The Duchess of Sussex was told to eat food like an animal, sing songs in cat ears and make strange noises as part of a prank on unsuspecting members of the public.

In a segment during her televised interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Meghan was instructed to carry out a number of embarrassing tasks through a hidden earpiece while interacting with street vendors in Los Angeles.

DeGeneres initially told her to touch her elbow and her nose and do a squat before the chat show host said “you’re going to say everything I tell you to say”.

Meghan was asked to repeat different phrases several times to the first vendor before she picked up some crystals and spoke about having “powers”.

The duchess then went silent and closed her eyes before holding one of the crystals against her face and was instructed to make strange noises to laughs from the audience.

At the next table, Meghan was asked to speak in a funny voice, before referring to herself as “mummy”.

She was then instructed to eat a tortilla crisp with hot sauce like a chipmunk and shove another in her mouth.

After over-emphasising how hot the sauce was, Meghan then drank milk from a baby bottle before telling a joke without a punch line to the final vendor.

The duchess ended the prank by putting on cat ears and singing a song about being a kitten as the audience applauded and cheered.

Meghan said, afterwards, that the vendors were “great sports”.

Later during the interview, the duchess announced a $20,000 (£15,000) donation from her and Harry towards a charity which braids hair for children in Nashville.

It was heard that the non-profit organisation A Twist of Greatness has helped more than 150 children in the community after starting on the back of a Facebook post.

Meghan, who hugged the woman who started the charity, smiled and said she was “touched by” her story before presenting a large cheque on behalf of her and the Duke of Sussex.