Meghan Markle’s upcoming guest appearance on MasterChef Australia reportedly included a few awkward moments behind the scenes, despite the friendly atmosphere shown in the official teaser.
The Duchess of Sussex will appear alongside judges Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli. Promotional footage released this week appears to show Meghan enjoying a warm and relaxed exchange with the judging panel.
However, sources have claimed that filming did not always go as smoothly as the preview suggests.
“It was a bit awkward at times. You could tell Meghan was wondering what was going on,” a source told New Idea.
During the episode, Meghan is introduced with the announcement: “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, Meghan Markle.”
One source said Poh Ling Yeow was unintentionally caught up in an issue involving royal protocol.
“It wasn’t about Meghan personally. Poh felt she had been unintentionally drawn into a royal protocol issue she never intended to be part of,” the source said.
“She was willing to reach out immediately, but she was advised to leave it for production to handle.”
Another insider insisted there was no serious tension on set, although the cast and crew were reportedly working hard to create polished moments for the cameras.
“There was no tension whatsoever, but it did feel like everyone was working hard to create those picture-perfect TV moments,” the source explained.
Poh, who is known for her energetic and playful personality, reportedly tried to keep the mood light by joking with Meghan. However, some of the comments may not have received the reaction she expected.
“Poh is full of energy. She’s always joking and lifting the mood,” another source said. “She tried to bring that same spark with Meghan, cracking a few playful lines, but not all of it landed as intended.”
The insider added that the situation was not considered serious and that any uncomfortable exchanges were adjusted during editing.
“It wasn’t major drama, just a few awkward moments during filming that were adjusted in the final edit. Meghan was a great guest, and we feel very lucky she agreed to appear on the show.”
