Meghan Markle Lands Junior MasterChef Australia Role After Producer Who Felt Sorry for Her Sent Hopeful Email

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will appear as a special guest on "Junior MasterChef Australia" next year. The executive producer behind the casting says the partnership began with a single email he sent after feeling sorry for her over the harsh reviews of her Netflix lifestyle series.

Network 10 and production company Endemol Shine Australia announced this week that "Junior MasterChef Australia" will return in 2027, hosted by Poh Ling Yeow, with the duchess as a special guest. Together, they will mentor a new group of young cooks.

It is the first new season of the junior edition in six years.

A 'press send and pray' email

Executive producer Marty Benson told Melbourne newspaper The Age that he first contacted the duchess's team after watching her Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," which drew heavy criticism after its release.

According to the report, Benson felt "the whole world was putting her down" and thought "she would be a great guest on our show." He emailed her agent, a move he described as a "press send and pray" approach.

"I felt for her because everyone was so hard on her show," Benson said, according to the report. He placed the blame for the series' poor reception on its producers rather than on the duchess.

That first email led to her guest appearance on "MasterChef Australia" earlier this year. Asked whether another email had led to the new junior series deal, Benson did not give a direct answer, according to the report.

A return after April appearance

The duchess appeared as a guest judge on an episode of the main "MasterChef Australia" series that aired in April, alongside Yeow and fellow judges Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli. According to Endemol Shine, that episode drew the program's largest Sunday audience since 2023.

"I had an incredible time with the whole team at MasterChef this past April," the duchess said in a statement. She said she loves cooking with her own children and is looking forward to seeing what the young contestants create.

Yeow also welcomed the news.

"I'm thrilled to bits that Junior MasterChef is returning to our screens," she said. Yeow said she had a lovely time filming with the duchess earlier this year and was looking forward to meeting the young cooks.

The duchess has appeared on a junior cooking competition before. In 2016, before marrying Prince Harry, she was a guest judge on Food Network's "Chopped Junior" in the United States.

Filming in Melbourne

Filming is expected to take place in Melbourne next year and run for two to three weeks. It is set to begin after the main "MasterChef Australia" series wraps production at the Melbourne Showgrounds in Ascot Vale, according to reports.

It has not been confirmed whether Prince Harry or the couple's children, Archie and Lilibet, will travel with her during filming.

Yeow will also judge the 19th season of the main "MasterChef Australia" in 2027, alongside Andy Allen, Levin and Novelli.

Security cost row

The announcement quickly sparked debate in Victoria over who would pay for the duchess's security during her stay.

Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said, "Not a single cent of Victorian taxpayer money should be spent on this." The state's Labor government has also said it will not cover security costs, according to reports, after the issue was raised by the Herald Sun newspaper.

The debate echoes questions raised during the Sussexes' earlier visit to Australia this year about the use of Victoria Police resources.

Building a media career

The "MasterChef" role is the latest in the duchess's efforts to build a career in media and lifestyle business since she and Prince Harry stepped back from their roles as working members of the royal family in 2020.

Her Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," which featured cooking, entertaining and hosting, was widely panned by critics, though it also drew viewers. The show has since ended. She has also launched a lifestyle brand, As Ever, which sells food and household products.

The Sussexes moved back to Britain in late August after six years in California. Prince Harry said in a recent GQ interview that he hopes to reconcile with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William.

Reaction

The casting announcement drew a mixed response online, as is often the case with news about the duchess. Supporters welcomed her return to television, while critics questioned the choice.

The network is betting that her profile will draw viewers to the revived junior series, as her April appearance did for the main show.

"Junior MasterChef Australia" is expected to air on Network 10 in 2027. An exact premiere date has not been announced.