Latest news with #ConfessionsofaFemaleFounder
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle's exclusive $100M Netflix deal is done — but ‘more TV projects are coming soon' from her and Prince Harry
Meghan Markle has halted her 'Confessions of a Female Founder' podcast — as her multi-million dollar Netflix deal with Prince Harry comes to its end, multiple sources tell Page Six. As Page Six exclusively revealed earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are poised to sign a first-look deal with the streamer when their exclusive deal ends later this year. They are set to follow in the footsteps of former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, whose production company Higher Ground now has a similar deal with Netflix. A source told us, 'There are more TV projects coming soon with both the duke and duchess.' Markle, 43, meanwhile, will return with a second season of her mocked lifestyle show, 'With Love, Meghan,' in September, which was filmed at the same time as her first season. Rumors about the status of the Sussexes' Netflix deal only ramped up when the streamer announced last week that 'With Love, Meghan' was at No. 383 in its semi-annual report, 'What We Watched,' with a total of 5.3 million views since its March 4 debut. Despite this, an insider pointed out that 'With Love, Meghan' was actually in the top 5 percent of Netflix shows — ranking 383 out of 7500 — and had outperformed other leading 'lifestyle' shows such as 'The Great British Baking Show,' two seasons of 'Chef's Table' and Season 9 of 'Queer Eye.' Industry sources had already told Page Six that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos remains a huge fan of Harry and Markle and regularly dines with them. Markle, according to friends, wants to continue to focus on her lifestyle range, As ever, after recently selling out her rosé wine. She has a champagne range coming out and there will be holiday products. 'As a growing business, As ever is continuing to explore growth opportunities that feel aligned with the brand's core values and quality standards,' said a source. 'The brand continues to evolve with new products that align with her vision for quality lifestyle goods at accessible price points.' Markle first touted that she was pausing her female founder podcast to focus on her business last month while speaking on Skims' co-founder Emma Grede's 'Aspire' podcast. 'What an amazing opportunity, to pull back the curtain and let people see what's happening at the start,' she said, 'to have the opportunity to talk to so many female founders who've been on that full trajectory, that are on the other side of success. To be able to be really candid and vulnerable personally about my learns and stumbles along the way. 'And to then take everyone's advice, and mine included, and to say 'I love that there's so much excitement and desire for another season, but I need to focus on my business,'' she continued. There is also change at Lemonada Media, which produced Markle's podcast, as it has been bought by Swedish company PodX. Alongside As ever, Markle source say she is focusing on raising her children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. S he is also investing in female-led companies she feels 'passionate' about, including Midi Health, the fastest growing virtual care clinic focused on women navigating midlife hormonal change, as well as oat milk latte business Clevr. Solve the daily Crossword
Perth Now
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Beyonce begs her mom not to do one thing
Beyonce begs her mom to stop posting "too much" on social media. The 43-year-old superstar has been joined on her Cowboy Carter world tour by daughters Blue, 13, and eight-year-old Rumi, and her proud mother Tina Knowles can't help but share photos and videos of the family moments online, despite the Crazy in Love singer - who also has Rumi's twin, son Sir, with husband Jay-Z - asking her not to do so. Speaking to Kate and Oliver Hudson on their Sibling Revelry podcast, Tina said: "I'm still crying. I'm still like, 'I can't believe this.' "I'm screaming louder than anybody when Blue and Rumi me come out, not as much for me, but for them... "I'm the biggest cheerleader. I post 25 videos, and then I get a call, and Beyoncé will be like, 'Mama, can you not post so much? Like c'mon now, when are you ever going to stop posting? You're doing too much.' " But the 71-year-old matriarch insisted she still finds her daughter's career "really exciting" and won't ever be "jaded" by her success. She said: "I never want to be jaded about it or take it for granted, it's still really exciting for me. "I just think about how blessed we are to be passionate about something and for it to come to life like that. I mean, I don't take it for granted. Ever." Tina - who also has daughter Solange with ex-husband Mathew Knowles - recently warned of the "difficulties" that come from parents and children going into business together. Speaking on the Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, she told Meghan, Duchess of Sussex: "There are difficulties sometimes because if you're dealing with your child or you're dealing with your mother, you know, you have disagreements. "I'm the one that always caves. I've been like that since I was young. If my kids are mad at me, I can't take it. I'll apologise." Prior to Beyonce's fame, Tina worked as a hairdresser and owned a salon in Texas, but it was only in 2024 that she managed to persuade the Single Ladies hitmaker to co-found the haircare brand Cécred with her. She said: "It has been a dream of mine forever and Beyonce has been a big dream of hers, so we have talked about it for years and years and years but she was just not interested in pursuing another business because in her younger years she completely focused on her singing and her skills and all of that. It took some convincing. ~ "I was like 'I'll work on it, we can work on it together...' and finally she said 'Okay, we can start on it'. I didn't want to do it by myself. I just felt like at this point in my life, I didn't want to work that hard for once. I wound up working hard anyway but it's been a labour of love. [Beyonce] is on the stage with hot lights and she wears wigs a lot and she has managed to keep her hair beautiful and healthy, but that is not an easy task when you're in show business!"
Newsweek
06-08-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Meghan Markle's New Wine Solves Major Problem, For Now
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Meghan Markle has launched her new rosé wine and unlike previous product drops it has not sold out, potentially fixing a major problem with her business. The Duchess of Sussex's As Ever online store debuted its first bottle, a 2023 rosé, in July but it sold out in minutes meaning many customers were left disappointed. And the same thing happened for her two produce drops, with her full range including jams, cookie mix and flower sprinkles all selling out in minutes. Meghan Markle visits a local secondary school meeting students and teachers, in Asni, Morocco, on February 24, 2019. Meghan Markle visits a local secondary school meeting students and teachers, in Asni, Morocco, on February 24, 2019. Samir Hussein/WireImage The latest vintage, a 2024 rosé, went on sale at 3pm ET on Tuesday and was still on sale 12 hours later. That means fans who missed out in the past do actually stand a chance of logging onto As Ever and picking up some bottles. Why It Matters Experts have been telling Newsweek lightning fast sell outs have the potential to be a major problem for Meghan because they prevent repeat customers building a relationship with the brand. Meghan has herself said in the past the experience of logging on and finding nothing on sale can be frustrating for customers. What To Know As Ever sells wine at $30 a bottle with a minimum of three bottles per order and $20 for shipping, meaning customers leave having spent a minimum of $120. That means the range is not for the light of pocket but the first wine did sell out in under an hour, so there is clearly demand there. Her food produce is a little less expensive, ranging from $9 for a jar of jam to $28 for a limited edition honey. The whole range is currently sold out with more stock on the way at an unspecified time. Netflix is an equity partner in her business, meaning they get a slice of her profits but have also pumped money into scaling up the business. As Ever was tied to both her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, and more loosely to her girl boss podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder. What People Are Saying Before the launch, Eric Schiffer, chair of Reputation Management Consultants, told Newsweek: "These product sales are creating catastrophic credibility issues because it all looks like it's manufactured to sell out." And Nick Ede, a U.K. based brand and culture expert, warned of the need to have products on sale. "Focus on wine, get the supply side in place and have it available globally and have it distributed so you can go to a wine merchant and buy an As Ever wine," Ede said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be ordered online." Meghan's new wine was released to coincide with her 44th birthday, which she celebrated on Instagram with the message: "Blowing out the candles on a beautiful 24 hours, and thanking my husband, friends and family for making it so special. "To those of you I don't know, but who send love every day—thank you so much. Please know I feel it and appreciate it ❤️." As Ever describes the wine on its website: "Our 2024 Napa Valley Rosé evokes the same effortlessly elegant notes of our debut vintage: delicately balanced, with soft notes of stone fruit, a gentle minerality, and a lasting finish. "Reminiscent of the finest Provençal styles, this thoughtfully crafted blend is perfect for summer's end." What Happens Next Meghan has also been working with her suppliers on a sparkling wine, which aides have said they hope to debut towards the end of summer, though there is no definitive date. Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@ We'd love to hear from you.
Daily Mirror
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Meghan Markle's birthday 'gimmick' quietly shelved after major mistake
Meghan Markle launched a birthday campaign in 2021 to help women get back to work after the pandemic, but the project fizzled out almost as quickly as it began Meghan Markle is celebrating her 44th birthday today, and is likely spending the day quietly celebrating at home with her husband Prince Harry, and their two children Archie and Lilibet. While this year's birthday is a lowkey affair for the Sussexes, Meghan's milestone 40th birthday in 2021 was a different story. To celebrate the day, Meghan launched an online initiative to help women get back to work after the height of the pandemic. The launch of the project came alongside an online video starring Melissa McCarthy, and a cameo from Prince Harry. However, the project was quietly shelved after it never got off the ground. It comes after Prince Harry's devastating loss in royal rift was exposed as Meghan 'holds the cards'. The project was titled '40x40', with Meghan asking 40 of her famous friends to commit 40 minutes of their time to mentor and support women as they re-entered the workforce. Meghan then hoped to create a domino effect of counselling wider than her circle. But soon after the Archewell campaign went live, there was radio silence from the Duchess of Sussex, and the project was quietly shelved. With the ambitious project disappearing behind the scenes, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that he believes the initiative was nothing more than a 'gimmick' designed to "boost Meghan's appeal". Fitzwilliams said that part of the appeal of the project, other than it being a unique way to celebrate Meghan's 40th birthday, was the fact that she had many famous faces onboard to promote gender equality. Some of the names tied to the project were Adele, Melissa McCarthy, Princess Eugenie, Stella McCartney and Serena Williams. However, Fitzwilliams said that the A-list names were not enough to get the 'poorly organised' project off the ground. The royal expert said: 'There was never any clear idea of how it would be funded or how exactly it would be beneficial to spend just 40 minutes with someone. It was clearly just a gimmick designed to boost Meghan's appeal, which she may have overestimated both then and now." Fitzwilliams added that as part of the 40x40 project, "Meghan recommended 'time spent in service to others', a topic about which she knows very little, though she did, as a senior working royal, have the chance to serve and didn't last long in it." The royal commentator believes that Meghan's failed birthday initiative started a pattern of behaviour of the Duchess under-delivering with her projects. He cited Meghan's Netflix series titled With Love, Meghan, which failed to crack into the top 300 shows on the streaming giant. He also mentioned Meghan's podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which has been shelved at the end of the first season. While the podcast will be returning at some time in the future, Meghan said she is focusing on other projects right now.
Newsweek
02-08-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Most Americans Were Never Interested in Meghan Markle Podcasting
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Meghan Markle's struggle to break through with her business podcast Confessions of a Female Founder may in part be explained by polling conducted at the time she first signed with Spotify. The Duchess of Sussex has now chalked up two podcasts: Archetypes, about sexist slurs, and Confessions of a Female Founder, which featured interviews about prominent women who run companies. The first made waves when she dished about the royal family in the early episodes but sunk in the charts in later shows when she steered clear of the palace soap opera. Meghan Markle listens to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM community radio station in Brixton, south west London, on January 9, 2018. Meghan Markle listens to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM community radio station in Brixton, south west London, on January 9, 2018. DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP via Getty Images The second had nothing do with the monarchy and struggled to make an impact beyond the first episode. That may in reality be no surprise as polling as far back as 2020 suggests Americans may simply never have been particularly interested in Prince Harry and Meghan podcasting. Why It Matters Meghan launched a flurry of new projects in 2025 but had a rough ride among critics for both her Netflix cooking show and Confessions, which were both tied to her own business As Ever, which launched in April. Now the first phase of those ventures is over, she will have a chance to take stock and consider what is working well and what could do with a revamp. What to Know Polling agency YouGov asked 5,400 U.S. adults in December 2020 how much interest they would have in listening to Harry and Meghan's podcasts. Just 8 percent said they were "very interested" while 53 percent said they were "not at all interested." And 16 percent were "not very interested" while 15 percent were "somewhat interested." This adds up to a total of 69 percent falling on the side of disinterest compared to 23 percent who expressed interest. At the time, they had just signed their Spotify deal but no specific shows had been publicly revealed and in the end it would be a year-and-a-half before Archetypes dropped. It was, though, also a time when they had not been giving interviews and therefore media appetite to hear what they had to say was far higher than now. The Oprah Winfrey interview, for example, was still months away and was not even known about in December 2020. In that respect, Harry and Meghan's reputations in America were still mostly uncontroversial bar a run-in with Donald Trump after they commented on the presidential election he lost to Joe Biden. Some might, therefore, by tempted to conclude that Meghan should not take the lukewarm response to her podcast to heart and simply focus on other more successful projects. What Happens Next Meghan's As Ever online shop has sold out all three of its product runs in mere minutes but more produce is expected to drop this summer, specifically a sparkling wine. Season 2 of her Netflix show With Love, Meghan is also due out in the fall, while the Netflix deal itself is due to run out in September. As yet, a new deal has not been signed and The Sun and People both reported Netflix does not intend to renew it. Time will tell whether some continuation of the partnership gets renegotiated or not. Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@ We'd love to hear from you.
