Meghan Markle is understood to be pursuing a TV comeback, with plans to feature as a celebrity judge on MasterChef Australia this Sunday.

The Duchess is poised to make her television comeback for the first time since her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, joining one of Australia's most beloved programmes. The appearance coincides with her and Prince Harry's visit to Australia, representing their first journey to the nation since their official royal tour in 2018.

According to celebrity PR specialist Kayley Cornelius, the decision indicates a wider initiative to reshape Markle's public profile and career trajectory, which suffered following Markle's Australia tour 'blunder.'

"Meghan's latest move on MasterChef feel far from random or one-off appearances, there's a clear strategy at play here and it very much points to a more permanent return to the world of mainstream celebrity being front of mind.

"Australia is a particularly savvy choice too as it's a market that's historically been receptive to her, but it also allows her to trial this next phase slightly outside of the intense scrutiny she faces in the US and UK," Cornelius said.

Cornelius added that Markle appears concentrated on establishing a more distinctive personal brand, especially as she continues to broaden her business ventures. "What's becoming increasingly clear is that Meghan appears to be on a mission to really nail down her personal branding while she's in Australia, building a loyal audience base ahead of what looks like a potential move to bring her As Ever brand over. There's a sense that she's recognised the need to establish a stronger identity beyond her royal titles alone, and that relying on that association may not have carried her previous projects in the way she'd hoped," Cornelius said.

The PR expert also suggested the MasterChef Australia appearance might serve as a trial run for a more substantial return to television and the world of celebrity.

She said, "That said, this appearance could also signal something much bigger on the horizon. There's a strong sense that she may be looking to return to the world of mainstream celebrity culture as well as TV, and this latest move on MasterChef feels very much like her 'testing the waters' to gauge audience appetite for a full-scale comeback. By featuring on one of Australia's biggest TV shows, it will truly be a make or break moment for her Aussie career and determine whether she has something scalable across the pond.

"If this return is successful, and builds that connection with viewers, it puts her in a much stronger position with casting producers. From there, a return to bigger on-screen roles isn't out of the question, and with the right momentum, it could mark the start of a new chapter that reshapes both her public image and her career trajectory."

Meanwhile, the couple's ongoing visit to Australia has also drawn flak from certain royal commentators. Their four-day trip, described as privately funded, included a commercial Qantas Airways flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne.

Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube's Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered, claimed the visit has sparked unease amongst royal insiders.

"The palace is unhappy about these rent-a-royal tours because it blatantly disregards the late queen's very specific instruction that there can be no half-in, half-out for the Sussexes," Schofield told Fox News Digital.

"All they are doing in Australia is monetizing their titles and clinging to royal relevance, even though most of Prince Harry's family refuse to take his phone calls," Schofield claimed.