Is Meghan Markle's 'MasterChef Australia' drama helping her brand?

Meghan Markle's upcoming guest appearance on MasterChef Australia is already generating heated debate.

Royal commentators suggested to Fox Digital that the controversy surrounding her casting could ultimately work in her favour.

The Duchess of Sussex will appear as a guest judge on Sunday's episode after filming the installment during her and Prince Harry's visit to Australia earlier this year.

Ahead of the release, fans have mixed reaction with many praising the announcement while others questioning why she had been chosen despite not being a professional chef, with some even calling for a boycott.

Richard Fitzwilliams said, "Every time Meghan’s name gets in the papers, even if it is negative, it builds up the power of her brand."

"It also helps to hype the show before it starts," he added. "She was chosen as a guest judge to boost the ratings of the show."

However, one commentator argued that Meghan continues to face challenges convincing audiences of her credibility in the food and lifestyle space. Helena Chard said, "I don’t believe she’s a qualified chef. But then, they’ve had Steve Irwin as a guest judge before and he wasn’t a chef either."

"So it’s not really about culinary credentials," she added.

This comes after Meghan Markle's Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan and the launch of her lifestyle brand, As Ever.