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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle Returns to Rented $9.5 Million Montecito House for New Season of Netflix Show—After Refusing To Film at Her Own Home
Meghan Markle's divisive Netflix series "With Love, Meghan" is set to make a return for a second season—with a newly released trailer revealing that the mother of two has once again opted not to use her $14.7 million Montecito home as the primary filming location. Meghan, 44, premiered her lifestyle show with the streaming giant March 4, with a description issued by Netflix promising viewers an "at home"-style experience with the former actress. So eyebrows were understandably raised when it was revealed that Meghan had not in fact filmed the series at her own home, but had instead chosen to return to a nearby $9.5 million property that was rented out for use as a set during the first season. The four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom property is owned by local philanthropists Tom and Sherrie Cipolla, who purchased the dwelling for $4.7 million back in 2017, according to records. estimates reveal that it is now worth upward of $9.5 million. After filming the first season of her show in the home, Meghan revealed her reasons for refusing to allow the Montecito mansion she shares with husband Prince Harry to be used as the primary set—explaining that she felt a strong desire to maintain it as a "safe haven" for her family. "I wanted to protect that safe haven," she told People. "We're a close-knit family, and I love those moments—putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day. "Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that's a lot of people to have in your house!" Fortunately, Netflix producers managed to find a property just a few miles away that served as the perfect backdrop for a luxury lifestyle show. Nestled on a five-acre plot of land, the main farmhouse boasts a chic and elegant decor worthy of a Nancy Meyers movie—or a Meghan Markle docuseries—and features an open floor plan and ample windows that flood the home with plenty of light. An additional barn on the property provides another filming location, while the picturesque grounds—which are filled with lemon and avocado trees—served as a picture-perfect backdrop for Meghan's latest project. It is not the first time that Meghan has borrowed another home to film an "at-home" style Netflix show. When she and Harry filmed their controversial 2022 documentary, aptly titled "Meghan & Harry," the couple did so in a $30 million estate not far from their own house. That property—which boasts six bedrooms, 6.5 bathroom, and a 2-acre plot—is currently on the market, having been used by the Sussexes only briefly while they were filming their interviews for the dramatic series. Much like the first season of her show, the second run of episodes will see Meghan welcoming a host of high-profile guests into the dwelling, with the trailer showing her making jewelry with Chrissy Teigen, sitting down at a pottery wheel with pilates guru Heather Durak, and cooking with famed chef José Andrés. Other guests include Christina Tosi, Clare Smyth, Daniel Martin, David Chang, Jamie Kern Lima, Jay Shetty, Radhi Devlukia, Samin Nosrat, and Tan France. However there is one significant figure absent from the preview clip: Meghan's husband, Harry, who made a brief appearance in the season one trailer, as well as the first round of episodes that Netflix released. Still, the Duke of Sussex does get a mention, when Meghan reveals that her husband is not a fan of lobster, much to the horror of Chef Andrés. "You know who doesn't like lobster? My husband," the former "Suits" star tells him, prompting the food whiz to respond: "And you married him?" The trailer also features a voiceover from Meghan, who describes her motivation for filming the series, saying in the brief clip: "I love the idea of spending time together and finding new ways to show people you care. Let's get creative and learn something new. "I love these moments of discovery and beauty so let's be curious together." All eight episodes in the second season of the show will debut Aug. 26—with Netflix previously revealing that it will also air a holiday special of "With Love, Meghan" later this year. 'Together, friends and family deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs—with simple how-tos to follow at home,' a statement reads. 'It's a holiday wonder with warmth, tradition, and a generous dose of joy.' That announcement came as the streaming giant revealed that it has agreed to a modified contract extension with Harry and Meghan's production company, Archewell. However, that contract extension comes with some caveats, with sources telling Page Six that the new deal is worth much less than the $100 million they were reportedly paid for their first partnership with the streaming site. Still, Meghan and Harry were quick to celebrate the news, with the former saying in a statement that she was "proud" to continue her work with Netflix, which is also collaborating with her on her lifestyle brand, As Ever. "We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand," she said. "My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally and celebrates our shared vision." It is currently unclear whether Harry will feature in any of the episodes in the second season of his wife's show, however he is understood to be hard at work on other projects included in the Netflix deal. 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Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trailer for With Love, Meghan season 2 drops after the Sussexes revealed 'downgraded' Netflix deal
The Netflix trailer for season two of Meghan Markle's critically-challenged show With Love, Meghan has dropped today - hours after she and Harry signed a 'downgraded' new deal with the streamer. The Duchess of Sussex 's lifestyle show, where she hosts guests in a rented house near her Montecito mansion for privacy reasons, will return in - just as Netflix loosened its ties with the Sussexes. Guests on the new season include Chrissy Teigan and Jamie Kern Lima. With Love, Meghan was renewed for a second season just as season one was released in March. All the episodes were filmed at the same time, it is understood. Meghan's lifestyle show failed to break into Netflix 's top 300 programmes for the first half of 2025 and was even thrashed by multiple seasons of Suits. The numbers watching were 'dismal', an insider at the streamer reportedly said. Meghan has also filmed a Christmas special for broadcast in December, in a potential clash with the Princess of Wales ' annual carol concert at Westminster Abbey. The first series showed the former Suits star, 44, inviting friends and famous guests to a California estate, where she shared cooking, gardening and hosting tips. But it was panned by many reviewers who called it 'sensationally absurd and trite' with the Duchess of Sussex called 'tone-deaf' and punting a show that 'vibrates with vacuous joylessness'. It has an IMDB rating of 3.2 out of 10 and a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicates that the TV show is considered 'rotten'. Meghan was also lampooned for putting pretzels from the packet into a plastic bag, chiding one guest for using Markle as her surname instead of Sussex and one viewer threatened to sue claiming her recipe for homemade bath salts burned her skin. With Love, Meghan was renewed for a second season just as season one was released in March It came as experts claimed that the Sussexes' new Netflix deal is a 'downgrade' on their previous $100million five-year tie-up and more 'we'll call you' than 'here's the chequebook'. The couple signed a new 'multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects' with the streaming giant - understood to be worth less for the pair than their previous contract. The 'first-look' arrangement means Netflix can say yes or no to new film or television projects before anyone else - allowing them to pick and choose what they invest in. PR expert Mark Borkowski described the new deal as a 'downgrade', claiming it falls a long way from the jackpot figure of Harry and Meghan's original contract in 2020. He told the Daily Mail: 'I think Netflix has done a very neat job of pivoting away from two very expensive people who didn't deliver, and they've taken that deal off the table, and they've given them a modest one. 'It's not like they're gradually uncoupling – it's a downgrade. Netflix are not going to expose themselves to those budgets again. It's Netflix saying, 'Let's have a look at your content, but we'll pick and choose, mate'.' He believes the pair will be paid for each production selected by Netflix rather than receiving an overall fee, such as the reported $100million of their first deal. 'I would be surprised if it's not pay-as-you-go and it's well, well below that first mark,' he added. The couple's new output will include a second season of the Duchess's 'With Love, Meghan' lifestyle show later this month, as well as a Christmas special in December. The Sussexes are also working on 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within' - a documentary about orphaned children in Uganda, where the 'shadows of the HIV/Aids crisis linger'. There is also 'active development' on other projects with Netflix which 'span a variety of content genres', including an adaptation of romantic novel Meet Me At The Lake. But Mr Borkowski said the couple will not be granted the same budget as they were under their previous contract with the streaming service. 'They have shot the golden goose of 2020 - more of a 'we'll call you' than 'here's the chequebook',' he said. 'It's a first-look deal, which means Netflix gets first dibs but no obligation to bankroll every semi-royal whim. 'I reckon Netflix is trimming fat industry-wide, so this is less carte blanche, more curated cameo. 'They're still in business together - Meghan's. As ever brand and seasonal specials keep them in the Netflix shop window but make no mistake, this is a slimmed-down sequel to the blockbuster original. So Harry and Meghan's new Netflix chapter [is] less champagne budget, more Prosecco by the glass.' Netflix has already released the first series of With Love, Meghan as well as Polo, Heart of Invictus, Live to Lead and the couple's bombshell documentary Harry & Meghan as well as being a business partner on Meghan's lifestyle brand, As Ever. Five years ago, Harry and Meghan secured a lucrative contract thought to be worth $100million (£74million) with Netflix after quitting as senior working royals in 2020. The renewed deal was described by the Sussexes - who made the announcement with Netflix - as 'extending their creative partnership' through Archewell Productions. But the new terms are understood to be worth less for Harry and Meghan than their previous contract, according to a person familiar with the deal, and represent Netflix loosening its ties with the couple. In a statement, Meghan said: 'We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand.' Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said: 'We're excited to continue our partnership.'
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Meghan Markle's Netflix flop fails to make the top 10: Duchess of Sussex's With Love, Meghan was watched by just 5.3m viewers and ranks at No 383
The Duchess of Sussex 's lifestyle show With Love, Meghan failed to break into Netflix 's top ten programmes - or even the top 300 - for the first half of 2025 as her dreams of media domination continue to flounder. The lifestyle show produced as part of Meghan and Harry's $100million deal with the streamer was a relative flop, new official figures reveal. With Love, Meghan, which was widely panned, is ranked at No 383 in 2025 so far with just 5.3million viewers across the globe since it was first broadcast in March. As Ever, which showed Meghan cooking, gardening and hosting friends, was outperformed by hundreds of shows in the first six months of this year. Millions more people watched repeats of Suits, which made Meghan Markle a star before she met Prince Harry. Its 5.3million viewers put it roughly on a par with the second series of BBC hit Peaky Blinders, a 2007 series of Gossip Girl, kids show Grizzly and the Lemmings and a true crime show called Worst Ex Ever. But there is worse news for her husband the Duke of Sussex, whose passion project documentary Polo ranks at 3,436 out of around 7,000 shows with a disastrous 500,000 views globally. Netflix has released the data in its six-monthly engagement report. To put As Ever and Polo's viewing figures into context, the most popular show was the British drama Adolescence, which got 145million viewers this year and was released only couple of days after Meghan's show. Popular shows included the drama Missing You which got 58million viewers and Department Q which drew 25million in the six months to the end of June. The murder mystery drama, The Residence, got 33 million viewers – and has been cancelled. It's said that its budget was too big, and audience too small for it to get a recommission. That's not a problem for With Love, Meghan, which was commissioned for two series from the outset. The second series, which filmed directly after the first, is expected to go out later this year and will include an appearance from the Duchess' friend, model Chrissy Teigen. Sources indicate that a third series will be announced soon, with Netflix boss Ted Sarandos a massive fan of Meghan, who he calls 'The Rockstar.' This is despite it being branded an 'exercise in narcissism' by the Telegraph, 'toe-curlingly unlovable TV' by The Guardian and suffering a rating of 36pc on Rotten Tomatoes and just 3.2 on IMDb. The fact that Netflix has partnership with her business, As Ever, can't hurt. Both of Meghan's initial 'drops' of products sold out within hours, despite critics complaining about the quality of her jam and wine, and online mockery about her love of flower sprinkles on everything. That will have made money for both parties. Sources at the streamer had said earlier this year that With Love Meghan, which was about hostessing and cooking, had only gained 'so-so' ratings and this is borne out. It made its debut in the Top Ten globally and in the US but then dropped out after a week. The good news for Meghan that the hours viewed comes out at 4.47 – which is an impressive retention rate. It has eight episodes of a little over 30 minutes, so the people who were watching the show stayed until the end. Harry's documentary Polo went behind the scenes at the elite sport and was derided as dull and ridiculous when it went out. Half a million views puts it on a par with re-runs on a nine year old cartoon, He Man: Masters of the Universe. In March, when With Love, Meghan was released MailOnline revealed that her bosses at Netflix were 'worried' by the grim reviews. It dropped out of the top ten most watched shows globally as well as in the US and UK just six days after its release. 'It's not a runaway success', MailOnline's insider at Netflix admitted. On the day of the launch, the Duchess showed herself celebrating, with her arms in the air in her garden, as she said the show had been renewed for a second season. She admitted to having made 'mistakes' but insisted that she is 'learning every day', after her hotly-anticipated Netflix show was widely panned. But one Netflix insider with links to the commercial arm of the streaming giant told MailOnline that the reviews have 'worried' the bosses. Meghan's own father Thomas gave a withering review and was upset by her dumping of the Markle surname for Sussex. And a new season does not mean her Netflix contract has been renewed, MailOnline's source says. 'I know they filmed the shows back-to-back so in theory there is no second season it's like with lots of Netflix shows it is already in the bag at the same time as the first one. 'What this does is allow edits to be made to the show from feedback from press and Netflix viewers. It's clever and cost effective. So no the overall contract hasn't been renewed yet.' One Netflix star even launched an excoriating review of Meghan Markle's new show, calling it - and her - 'highly inauthentic', 'fake' and 'phony'. Christina Pazsitzky, a successful stand-up comedian best known as Christina P, has concluded that the Duchess of Sussex is no 'Martha f***ing Stewart'. She filmed herself on TikTok reacting to watching the show and declared to her one million followers: 'I don't know what the f*** this show is'. 'She's an actress playing the part of a human being right now, and it's not working', she said. 'The problem from minute one is that she's trying to be perfect all the time, and it reads as phony, as inauthentic and not fun'.
