Meghan Markle to become a co-host of Junior MasterChef Australia

A new role on Australian television

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, has been confirmed as a co-host of the new season of Junior MasterChef Australia. According to BBC News, citing Australia's Channel 10, she will join the 2027 season as a 'special guest' alongside host Poh Ling Yeow. Meghan herself said she 'can't wait' to take part in the programme.

Past experience and terms of participation

This is not the Duchess's first appearance on a cooking show: last year she was a guest judge on MasterChef Australia, and, according to Paramount ANZ, that episode drew the programme's largest Sunday audience since 2023. Meghan's MasterChef debut was announced on the second day of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's four-day April tour of Australia — on a Wednesday, when she was absent from public engagements, and by evening it emerged that she had been filming an episode of the show. According to the BBC, she was not paid for that appearance; Network 10 did not respond to a question about whether her Junior MasterChef participation would be paid. In her statement, Meghan said: 'I love cooking with my children, so it will be fascinating to see what these young stars create in the kitchen.'

The announcement amid a family scandal

The news of her new role came as Meghan faced heightened scrutiny over allegations of child sexual abuse against her father, Thomas Markle. He rejects the allegations as 'lies' which, he says, are being used to destroy his reputation. The BBC reports, based on its own understanding of the situation, that Meghan cut off contact with her father last year, telling him that she and the authorities knew about his actions towards the girls.

Context: media career and the move

In August, the couple announced they were moving back to the UK from California — they had left the country and stepped down from royal duties in early 2020. Their media career has included the high-profile Oprah Winfrey interview and deals with Netflix and Spotify. Meghan's cooking show With Love, Meghan ran for two seasons and a Christmas special but failed to attract strong audiences, and in March her brand As Ever ended its partnership with Netflix. That said, last year her trademark was registered in Australia in more than a dozen categories, including kitchenware and table linen.

Image source, Getty Images