Meghan Markle is getting ROASTED for her MasterChef Australia appearance — and it hasn’t even aired yet!
The Duchess of Sussex is expected to appear on the July 26 episode of the popular competition series, which she recorded three months ago during her controversial trip with Prince Harry. According to a preview, she’s set to lean into her royal ties for the episode as contestants are tasked with making a dish fit for a Duchess. She tells them:
“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.”
Related: Inside Prince Harry’s Family Reunion With King Charles
In a statement about the cameo, Meghan expressed:
“What attracted me to the MasterChef Australia kitchen? Two things: my love of food and my love of Australia. It was an easy yes. … It’s such a great show. I’m just really honored that I was asked to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals.”
But what has started out as an attempt to get some good press and hype up her lifestyle brand has completely backfired!!! In anticipation of the full episode, Meg’s turned into a “total laughing stock” among critics! A source told Radar Online on Thursday:
“From a PR perspective, the timing really couldn’t have been worse. Meghan is about to appear on one of the world’s biggest cooking shows, asking contestants to create a dish worthy of a duchess, yet she’s still attracting criticism from people who believe she shouldn’t continue leaning on her royal title after stepping away from senior royal life.”
The MasterChef buzz comes as fans have been mocking the Suits alum for a recent Instagram video shared on last week in which she shows off a rather unprofessional way of chopping onions. See it in slide #5 (below):
Over on X (Twitter), a fan parodied the clip, too:
Inspired by Smeghan, I’ve made my own short cooking video, which I plan to submit to Netflix. Wish me luck. ????????
???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/3iroZtd6F9— Marsha, The Truth Teller ✝️???? (@MarshatheGeezer) June 10, 2026
Oof!
The source pointed out:
“Add to that the viral jokes about her onion-chopping technique and supposed lack of kitchen know-how, and it’s created the perfect storm. Her critics think the contrast is impossible to ignore, which is why they’re already treating the episode as something of a punchline before it’s even aired.”
Ouch.
Another insider agreed:
“There will always be people who defend Meghan and insist she’s done nothing wrong. They’ll argue she’s legally entitled to use her Duchess of Sussex title and that mocking someone’s cooking skills on social media is trivial. But her critics don’t see it that way. They believe Meghan can’t continue to build projects around the prestige that comes with being a duchess after walking away from the role of a senior working royal, and they think the recent viral parody of her chopping technique has made it much harder for audiences to take her seriously as an authority on food.”
Yeah, it’s definitely not great for her reputation as a cooking and lifestyle guru…
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[Image via Netflix/YouTube]