Meghan Markle is heading to “Junior MasterChef Australia,” and the road there started with a single email. She will appear as a special guest on the show’s junior edition, a casting move few saw coming. According to a report, the idea began with executive producer Marty Benson feeling sorry for the Duchess of Sussex and sending over an email to her agent.
‘MasterChef’ producer Marty Benson shares how he approached Meghan Markle
Channel 10 confirmed the news of Meghan Markle appearing on the show on Instagram. “Junior MasterChef Australia” returns in 2027, hosted by Poh Ling Yeow, with the Duchess of Sussex as a special guest. The caption says the pair will help guide “the next generation of young culinary talent.”
However, this is not Markle’s first appearance on “MasterChef Australia.” She has earlier made a guest appearance on one episode of the show in April, alongside Yeow, Sofia Levin, and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
According to reports from The Age, executive producer Marty Benson planned that appearance after watching her now-cancelled Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan.” He reportedly felt sorry for her and emailed her agent because he believed “the whole world was putting her down,” further thinking “she would be a great guest on our show.”
Benson discussed his reasoning behind the plan. “I felt for her because everyone was so hard on her show,” he said. Benson also placed the blame for the series’ reception on its producers rather than on Markle herself. The source then asked Benson whether another email had led to the new deal on “Junior MasterChef Australia,” but no direct response was received.
Meanwhile, the Duchess has also explained her return to the show, revealing that she enjoyed working with the team in April. As a result, coming back to mentor the young talent was “an easy yes” for Markle.
Another MasterChef Australia stint for Markle also means a return to Melbourne. Filming is planned for next year and will run for two to three weeks. It will begin after the main series wraps at the Melbourne Showgrounds in Ascot Vale. However, it is currently unconfirmed whether Prince Harry and their children will join her during filming.
