Casper Kenworthy accidently cut himself while cooking in front of the duchess

A MasterChef Australia contestant cut himself while preparing his dish after admitting he was amazed by the prospect of cooking in front of Meghan Markle during her guest judging debut.

Casper Kenworthy, 28, is one of four chefs remaining in the competition, but was still starstruck when the Duchess of Sussex walked through the MasterChef doors.

The technology consultant described the "electricity" in the room, adding that cooking for Meghan was "crazy".

During the Duchess Immunity Challenge, however, his nerves got the better of him.

While peeling ginger, Mr Kenworthy accidentally sliced his finger with a peeler, causing him to look at the camera and admit: "I've just cut my finger."

He added: "It's the first time I've ever cut myself in this kitchen and it's in front of Meghan.

Nerves were evident elsewhere, after a visibly anxious Poh Ling Yeow welcomed Meghan with a hug before posing the question on everyone's mind: "Do I call you Duchess?"

"Oh, call me Meghan. Absolutely, yeah," the duchess replied without hesitation.

She appeared alongside fellow judges Mrs Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli, having recorded the segment during her Australian visit with Prince Harry in April.

In spite of the nerves on display, Meghan urged the cooks not to let the pressure of the competition kitchen overwhelm them.

"I like to cook in a really relaxed fashion," she said, advising them to "remember to have fun, to keep a sense of humour about it, and to cook from the heart."

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For the challenge, Meghan selected the ingredients for the contestants' challenge, presenting a table of seasonal produce including honey, macadamia nuts, citrus, edible flowers and celeriac.

While revealing the table of seasonal produce, the mother-of-two also revealed Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's favourite vegetable.

She declared to the contestants that "my kids eat Brussels sprouts," prompting Mrs Yeow to respond with "that's impressive."

Her appearance on Australia's biggest cooking programme was recorded during the couple's tour of Australia three months ago, with the broadcast date confirmed earlier this month.

The former Suits star cited her passion for food and her affection for Australia as the twin reasons she agreed to take part.

"It was an easy yes," she said. "I'm just really honoured that I was asked to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals."