Just hours later, the promo confirming the news was pushed out across Ten\u2019s social media channels.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before but no one like this,\u201d judge Poh Ling Yeow was heard gushing excitedly. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll the way from sunny California, please welcome to MasterChef Australia \u2026 The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle!\u201d<\/p>\n
A beaming Meghan is then seen walking through the doors into the MasterChef kitchen, located at Melbourne Showground.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to the insider, Meghan and her team only heard the wording in the promo when it was released to the public \u2013 and they were not happy about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re very frustrated,\u201d the source told news.com.au, adding that they\u2019d \u201cspecifically\u201d made clear they didn\u2019t want the word \u201croyal\u201d used.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were outside the doors when it was filmed, so didn\u2019t know what had been said.\u201d<\/p>\n
News.com.au has reached out to Ten for comment.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While technically accurate, the term was presumably flagged so as to avoid fuelling any debate over Meghan and Harry\u2019s royal status during their tour, especially in a commercial context. <\/p>\n
The issue has been regularly discussed during flashpoints over the past six years since they quit royal duties.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the use of \u201cMarkle\u201d was also an interesting choice, given that Meghan infamously corrected actress Mindy Kaling when she called her by her maiden name in her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so funny you keep calling me Meghan Markle,\u201d she said pointedly. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou know it\u2019s Meghan Sussex now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shortly after news.com.au broke the news of the MasterChef cameo last week, Meghan\u2019s publicist confirmed she had appeared as a guest judge.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of her first Australian visit since 2018, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, featured as a guest judge on the country\u2019s most beloved cooking show,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeghan mentored and guided our nation\u2019s top home cooks alongside MasterChef Australia judges Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli.\u201d<\/p>\n
Season 18, which premiered last night, will also see stars including Robert Irwin and Jimmy Barnes make their MasterChef debut.<\/p>\n
The mother-of-two isn\u2019t the first royal to pop up on MasterChef. <\/p>\n
In 2018, during their Australian tour, then-Prince Charles and Camilla visited the set in Darwin, where they were filmed meeting the season 10 contestants, who were tasked with catering a reception at the Royal Flying Doctor Service base.<\/p>\n
At the time, then-MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan revealed it was Camilla who had gotten the royals\u2019 cameo over the line, as she was a \u201cmassive MasterChef fan\u201d. <\/p>\n