Meghan calls Harry ‘a charmer’ during MasterChef Australia guest appearance

By Jessica Coates, Press Association

Meghan Markle described her husband as a “charmer” after he made a surprise video call during her appearance on MasterChef Australia.

Meghan appeared as a guest judge on the 18th season of the cooking show on Sunday, where contestants were challenged to transform a staple ingredient into a dish “fit for a duchess”.

The couple spoke during the show’s judging portion, when Harry called to check in

“Hi, my love,” she said after producers handed her the phone, introducing Harry to contestants and judges and showing him the dishes.

“My husband’s here,” she told the stunned crowd.

The episode was filmed during Meghan and Harry’s week-long trip to Australia in April. The couple carried out charitable and commercial engagements across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

Meghan praised contestant Aaron Kher’s dish but joked it packed “too much” spice for Harry, who greeted the Australian group with a “G’Day”.

“He’s a charmer, isn’t he?” she said after the phone call ended.

Asked about cooking for her family, Meghan said she had “a lot of palates to appease” and that her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are “great eaters” who enjoy Brussels sprouts.

“The kids jump in a lot, especially with the garden,” she said, describing how the family often prepares food together.

Meghan added: “Family time, I think, is really key to connect through food, so as many meals as we can do together, we always do.”

She said her husband’s British upbringing meant he preferred “meat, potatoes and cream sauce” while the Californian-born Meghan favoured grilled meats, fish and citrus.

A previous announcement from Harry and Meghan described the new season as featuring some of the “most impressive amateur cooks the competition has ever seen”.

Harry and Meghan's Australian visit included meetings with mental health charities, Invictus veterans and survivors and emergency service personnel from the Bondi Beach terror attack.

“We love Australia. We had the most sentimental, amazing time. We were here almost eight years ago,” Meghan said of her visit.

“We announced we were pregnant with Archie at the time. It’s full circle.”

Previous seasons of the Australian show have aired in the UK on Channel 4, with British guest judges including Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson, Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver.

The Press Association understands Meghan was not paid for her appearance on the cooking programme.