Duncan Garner has revealed he had awkward conversations over the decision to give his daughters Māori names.

The AM Show hosts were discussing the controversial Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which aired in the United States on Monday.

CBS Presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry will air in Aotearoa exclusively on Three and online on ThreeNow at 7:30pm on Three.

Meghan, who is biracial, claimed her son Archie was denied a royal title, denied security, and there were concerns "about how dark his skin might be".

Host Garner said he had also encountered issues after he and his former partner decided to give their daughters Māori names.

"When they were born they were given Māori names from their tupuna (ancestors)," he said.

"I would often see family friends at supermarkets and places like that. We would have the girls with us and they would ask their names. We would say what their names are and they would say 'Why? Why? What do you mean? Why? Well, they are not very brown. They are quite white, why have they got a Māori name?'"

He said that "it's true, this stuff happens".

"We have been through all of this stuff for years."

Social media users reacted in shock to Meghan's revelations.

"Wow! Racism runs real deep, even in the Royal Family. They really missed an opportunity to step into the 21st century, and enhance their relevance," one person commented on Twitter.

"This isn't Meghan's princess 'happy' ending. But sometimes change, the decisions that bring us the most hurt, aren't about happiness, but healing," another commenter wrote.