Meghan Markle has filmed an episode of a huge TV show as she took a break from her whirlwind Australia tour with Prince Harry on Wednesday.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, will appear in a "special guest role" on the 18th season of MasterChef Australia, with the series starting on Sunday. The episode is due to air in the summer, HELLO! understands.
In a clip from the show, she was introduced as "royalty" and the "Duchess of Sussex" as she surprised delighted contestants. Meghan and Harry stepped down as working royals in 2020, keeping their "Duke" and "Duchess" titles, but surrendering the right to be called His or Her Royal Highness (HRH).
It's a project that will tie into many of Meghan's interests, as she previously starred in her own cookery show on Netflix, With Love, Meghan. She's also launched various cooking products, such as jams, with her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and regularly shares her best culinary tips in her newsletters.
Taking to Instagram, the programme and Channel 10 teased that they would be "welcoming someone SUPER special into the MasterChef Kitchen", sharing a picture of Meghan in a stylish black ensemble alongside regular judges, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin.
In a video, Poh said: "We've had royalty in the MasterChef kitchen before, but no one like this! All the way from sunny California, please welcome to MasterChef Australia - the Duchess of Sussex!" A beaming Meghan made a grand entrance as she walked in to rapturous applause, before waving and saying: "Hi everybody."
The official announcement read: "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, makes a special guest appearance this season as she returns to Australia for the first time since 2018 ❤️ Joining a star-studded lineup of Guest Judges and culinary icons, Meghan helps guide some of the most impressive home cooks the competition has ever seen.
"This is the series of MasterChef you don’t want to miss."
© AFP via Getty ImagesRoyal fans immediately rushed to the comments, left delighted by the announcement. One person wrote: "So so exciting", while another added: "The wonderful Princess Meghan. A royal treat."
Meghan and Harry's trip to Australia
The filming project meant Meghan was absent from an action-packed day in Australia, which saw Harry visit the Western Bulldogs football club and later travel to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
It is the couple's first visit to Australia since 2018, with the pair landing in Melbourne following a commercial flight on Tuesday for a four-day visit. On the first day of the visit, the couple met patients and large crowds at the Royal Children's Hospital, before Meghan cooked a frittata at a women's refuge. In the afternoon, they stopped at the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum.
Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have not travelled with them.
Meghan's cooking talents
Though the appearance may seem a surprising one, Meghan has previously appeared as a food judge.
In fact, she was a guest judge on Chopped Junior in 2016 on Food Network, with excited fans declaring that her upcoming appearance comes as a "full circle" moment.
The duchess has her own food line, including jams, cookie mixes and herbal teas as part of her lifestyle brand As Ever.
Delicious recipes have included one-pan spaghetti and flower sprinkle cookies, while Meghan also makes her own homemade jam and grows a range of vegetables in her garden.
