Meghan Markle Rejects Duchess Title on MasterChef!

Meghan Markle insisted that she did not want to be called 'Duchess' as Poh Ling Yeow introduced her on MasterChef Australia on Sunday evening. 

The Duchess of Sussex made her much-anticipated debut on the show after filming the guest spot during her tour to Australia three months ago. 

Poh told the contestants she was so excited to introduce the mystery guest judge—filling in for , who was on paternity leave—that she was trying to refrain from 'swearing'. Meghan then walked onto the set, much to the shock of the amateur chefs.

'Welcome. Do I call you Duchess?' Poh asked. 

'Oh, call me Meghan. Absolutely, yeah,' Meghan insisted.

'Thank you. Welcome, Meghan, we are so honoured in the MasterChef kitchen. How does it feel to be back in Australia?' Poh said.

Meghan went on , explaining that the trip was a 'full circle' moment for her and her husband Harry after announcing they were expecting their son, Prince Archie, in the country eight years ago. 

'Oh, we're so excited. We love Australia. We had the most sentimental, amazing time. We were here almost eight years ago.  We announced we were pregnant with Archie at the time. So, it's full circle, here we are, but thrilled to be here with all of you and taste some really good food. I've heard you've been cooking up a storm this season,' she said. 

Meghan then went on to proudly boast that her children enjoy eating Brussels sprouts and encouraged  contestants to 'keep a sense of humour' as the kicked off Sunday’s episode.

For Meghan's guest spot, contestants of the hit show were asked to create a 'dish fit for a Duchess' .

She asked them to whip up a dish using ingredients like honey, macadamia nuts, citrus, edible flowers and celeriac.

As she unveiled a table laden with seasonal produce, Meghan told the contestants 'my kids ' as judge Poh Ling Yeow could be heard saying 'that's impressive'.

The Duchess, whose series With Love, Meghan was recently nominated for a Daytime , also had a few words of wisdom for the contestants as she acknowledged 'there is a lot of pressure in this kitchen'.

'I don't like to cook that way, I like to cook in a really relaxed fashion,' she continued.

'So, all I can say to the competitors was to just remember to have fun, to keep a sense of humour about it, and to cook from the heart'.

Meghan added that 'food and cooking are how I show my nurturing and love for my friends, family and my kids' in a sweet nod to her and Prince Harry's children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

She told the contestants: 'I'd love it if there's a connection that you can find when, as you're cooking something, what is the story behind it?... What is something from your family or from a memory... something sentimental that we can also taste as we taste your dish?'

'These are all things that, for me, feel really nostalgic,' she added.

The former actress filmed her cameo when she visited Australia with husband Prince Harry during their pseudo-royal tour three months ago.

She has said her love of good food and Australia were the two reasons she chose to be a guest judge on the country's biggest cooking show.

'What attracted me to the MasterChef Australia kitchen? Two things: my love of food and my love of Australia. It was an easy yes,' Meghan said in a press release announcing the broadcast date.

'It's such a great show. I'm just really honoured that I was asked to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals.'

Meghan's sensitivities over claims that her Australian tour with Harry was led to a row over her MasterChef appearance, it was claimed at the time.

The Duchess of Sussex was reportedly 'very frustrated' with producers when she was .

Meghan and her team had 'specifically' made clear they did not want the word 'royal' , a source said.

'We've ,' fellow judge Poh said.

But a report in Australia

Meghan earned a surprise Daytime Emmy nomination for her axed Netflix cooking series - eight years after she 'politely .

Meghan launched the first series of With Love, Meghan on the streaming platform in March 2025, alongside .

A second series and Christmas special followed, with the mother-of-two offering hosting tips and cooking lessons from inside a rented £5million mansion near her and Prince Harry's Montecito home.

However, the show was largely panned by critics and viewers alike after it failed to , according to viewing figures released by Netflix.

Despite scathing reviews, the show - which was axed in January 2026 - has received a nomination in the outstanding lifestyle programme category.