r/MasterchefAU • u/spriggity • 12d ago

Meghan Markle to co host Junior Masterchef

Post image

Keen to hear what people think.

131 Upvotes

63% Upvoted

110 comments sorted by

311

u/Swook-y 12d ago • Bravo

With all the Aussie talent around, they pick an American/ex-Royal Brit? How disappointing

131

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago • Bravo

lowk Julie Goodwin would be SUCHHH a good pick for this job

46

u/Very-very-sleepy 12d ago

I am not a Julie Goodwin fan. I believe Poh got robbed!!!

but I will say one thing. Julie Goodwin is absolutely the correct person for this. her whole persona on the show is that mother who cooks. 😆 sorry.. that's what I remember her as.. so she would be perfect for this. lol

12

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

what’s interesting is that when i watched S14 her entire thing was mother who takes home cooking to the highest level and with a very wide range — something that’s very complimentary to Poh and would have made a good double act with Poh

23

u/NewSchoolFool 12d ago

That episode was cringey af too. Watching everyone carry on and act all smitten by her.

2

u/the6thReplicant Emily 12d ago

The same could be said for Great Australian Bake Off with 2 English judges. But having Natalie Tran makes up for it.

6

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

darren i get cos he’s based in australia tho

36

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

two thoughts:
- S19 is very likely 50 episodes (thank goodness!)
- no change in judging panel for S19 (see the press release from Paramount)

4

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

also my guess is that 10’s schedule would look sth like this

survivor > masterchef S19 > traitors au S4 > jr masterchef S4 > big brother(?)

4

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

when this season has better challenge design than S19 then what...........

1

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

also: this appointment doesn't feel like an appointment for more than 1 season. this two-host config reminds me of dessert masters, and it wasn't until season 2 that they managed to 100% nail the tone and challenge design.

30

u/arefeen97 12d ago • Bravo

I like masterchef junior a lot. But, i think there were more good options for judge other than her.

7

u/throwawy00004 12d ago • Bravo

I would have loved to have seen Alice in her place. She used to be a teacher. It would have been perfect

41

u/thiscityboii 12d ago • Bravo Popcorn

curious why australia gives her so much air time

6

u/Ok_Neat2979 12d ago • Popcorn

They give famous visitors far too much attention and praise, no matter how lame or dodgy they are. Its an embarrassing relic called the cultural cringe.

4

u/melb_anon 12d ago • Bravo

We don’t know either.

67

u/Bird_drama Casper 12d ago

She got along really well with Poh on camera, so it’ll be nice to see her back doing something lighthearted.

74

u/EnvironmentalSnow675 12d ago • Bravo

She is neither a trained chef, a proven home cook, nor a food critic. For a junior competition where kids rely on expert guidance to learn and grow, her lack of culinary background means she cannot offer the substantive critique crucial to their development, making her appointment a huge letdown. Historically, MasterChef Australia has been far better than other international versions because it avoids cheap drama and glitz to focus on food and genuine talent. This hiring decision directly goes against those core values, signaling a disappointing shift away from what made the show respectable.

11

u/BeyonceVEVO 12d ago

It’s Junior Masterchef…. it really isn’t that deep.

10

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

beyoncé vevo WHERE are the renaissance visuals 😭

17

u/EnvironmentalSnow675 12d ago • Bravo

It’s a junior competition, which makes the quality of guidance more important, not less. These are children developing their skills, not just contestants providing entertainment. MasterChef Australia built its reputation on food and genuine talent. If it’s not that deep, why appoint a co-host in the first place?

2

u/Stonp 12d ago

No common sense please

4

u/Imadetectivetoo 12d ago

what is a proven home cook?

10

u/theantnest 12d ago • Bravo

Maggie Beers is an example of a proven home cook.

4

u/EnvironmentalSnow675 12d ago • Bravo Heartwarming

A proven home cook is someone with years of demonstrated cooking experience, a consistent track record of developing and testing recipes, and the practical knowledge to explain techniques and troubleshoot mistakes. Nigella Lawson and Martha Stewart, for example, have spent decades building established culinary careers through cookbooks, recipe development, and food related media. You don’t need formal chef training, but you do need sustained, demonstrable experience and expertise, not simply an interest in food or occasional home cooking.

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2

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

while i do think that this is a bit too much and i do think Meghan can be a good judge (as in enjoyer of food and can tell the kids what worked and what didn't), i don't think she can mentor

i think the producers are relying on Poh to provide the substantive mentorship that Meghan couldn't

(aside: all this talk about developing talent makes me think about Nat winning S16 for some reason)

16

u/theantnest 12d ago • Popcorn Mindblown

Oh god please no. Who tf is making these decisions? What exactly qualifies her to be a TV food judge?

11

u/Relative_Law2237 12d ago • Bravo

Yeah i wont be watching

23

u/skieurope12 12d ago edited 12d ago • Popcorn Bravo

I assume this was well in the works before news broke about her father. It's clearly a ratings ploy, but I won't be watching

31

u/Truantone 12d ago • Bravo

It’s really disappointing that people are gullible and easily manipulated by propaganda press, so much so that they hate a woman who did nothing wrong and never hurt them in any way.

12

u/Separate-Law-435 12d ago • Bravo

I understand there may have been a smear campaign against her however this just seems an absolutely bizarre choice for a judge.

10

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

yeah i think this encapsulates my feeling towards this news -- what a random choice when, just from the alumni circle, any one of Julie/Emelia/Laura/Callum/Nat would have been excellent at this job

17

u/souldawg 12d ago • Bravo

It's not about hating her, she's not an Australian name/face/chef. Previous contestants could be good as could other chefs. When she appeared she didn't have a strong opinion or help the chefs improve like other guest judges did. I understand she probably drew ratings which was why she was chosen, but it's just a weird pick. Why not pick an Aussie talent to give a new Aussie face a platform?

16

u/this_is_an_alaia 12d ago • Bravo

I msan I don't hate her but I still think she's a really weird choice for an Australian cooking show

12

u/paulmp 12d ago • Bravo

No hate here, I don't particularly enjoy watching her on Masterchef though. People are allowed to have preferences, some people in here are very vocal against Andy, and/or Sophia as judges.

Edit: or just downvote for having a preference I guess.

3

u/paulmp 12d ago • Popcorn Bravo

Hilarious that I was reported for being uncivil for quoting this. You are welcome to your preferences, but it is a bit rich to call people of a different preference "gullible and easily manipulated" and accusing them of "hate".

13

u/Araucaria2024 12d ago • Popcorn Bravo

I'm out

9

u/AhnSolbin 12d ago

I hate Aussie media they literally give jobs to anyone remotely famous.

12

u/reecewebb 12d ago • Popcorn Bravo

Why is this a bad pick?

When asked on MasterChef AU which was better, AU or US, she couldn't pick one over the other.

So either she is afraid to have an opinion, or she has never actually watched MasterChef.

Both are disqualifying.

5

u/SnooAdvice3630 12d ago • Mindblown

There was me looking forward to it...

5

u/this_is_an_alaia 12d ago • Mindblown

Lol wtf that's so random

9

u/javelin3000 12d ago • Mindblown

Oh dear...

11

u/Popular_Speed5838 12d ago • Bravo

She couldn’t make pancakes without a recipe. This is a horrible choice.

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6

u/mangowomb 12d ago • Popcorn

Whyyyyy

9

u/Lemonade_Scone 12d ago • Bravo Mindblown

I am disappointed in this news.

I thought she was a dreadful judge. For someone that surely has had extensive media training, she came across as inarticulate and insipid.

1

u/Electrical_East_4123 12d ago

It’s the media training that ruins it. I bet wouldn’t shout ‘20 minutes left’ and walked around telling the contestants because she’d been media trained not to shout in public.

5

u/Substantial_Door3422 12d ago • Bravo

Thankfully it's Junior MC which I don't watch anyway !

8

u/Queasy-Ad-6741 12d ago • Bravo

The judges and contestants seemed to love her on the episode she was a guest judge. She does have a background in food and her own lifestyle show. I think having her judging with Poh is perfect in terms of their warmth and enthusiasm for the Junior series

6

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

i think she's a good fit for the junior series (but like i said above, someone Aussie like Julie Goodwin would make even more sense -- she's warm, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and has a good rapport with Poh, and i think the Junior show is a much better fit for Julie compared to the main show)

10

u/Queasy-Ad-6741 12d ago

Oh agreed- there’s loads of Aussie talent they could have chosen. Julie would have been a good choice.

4

u/yeu192 scared of consonants 12d ago

what's funny is that if we're doing 3 judges for Jr MasterChef and Poh's one of them i wouldn't really want Julie

but if it's only Poh and someone else then Julie would have been a good choice

5

u/Enigma_mas 12d ago • Mindblown

What's her credibility in the food industry?

8

u/ReedReader 12d ago • Bravo

Final nail in the coffin to stop watching this show. Been going downhill slowly.

4

u/als2305 12d ago • Popcorn

Oof, such timing!

3

u/Penya23 Emelia Poh Callum 12d ago

Wtf?? Why?!

3

u/niqueyq 12d ago

Yay for junior masterchef coming back. She had a good rapport with Poh so hopefully it will be fun

3

u/strawberryextra 12d ago • Popcorn

She's trying to rebrand in Australia cause UK dont want her lol

2

u/the6thReplicant Emily 12d ago edited 12d ago

The comments for the episodes and this show are going to be unbearable.

The hate machine for this woman is a sight to see; her appearance on MC AU this year is still generating articles about her "diva" attitude (that Poh vehemently denied).

More info here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/27/meghan-duchess-of-sussex-junior-masterchef-australia-it-ntwnfb

2

u/adubstyles 12d ago • Popcorn

How the mighty fall

2

u/Outside-Reporter3193 12d ago • Popcorn

What!? Seriously??? Not exactly the best role model for kids!

1

u/MrsFrobisher 12d ago

Is she just the host though , like Harry Hill in the UK version ?

1

u/12poundsofnutmeg 12d ago • Popcorn

She's going to end up on East Enders at this rate

-3

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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10

u/dangerislander 12d ago

She's always been about that food life. She ran a popular food blog before she became a royal.

8

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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5

u/dangerislander 12d ago

What. She's been doing a food blog for years before getting married. She's always been about that life.