Meghan Markle’s MasterChef Australia episode locks in an air date

Meghan Markle will join MasterChef Australia as a guest judge on Sunday, 26 July at 7pm on 10, setting a challenge built around seasonal produce and personal food stories.

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The appearance comes as season 18 enters its final stretch, with only a handful of amateur cooks remaining in the competition.

What challenge will Meghan set?

Meghan will ask the contestants to create a dish fit for a Duchess by making one seasonal ingredient the focus of their plate. The cooks must also explain the personal story or memory connected to their chosen produce.

The available ingredients include:

• Carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, Brussels sprouts and celeriac
• Local Australian honey and macadamia nuts
• Quince, lemons and apples
• Mandarins and strawberries

“What attracted me to the MasterChef Australia kitchen? Two things: my love of food and my love of Australia. It was an easy yes,” Meghan said.

“It’s such a great show. I’m just really honoured that I was asked to be able to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals.”

Meghan said the selected ingredients held a sense of nostalgia for her and encouraged the cooks to draw on their own experiences.

“These are all things that, for me, feel really nostalgic,” she said.

“I’d love it if there’s a connection that you can find when, as you’re cooking something, what is the story behind it?… What is something from your family or from a memory…something sentimental that we can also taste as we taste your dish.”

Meghan’s food and lifestyle projects

The guest appearance follows Meghan’s recent work in food, entertaining and lifestyle media. Her projects include the Netflix series With Love, Meghan and lifestyle brand As Ever.

She will appear alongside MasterChef Australia judges Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli.

MasterChef Australia’s season 18 guests

Season 18 has featured guest appearances from chefs Rick Stein, Curtis Stone and Maggie Beer. Jimmy Barnes, Jane Barnes and Robert Irwin have also appeared during the season.

The series began with 24 amateur cooks competing for the 2026 title. The remaining contestants are now approaching the final rounds of the competition.

MasterChef Australia airs Sundays at 7pm and Mondays to Wednesdays at 7.30pm on 10. The Meghan episode will air on Sunday, 26 July at 7pm.

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