Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's public image has taken a steep decline in recent years, amid headlines about family tensions and Netflix projects. Now another controversy has landed on her doorstep, involving politicians, security, and an online petition.

The setting is Junior MasterChef Australia, where young cooks should be worrying about collapsing soufflés and perfecting recipes. Markle is expected in Melbourne for filming in 2027, but the question of who might fund her personal protection has become a political hot potato.

The cameras have yet to roll, and the kitchen is already overheating. 

Meghan Markle is set to spend several weeks in Melbourne in early-to-mid 2027 filming Junior MasterChef Australia, where she'll co-host alongside chef Poh Ling Yeow. Almost immediately after the announcement, questions arose over whether Australian taxpayers should foot the bill for her protection, given this is a commercial TV appearance rather than a royal state visit. Describing it as an "outrageous suggestion," writer and broadcaster Emma Trimble fumed.

"I don't know if this is a suggestion that's come from her personally, but the idea that the Australian taxpayer should fund this is so outrageous that I can't believe it was ever a suggestion that was made in the first place," Trimble said.

She argued that Meghan Markle is a wealthy individual who will presumably be paid for her appearance, should cover her own security costs rather than expecting "hardworking Australians" to pay.

Both major Victorian political parties have shut down any possibility of taxpayer funding, with Opposition Leader Jess Wilson vowing not to spend "a single cent" on the Sussexes if she takes office. Critics have framed the entire situation as a "ruse" by The Sussexes to secure state-funded security, pointing to their earlier Australia visit where they claimed public interest was minimal.

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And the financial debate is sharing the stove with an entirely different controversy over Markle's casting.

A Change.org petition demanding Meghan Markle's removal emerged after her October 27 announcement. Reports placed its signatures in the thousands, although its status and tally have fluctuated. The organizer questioned her suitability for a children's competition and cited allegations involving her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr.

Philippine authorities are investigating claims that he possessed child s****** a*** images. He denies the allegations. Those claims concern Thomas, and they do not establish misconduct by Markle. She previously said she was deeply distressed by the allegations and had received assurances that concerns raised years earlier were being investigated.

The Metropolitan Police subsequently acknowledged receiving an allegations letter in 2019 and said it had not shared the details with other law-enforcement agencies at the time. Meanwhile, Endemol Shine Australia's official announcement remains unchanged. Markle will appear as a special guest with Yeow when the cooking competition returns to Network 10 in 2027.

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What do you think about the security debate surrounding Markle's Australian television appearance? Let us know in the comments.