperate move and refused to watch even the smallest snippet.”
Another insider added, “It seems William has no interest in keeping up with Meghan’s latest TV appearances. For him, it’s a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind.'”
What happened on Meghan Markle’s MasterChef episode?
With immunity on the line for the final four, the remaining contestants – Vinnie, Aaron, Petro and Caspar – were shocked to learn they’d be cooking for the Duchess.
Meghan shared with the contestants that from a young age she was passionate about cooking and food, embracing a “farm to table” style of cooking.
Plus, she likes things spicy! She told the final four she enjoys “heat” in her food and they were tasked with making dishes from Meghan’s selection of seasonal ingredients: carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, local Australian honey, macadamia nuts, quince, lemons, apples, mandarins and strawberries.
Meghan also dropped that she grows mandarins and strawberries at home, that her children love to eat their Brussels sprouts, and there was even a surprise FaceTime with Prince Harry!
It was Petro who cooked the top dish of the night, with his bold celeraic dessert blowing away Meghan, Poh, Sofia and Jean-Christophe with its earthy, nutty and sweet flavour. “This is the mind of a chef, not a home cook,” Meghan said of his dish.
Fans react to Meghan’s MasterChef appearance:
After months of controversy, Meghan’s MasterChef episode was praised highly by fans of the show, with many applauding her guest judge appearance and some even admitting they had been “wrong” about Meghan.
“Loved tonight’s show Meghan was genuine, engaging and a professed home cook who enjoyed judging all the great dishes put forward tonight. It was a nice touch Harry FaceTiming near the end. Well done for inviting Meghan as a guest on the show,” one fan commented on Facebook.
“I was wrong about Megan M. She was very natural and nothing bunged on about her,” another agreed. “She seemed to have a sound knowledge of food and gave genuinely encouraging comments to each contestant.”
“I was a reluctant viewer, in fact I was going to boycott tonight’s episode because of Meghan…but I gave in watched and was pleasantly surprised as to how interested & involved she became, laughing, interacting with everyone,” another added. “I stand corrected on my original WTF attitude I had towards her being a guest judge.”
