The Duchess of Sussex was halfway through judging when her phone went off. She picked up anyway.
It made for an unusually candid few seconds of television. On Sunday, July 26, a new episode of MasterChef Australia aired with Meghan Markle guest judging, and the segment that got people talking was not about the food. Filming was cut short by a video call from her husband, Prince Harry, and the show kept the whole thing in.
The call nobody planned for
Markle had joined the other judges to work through the contestants’ dishes when her personal phone rang. She answered it on the spot and announced the caller to the room: “Hi, love! My husband is here,” turning the screen toward the rest of the panel.
Harry, for his part, sounded worried he had picked a bad moment. “What’s going on? Did I interrupt something important?” he asked.
She filled him in. “Well, we’re tasting all the dishes. We have four incredible chefs here. It’s amazing, they’re so talented. We wish you were here.” She then explained to the judges where he was calling from: “He’s in Canberra right now with the veterans.”
What the clip says about the two of them
The fact that the exchange survived the edit says something in itself. On the call, Markle made no secret of wanting him there for the tasting, and she was already selling him on the menu.
“I wish you could try this. These dishes are fantastic. It’s really delicious, and there’s a hot sauce that, well, you know me… it’s so good. I think it might be a bit too much for you. It’s spicy,” she told him.
Harry took the hint and got off the line. “Well, go ahead and enjoy it. I’m really sorry to bother you. Everything’s fine here. I’ll see you later.”
