Meghan Markle defended by MasterChef host for her 'will of steel' after rumours of on-set tension

Meghan Markle defended by MasterChef host for her 'will of steel' after rumours of on-set tension Australian TV host and chef Poh Ling Yeow has expressed her admiration for the Duchess of Sussex after rumours ran rampant that she was 'difficult' while filming a guest appearance on the show in April The host of MasterChef Australia has defended Meghan Markle and praised her ‘will of steel’ after rumours emerged of on-set tension between the two. Earlier this year, the Duchess of Sussex appeared as a special guest judge on the Australian cooking show, alongside TV host and chef Poh Ling Yeow. At the time, rumours emerged that Meghan was ‘difficult’ on the set when she was referred to as ‘royalty’ by Poh during her introduction, which Meghan was reportedly ‘very frustrated’ by. But now, just days after it was confirmed the Duchess will be joining Poh in the kitchen again for her new role as co-host of Junior MasterChef Australia, the TV chef has jumped to defend Meghan. Speaking with Australian media outlet Pedestrian.TV, Poh reflected on how the rumours spread in August when the special episode aired featuring Meghan, and claimed some of the online hate was even directed at her. Poh said: “Honestly, that was a really crazy experience to actually watch the fallout. Seriously, that woman has a will of steel and I just have even more admiration for her.” The chef added: “I think rumours just follow because it’s just the nature of the beast. Please can be just insatiable and horrible. I guess I was kind of latently experiencing it because some of it even came my way, but it’s fine.” Shortly after the episode of MasterChef Australia which featured Meghan as a guest judge aired in July, Poh quickly laid rumours to rest as she said on a Perth radio programme that the Duchess was ‘really lovely’ to work with. Appearing on the radio programme to share the real story from behind the scenes of the episode, Poh said: “If I had a buck for every time I’ve been asked about Meghan, I’d be a billionaire.” Poh added: “We had such a lovely time with her. She was a model citizen honestly. Just no fuss, she actually hung out with us judges and didn’t scurry away into her green room. She was completely engaged with the whole process and she really knows her food. There was nothing to complain about at all.” The MasterChef judge was then asked by the radio hosts about the furore around the episode, citing some of the rumours that were circulated by ‘unnamed sources’, to which Poh said: “It’s ridiculous.” She continued: “It’s the first time anything like that has happened to me. So it’s been very eye-opening to me to see what Meghan cops everyday, and it’s really full on.” Despite the controversy surrounding Meghan’s involvement in the show and her alleged on-set grievances, more than one million people tuned in to watch the episode. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Meghan will co-host the new season of Junior MasterChef Australia, which will see her spend several weeks in Melbourne for filming. It is not yet known when the production will take place, although it is believed the season will air next year. After the news of her casting was confirmed, Meghan issued a statement expressing her excitement at the upcoming role, as she said: “I had an incredible time with the whole team at MasterChef this past April, so when they approached me to come back and work with this young group of talent, it was an easy yes. “I love cooking with my own kids, so seeing what these young stars create in the kitchen is going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see what they cook up.” A statement from the company said: “With Poh’s culinary expertise and Meghan’s enthusiasm for cooking and nurturing young talent, Junior MasterChef Australia promises to serve up plenty of inspiration as the next generation of Australian cooks steps into the kitchen.”