The final four contestants on MasterChef – Vinnie, Petro, Casper, and Aaron – had two major surprises thrown their way during the most anticipated episode of the season.
After walking down a rolled-out red carpet, the top cooks were met with the applause of all their friends from the season, as the Top 24 contestants returned.
However, before the shock could wear off, Poh Ling Yeow excitedly announced the arrival of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, as the guest judge.
It’s safe to say almost every contestant’s jaw dropped.
As a passionate home cook with global influence, her own food brand ‘As Ever’, and her own Netflix cooking show, Markle set the remaining contestants a Mystery Box challenge (with the promise of immunity for the winning cook).
She filled the box with ingredients she loves to cook with, including lemons, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, local Australian honey, macadamias, Jerusalem artichoke, quince, apples, mandarins and strawberries.
The contestants were tasked with choosing one of these ingredients, and making it a feature in a – as Sofia Levin said – “dish fit for a Duchess”.
Markle encouraged the contestants to focus on any nostalgic elements and stories from their lives that they can bring out through the dish.
After an intense cook, and an adorable FaceTime interruption from Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, Casper and Petro’s dishes made the top two, with Petro’s celeriac dessert winning him immunity and that sought-after spot in the final.
Speaking to WHO, Petro and Aaron spoke about what it was like having the Duchess of Sussex in the MasterChef kitchen.
‘There was something theatrical and electric about having her there’
Petro revealed that when he found out Markle was the surprise guest, he and the other contestants were gobsmacked.
“I was in shock,” he told WHO. “It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was in the kitchen, let alone having to cook for her!
“To be honest though, I was so pumped to turn it up and put on a show. There was something theatrical and electric about having her there. The place lit up.”
Aaron had a similar reaction, joking that his “face said it all”.
“I think my face said it all, I couldn’t believe Meghan was coming into the MasterChef kitchen, let alone that we’d get to meet her in person,” he said. “I’d only ever seen her on TV, so it was one of those genuine ‘pinch me’ moments where you can’t quite believe what’s happening.
“I think I can speak for all the boys when I say we completely lost our composure when she walked through the doors. There was definitely a bit of blushing, and I don’t think any of us managed to string a proper sentence together for the first few minutes!”
Both contestants also had nothing but praise for the judge, with Petro explaining how during the cook, “she was very kind and spoke very eloquently about food, which was lovely”.
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