Meghan Markle Leaves MasterChef Judge 'Upset' With a 'Royal' Request: Report
Markle and her team reportedly had instructed producers not to refer to her as 'royalty' during the episode.
Meghan Markle's upcoming MasterChef Australia appearance has already sparked headlines, but not because of what happened in the kitchen. Ahead of the episode's broadcast, reports have emerged claiming that a behind-the-scenes moment involving the Duchess of Sussex left one of the show's beloved judges 'upset.' The incident is reportedly centered on a request Markle made before filming, which later snowballed into an unexpected production issue.
According to reports, the issue began during the filming of Markle's guest appearance on MasterChef Australia. SkyNews reported that the Duchess and her team had instructed producers not to refer to her as 'royalty' during the episode. However, judge Poh Ling Yeow unintentionally used the word while introducing Markle in a promo clip, much to her dismay. "We’ve had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before but no one like this," Yeow said in the teaser. She continued, "All the way from sunny California, please welcome to MasterChef Australia … the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle!"
The introduction reportedly left Markle 'very frustrated,' with the reaction later affecting Yeow as well. An insider claimed, "It wasn’t about Meghan personally. Yeow felt she had been unintentionally drawn into a royal protocol issue she never intended to be part of," Page Six reported.
Another source alleged that Yeow wanted to apologize directly to Markle after learning about the misunderstanding but was advised against doing so. “She was willing to reach out immediately,” they shared. “But she was advised to leave it for production to handle."
Reports also suggest other moments during filming never made it to air because of differences in the pair's personalities. One insider claimed, "Poh is full of energy — she’s always joking and lifting the mood. She tried to bring that same spark with Meghan, cracking a few playful lines, but not all of it landed as intended." However, a source close to Markle has strongly disputed suggestions of any tension between the two women. Speaking to Page Six, the source insisted that Markle and Yeow "had a great time together on set."
They continued, “There was no frustration on Meghan’s side about anything that was said on set.” The episode featuring the Duchess of Sussex is scheduled to air on Sunday, July 26, 2026, on Network 10 and 10 Play in Australia.
