Meghan Markle gave key tells that she felt “superior” to contestants during her guest-judging appearance on MasterChef Australia, while also sometimes showing her “vulnerable” side, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Body language expert Inbaal Honigman, who is currently partnered with casinos.org, watched the episode on July 26 and had several notable takeaways.
Initially, Honigman theorized that Markle was showing her “vulnerable” side with her body movements.
“Meghan’s arm across her body, with her hand popped over her chin, is her favorite way to stand during MasterChef Australia,” Honigman observed.
“It tells us that she’s feeling vulnerable, which is why her arm is covering her body. But the hand over the chin, while still protective, is also full of thought, contemplative. Could she be making plans for future Australian collaborations?” she wondered.
“Her hands interact with one another a lot, there are laced fingers, there’s a hand grabbing the other hand, there are steepled fingers, there’s a hand in the crook of the arm,” Honigman pointed out. “Those constant hand-to-hand touch-points help Meghan keep her body covered, and they’re the main way of showing that she’s also somewhat nervous.”
However, later, Markle surprised the judges when she was asked to give contestants their “30-minute time call,” an announcement that they only had half an hour left to complete their dishes for the challenge, and instead, put her own twist on it.
As Sofia Levin told Markle she should make the announcement, the Duchess asked, “Can I tell them personally? Let’s make it personal. I don’t like to yell,” and then made her way to their cooking stations to give them the message.
Honigman had a keen observation regarding Markle’s personalized time checks.
“Meghan gives each contestant their 30-minute time check in person, refusing to shout across the room. We can see that the Duchess is enjoying the in-person interaction. She looks each contestant straight in the eye, knowing they’re in awe of her,” the behavior analyst noted about how the four male contestants responded as she smiled at them before walking away.
“Meghan seems to relish her heightened status in the kitchen. Her unapologetic eye contact signifies both confidence and a keen interest,” Honigman shared. “Meghan’s raised chin, paired with this intense eye contact, relishes the feeling of superiority over the contestants.”
“A suppressed smile, raised eyebrows, and the occasional defiant chin are signs of confidence spilling into overconfidence,” Honigman pointed out.
“Primarily, subtle chin movements represent her feeling of being above the others,” she continued. “A jutting chin, a raised chin, and a puckered chin are all signifiers of superiority and show a sense of being better than her peers or having achieved more.”
As for viewers at home, some critics suggested that Markle insisting on giving personalized countdowns was an excuse to get herself more camera time.
“Firstly, that makes the contestants lose precious time & secondly, it was about giving herself maximum airtime & exposure strutting about!” one critic sneered.
A second scoffed, “She doesn’t like to follow rules or respect how other people do things; she has to do it ‘her way.'”