Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently had a viral television moment that some social media users simply aren’t buying into.
The Suits actress recently made an appearance on MasterChef Australia as a guest judge, where she interacted with contestants, judged their work, and revealed a few fun facts about her family and personal life. There was a viral moment during her episode, which occurred when she took a surprise FaceTime call from her husband, the estranged Prince Harry. Though some fans loved seeing them on the phone together, others weren’t so impressed, with some social media users and a professional chef accusing the call of being staged. Read more about the phone call and how the internet reacted to it below.
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Meghan Markle Takes A Call From Prince Harry During MasterChef Australia Episode
Though she may no longer be taking on official jobs as the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle is continuing to take on new projects as a new lifestyle guru, more recently making a rare, special television appearance on the famous cooking competition series, MasterChef Australia.
This week, she appeared as a guest judge on the show for an episode that aired on July 26th, after filming it during her and Prince Harry’s visit to Australia in April. The Duchess joined the show’s judges to critique and take part in a challenge that was centered on seasonal produce, as contestants were asked to create a dish “fit for a duchess,” while also sharing the personal stories behind their food.
Throughout the episode, Meghan sampled contestants’ dishes, offering feedback and sharing stories from her personal life about food. She even dropped some fun food-related facts about her family of four, revealing that Harry enjoys hearty, rich British meals, while she enjoys lighter, California-inspired fare. She also mentioned that their two young kids, Archie and Lilibet, are different from most kids in the way they’re adventurous eaters. Then, as a surprise moment, she took a FaceTime call from the Spare author while he was visiting veterans in Canberra, prompting her to joke that one contestant’s spicy hot sauce would be “too spicy” for him.
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Pro Chef Says Harry & Meghan’s Televised Call Seemed ‘Clearly Staged’
After the episode aired, there were some loyal fans of the controversial couple and the royal family who loved seeing their phone call, believing it to be a candid moment and enjoying seeing them speak so kindly to one another. After all, it was certainly a contrast to past reports that their relationship was on the rocks, especially as they’ve “separated” from each other professionally.
However, people like celebrity chef Jameson Stocks aren’t buying that the call was a ‘surprise moment’ or unscripted in any way.
“Firstly, if you’re on an open set, people generally don’t have their phones readily to hand,” he told The News International. “This was clearly staged and prearranged, much like her contrived television program – there was no authenticity or genuine spontaneity, just something cold, calculated, and pathetic. Stuff like this I find extremely cringeworthy.”
On social media, other users expressed similar sentiments, commenting that even if the call was genuine, it felt forced and awkward.
“It was so cringeworthy,” wrote an Instagram user.
“It was staged,” claimed another. “Must remind everyone of the royal connection.”
“Couples that have to constantly prove their relationship… don’t have a good one,” commented a user.
“Staged and so cringy,” added another. “Oh, Harry. I still can’t see what credentials she has to be a judge on MasterChef in the first place.”
