Duchess of Sussex to Co-Host Junior MasterChef Australia in 2027

Meghan Markle has been confirmed as a co-host for the upcoming season of Junior MasterChef Australia.

Channel 10 in Australia announced that the Duchess of Sussex will appear as a special guest alongside fellow host Poh Ling Yeow for the 2027 series. The decision comes after she served as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia last year. Paramount ANZ stated that her appearance on the adult version of the show drew the largest Sunday audience since 2023.

In a statement, Meghan said she could not wait to take part in the program. She noted that she loves cooking with her own children and that watching young chefs create in the kitchen will be fun. The announcement arrives while the public eye remains on Meghan due to accusations against her father, Thomas Markle.

Thomas Markle has been accused of child sexual abuse, though he denies the claims. The BBC understands that Meghan cut off contact with her father last year after telling him that she and authorities knew he had abused young girls. Markle has called the accusations lies designed to destroy his reputation. His legal team has not commented further on the specific details of the new claims.

Meghan's return to Australian television follows a four-day tour of the country that she and Prince Harry completed in April. Her appearance on MasterChef was announced during that trip. It was revealed on a Wednesday when she had been absent from public appearances that she was actually filming an episode that evening. Sources indicate she was not paid for that specific guest appearance.

Network 10, which airs the series through Paramount ANZ, has not responded to questions about whether Meghan will receive payment for co-hosting the Junior MasterChef season. The couple has been active in the media since stepping back from royal duties in early 2020 and moving to California in March of that year. Their media career includes an interview with Oprah Winfrey and deals with Netflix and Spotify.

Meghan's Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, ran for two series and a Christmas special but saw lower audience numbers. She also launched the lifestyle brand As Ever, which included a food line, though the brand ended its partnership with the streaming platform in March. Her trademark is registered in more than a dozen product categories in Australia, including cookware and table linen. The Sussexes announced in August that they are moving back to the United Kingdom from California.