'Meghan Markle was mocked over new move - but she's seen the future'
Most recently, the Duchess of Sussexes' Netflix show With Love, Meghan - which sees her offer tips and tricks for cooking and hosting - was savaged by critics and only just managed to scrape into the top 10 shows streamed on the platform when it released.
And in 2023, Spotify parted ways with the couple, ending a £15m deal. An executive at the company even branded the pair "grifters" after the collaboration fell flat.
Meghan has since launched her own podcasts, as well as her sell-out lifestyle brand As Ever which offers flower sprinkles, wine and jam amongst other items.
The couple's commercial endeavours have sparked anger from some royal watchers who believe they are still profiting from their fractured royal ties.
And after striking up deals with streaming and audio giants, all while still focusing on their charity work and solo ventures, other onlookers have simply felt underwhelmed by their endeavours.
Recently, royal commentator Esther Krakue savagely branded Harry and Meghan "boring and unprofitable", claiming that Meghan has "nothing to lose" if her lifestyle brand As Ever were to fail.
Despite the brutal claims, royal expert Jennie Bond believes that the couple's deals with streaming services Netflix and Spotify delivered what was promised, and were more popular than some give credit for.
Harry and Meghan have so far produced five projects for Netflix, including their docuseries, Harry & Meghan, Live to Lead, Heart of Invictus, Polo and With Love, Meghan. Netflix is also a partner of As Ever.
Jennie, a former royal correspondent with the BBC, told the Mirror that despite the public backlash over their projects, the Sussexes have delivered on their agreement with the streaming services to give fans a look into their lives.
She said: "It's quite obvious that Netflix got involved with them because they wanted the inside story of their royal life. And they got it. It's true that they haven't managed to produce much content since then, or at least content that has proved particularly popular.
'But Meghan's lifestyle show is perfectly pleasant and has some quite useful tips. For example she was much mocked for saying that she wanted to 'elevate' ordinary things. But she's quite right: if you watch any cookery programmes, all the professionals agree that it really is vital that dishes are beautifully presented.'
Jennie notes that while Meghan is a natural in front of the camera, Prince Harry may have found the task much more difficult. She said: 'Harry was probably always going to be out of his depth as a would-be TV producer or presenter.
'He has dabbled, and the results have been mediocre, so I think he now realises he is better placed using his platform to pursue his charitable and campaigning work.'
When asked if she thought Meghan had anything to lose if her business fails, Jennie said: 'Well, she has her pride certainly, and I believe her when she says she has poured her heart and soul into her business curating a range of products for her website. So far, it has been quite successful - there is clearly a high demand as everything sells out almost instantly.
'She has certainly built up a very impressive following on social media in a very short time – and that is where the future lies for so many business ventures. She seems to be buzzing with new ideas and I wish her success. I hope they're happy.'
Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our .
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Or sign up to the to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Graziadaily
24 minutes ago
- Graziadaily
Meet Alex Warren's Influencer Wife Who Took A Huge Risk Six Months After Meeting Him Via Snapchat
The world of social media has created a whole new class of celebrity, which includes singer, YouTuber and influencer Alex Warren and his wife Kouvr Annon. After meeting through Snapchat in 2018, they both joined the Hype House – a collective of young TikTok personalities based in California – a year later. Fast forward to now and they are happily married with Alex dedicating his recent song 'Ordinary' to his wife. If you want to know more about Kouvr and their relationship then you've come to the right place. Kouvr is a social media influencer who found fame on TikTok. She is known for creating content with her husband Alex. With more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 16 million followers on TikTok, she has built up a loyal fanbase with her modelling, travel and promotional content. Kouvr is 25 years old. She was born on 31 May 2000. Alex Warren and his wife Kouvr Annon at the 51st American Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2025. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP) They met via Snapchat after Alex messaged Kouvr's friend to say she was cute. 'I felt I could tell her everything,' Alex said of their relationship in March, 'just after our first conversation.' When they met Alex was still living out of his car. His father died of cancer when he was nine years old and his mother allegedly suffered with an alcohol addiction and kicked him out of the house. Four months after they started talking, Kouvr moved to California from Hawaii to join Alex and they both lived in his car. 'There was no one else I would've wanted to go through that with,' he wrote on Instagram. Like many influencers, Alex and Kouvr have evidently been through some difficult times and have shared their experiences with millions of followers. They moved into the Hype House just before the pandemic took hold and both featured in Netflix's 2022 series, Hype House. That year the couple decided to 'move on to the next chapter' in their lives and leave the house share. Alex and Kouvr have been together since 2018. They got engaged on New Year's Eve in 2022. 'After running around for hours and almost losing the ring on a gondola, I found the perfect place to ask her to marry me,' Alex told People. 'I remember how terrified I was even though I knew she was going to say yes because I wanted it to be perfect for her.' The duo married in June 2024 in California. Kouvr said marriage signifies her 'commitment and response of protecting someone'. She added, 'I couldn't image what my life would be without him, and I'm so happy that I don't have to.' Not yet, but they have both been vocal about their desires to start a family. 'I know that Alex is going to be the best father that there ever could be in the world but I can't wait to be a mom,' she said. Yes, Alex's 2025 single 'Ordinary' is about his experience of falling in love with Kouvr. Of course, she is an influencer. She is @k0uvr on TikTok and @kouvr on Instagram. Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across entertainment, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Lincolnshire's tourism boost despite ongoing challenges
Lincolnshire has reported a boost in tourism accounting for 28,700 jobs, despite ongoing challenges facing the sector, according to the County Council said that for 2024 the county saw more than a 3% rise in the visitor economy from the previous year. It said the economic impact of tourism and hospitality across Greater Lincolnshire was measured at £3.02bn for 2024, representing a huge milestone for the Toyne, growth manager at the authority, said events were "key drivers" to bringing visitors in as well as places to stay and places to eat. It was the first time Greater Lincolnshire's visitor economy had exceeded £3bn, the council said, despite challenges with fluctuating visitor numbers and rising Toyne said: "We're really pleased to see growth because it's been really a challenging season for the visitor economy in 2024."There were lots of challenges really from the cost of living rising, through to just things as simple as the weather."She said it was still a challenging time for businesses and the number of events held in the county last year had brought people Toyne said there was a focus on film and television tourism with fans coming to see locations, for example the Netflix horror Frankenstein, which was filmed at Burghley House, near council said nearly 30% of travellers now said television shows and movies influenced their travel plans. Councillor Liam Kelly, executive councillor for growth at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "Rising costs weren't helped by poor weather last year, so it is a real testament to their hard-work, resilience and for Lincolnshire's pull as a great holiday destination." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Netflix quietly adds 8 episodes of wild thriller – and fans are devouring it
An 'outrageous' new thriller has quietly been added to Netflix, with fans branding it the 'most insane show' of the year. The Hunting Wives premiered on the platform today, and is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by May Cobb. The eight-part series follows Brittany Snow as Sophie, a woman who moves from Boston to East Texas with her family, where she grows a little too close to a mysterious socialite and her group of wealthy friends. However, things take a turn when a dead body is discovered and the newcomer is warned that she has 'no idea what these people are capable of'. Malin Åkerman, Dermot Mulroney, Chrissy Metz and Katie Lowes also make up the star-studded cast. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Despite only being out a matter of hours, fans and critics have flocked to social media to rave about the latest addition to Netflix's slate. Journalist David Opie tweeted: '#TheHuntingWives is the rare kind of trash that knows exactly what it is and revels in it. 'It's hard to make a show seem this shallow, but still be so entertaining (complimentary). Brittany Snow is great, but Malin Akerman is perfection and their chemistry is GAY gay. I love it.' Lee commented: 'The Hunting Wives is kind of a mess with questionable writing but Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman are constantly serving.' '#TheHuntingWives is the most insane show I have watched all year,' Reporter Max Gao praised. 'I devoured all eight episodes last week and genuinely felt bereft by the end of the season. This show is a soapy good time – outrageous characters, wild plot twists, and *so many* intimate scenes.' Over on Reddit, user Yammersss cheered: '2 episodes in, it's super trashy fun. Malin Akerman's character is a riot, and Brittany Snow is a nice girl who's about to break bad.' The official synopsis reads: 'Sophie trades city life for East Texas and falls into a wealthy socialite's magnetic orbit – where a clique of housewives hide deadly secrets.' Author May, who served as executive producer on the adaptation, recently shed light on the series in a new interview, insisting there is more to it than the 'rich people behaving badly' trope we've been inundated with. 'It really is like escapist fun, but it's also grounded with a small-town murder mystery, which gives it some more gravity,' she told Marshall News Messenger. 'So, it's not just like rich people behaving badly. 'There's some other serious elements brought in. I think that makes it a very gripping and riveting show to watch. There's a cliffhanger at every turn. There's secrets, lies, betrayal. It's got it all.' More Trending Sharing how close the show stayed to her book, she added: 'It is very similar. The book is a good blueprint for what the creators of the show went and did. 'I feel like they took the spirit of the book, and they really made it into this very juicy, binge-worthy, eight-episode series that's just beyond my wildest dreams, to be perfectly honest. 'Even though there's differences, I applaud all the differences, and I'm so excited about it because it all still just really does feel like it celebrates the book and that spirit of rowdy Texas women behaving badly in the pine forest.' The Hunting Wives is available to stream on Netflix now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: TV soap legend Eileen Fulton died aged 91 MORE: TNA Slammiversary sees WWE icon, 48, return to calls for 'one more match' MORE: Ellen DeGeneres admits major problem she'd face if she launched UK talkshow
