Meghan Markle will appear as a special guest on Junior MasterChef Australia when the show returns in 2027 after a six-year break, according to a press release from Australian network 10 issued Monday.
The Duchess of Sussex, 45, will join host Poh Ling Yeow on the revived competition series. In a statement, Markle described the decision as an “easy yes,” writing, “I love cooking with my own kids, [Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet], so seeing what these young stars create in the kitchen is going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see what they cook up!”
Yeow said she had already filmed MasterChef Australia with Markle in April and was looking forward to working with her again.
“Being reunited will be a real treat,” Yeow said. “I can’t wait to meet our pint-sized culinary adventurers — I’m expecting plenty of delicious surprises and a little mischief too.”
It is not yet clear when Markle will travel to Australia to film the series. Her representative has not responded to a request for comment on the announcement.
The news comes as Markle, Prince Harry and their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, reportedly left the United Kingdom this week following revelations about Markle’s father, Thomas Markle.
Thomas Markle is under investigation in the Philippines after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., allegedly discovered what has been described as “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sex abuse images at his home.
Meghan Markle said she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations and said she first learned of her father’s alleged conduct in 2018, which led to the pair’s estrangement.
“I hope it can now be understood that … any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them,” Markle said. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
London’s Metropolitan Police later confirmed that Markle received a letter containing child sexual abuse allegations against her father, but said it was sent in January 2019 — later than she had stated. Her representative acknowledged her recollection “may have been mistaken by a few months.”
A source close to Markle said she was “really, really upset” and described her as being “in bits” while processing the situation, adding that she had been thinking of the alleged victims given she has young children of her own.
Thomas Markle, 82, has publicly denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies.”
