Entertainmentupdated 2h ago3 min read
Archive photo · 8 March 2024Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex, Joins Junior MasterChef Australia As Special Guest With Poh Ling Yeow
11 Western Mainstream4 Other1 Asian1 Local WesternThis article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Meghan Markle will co-host Junior MasterChef Australia with Poh Ling Yeow in 2027. She will film in Melbourne for several weeks as part of the rebooted series.
17 outlets told this the same way.
Meghan joins Junior MasterChef
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is confirmed as a co-host of the new season of Junior MasterChef Australia, with Channel 10 saying she will join the 2027 series as a "special guest" alongside Poh Ling Yeow. Meghan said, "I love cooking with my own kids, so seeing what these young stars create in the kitchen is going to be a lot of fun," as the network revives the children’s cooking competition after a six-year gap. Poh Ling Yeow said, "I can’t wait to meet our pint-sized culinary adventurers – I’m expecting plenty of delicious surprises and a little mischief, too," as she prepares to guide the next generation of young culinary talent.
Network 10 said Meghan’s 2026 MasterChef Australia appearance drew its "largest Sunday audience since 2023," and the broadcaster confirmed the Junior MasterChef production will take place at Melbourne Showgrounds. People confirmed Meghan will appear as a special guest rather than relocate, and the outlet said she and her family, including Prince Harry, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are not relocating to Australia.
Statements, filming, and ratings
Meghan told Channel 10, "I had an incredible time with the whole team at MasterChef this past April, so when they approached me to come back and work with this young group of talent, it was an easy yes," linking the new role to her earlier visit. Network 10 confirmed Meghan will co-host Junior MasterChef Australia with Poh Ling Yeow, and it noted that no date had been set for production even as it said production will take place at Melbourne Showgrounds. Channel 10 and the Duchess of Sussex announced the 45-year-old will be a special guest when the show returns in 2027 after a six-year hiatus.
Paramount ANZ stated the show’s largest Sunday audience since 2023 came from Meghan’s MasterChef Australia appearance, and it described her Junior MasterChef announcement as coming as she faces increased scrutiny over Thomas Markle being accused of child sexual abuse. Channel 10 revealed the Duchess will step up alongside Poh Ling Yeow to helm the competitive cooking reality show for aspiring chefs aged 8 to 13 years old.
What happens next for the show
Meghan’s next television appearance comes in the same week Meghan revealed she had been made aware of "disturbing allegations" against her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr, in 2019. Meghan’s return to Australia follows a four-day tour of the country she and Prince Harry undertook in April, and it added that Meghan’s MasterChef debut was announced on the second day of that tour. Producers said the series will see host Poh Ling Yeow joined by the Duchess of Sussex as they "help guide the next generation of young culinary talent," and it said Meghan will film in Australia for just a few weeks.
It is unknown whether the role means a temporary relocation to Australia for Meghan, Prince Harry and their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, even as it said the family relocated to the UK in August. Junior MasterChef Australia will return to Channel 10 in 2027, six years after the series last aired, and it said the show is produced by Endemol Shine Australia, part of Banijay Entertainment, and distributed internationally by Banijay Rights.
