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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Meghan & Harry's Netflix deal disaster is killing their US dream – how will they fund their incredibly lavish life now?
LIKE a slowly collapsing soufflé, the Duchess of Sussex's 'narcissistic' cookery show has been judged a ratings flop – and Netflix has decided to pull the plug. The streamer will let 8 Prince Harry and wife Meghan's $100million deal with Netflix has been scrapped Credit: Getty 8 There was backlash over Meghan's new name 'As Ever' Credit: As Ever A source at Lifestyle and cookery show Described by one critic as an 'exercise in narcissism', it was beaten by reruns of the first four seasons of legal drama Suits, which also starred the Duchess in her pre-royal days. Once judged by some as Britain's greatest soft power asset since Princess Diana, Meghan was filmed for her show making ladybird-shaped canapes from cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls. READ MORE ON THE SUSSEXES 'Dull indulgence' Even The Guardian was moved to describe With Love, Meghan as 'the sort of gormless lifestyle filler that, had it been made by the BBC , would be used to bulk out episodes of Saturday Kitchen'. In truth, the show is a smash hit compared to her husband's vanity docuseries Polo, blasted as 'a dull indulgence about a rich person's pursuit'. In the first six months of the year the programme attracted a disastrous 500,000 views globally, ranking it at number 3,442 out of around 7,000 shows. Reruns of the nine-year-old cartoon He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe scored similar numbers. Most read in Royals A Netflix insider has pronounced the couple's lucrative contract 'dead', adding: 'They're just waiting for the credits to roll. 'They're letting it expire without drama. There's no appetite for anything new.' Meghan and Harry must need more money - their staff induction bill alone will be HUGE The end of what many regarded as a reliable source of vast income for the former HRHs has set off a bomb under Project Sussex and its bold ambitions. And of course it is not the Sussexes' first media deal that has gone south. Their reported Hosted by Meghan, the Archetypes podcast featured conversations with friends and celebrities including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Trevor Noah. Critics said that in the episode with Williams it took 11 minutes before the tennis legend got a word in edgeways. In 2023 Simmons said: 'I wish I had been involved in the 'Meghan and Harry leave Spotify' negotiation. 'The F***ing Grifters. That's the podcast we should have launched with them. 'I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. 'It's one of my best stories. F*** them. The grifters.' The Sussexes' undoubted TV hit was In it the couple accused the Royal Family of 8 The Sussexes' undoubted TV hit was docuseries Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022 Credit: Netflix 8 Marketing experts Camille Moore and Phillip Millar accused Meghan's As Ever brand of being 'not intelligent' and 'not well executed' Credit: Instagram Podcast boss Simmons said of Harry that year: 'You live in f***ing Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the Royal Family and you just complain about them.' While the Netflix deal will lapse, wine , jam and cookies is displaying 'sold out' signs on her website. It raises the question of whether it will be her earnings that are increasingly relied upon to fund the family's expensive Hollywood lifestyle, and if so, will it be enough? PR expert Nick Ede believes that in the future the Duchess will provide the surest revenue stream, saying: 'Meghan is the best way of making money for the two of them. 'She is the breadwinner.' However, marketing experts Camille Moore and Phillip Millar accused Meghan's As Ever brand of being 'not intelligent' and 'not well executed'. Speaking on The Art Of The Brand podcast this week, Millar accused Meghan of trying to rinse the maximum value from her 'fame that came from Suits and being a part of the Royal Family'. Millar added: 'Her brand wasn't one built on substance. It was based on using people.' Meanwhile, Harry, who has two paying jobs — with sustainable tourism firm Travalyst and coaching company BetterUp — seems most passionate when he is undertaking his charitable endeavours. During a recent trip to Angola, The Duke followed in the footsteps of Princess Diana by walking through a minefield on behalf of his charity The Halo Trust. 'Life of service' Harry said in a statement: 'As a father to young children, it breaks my heart to see innocent children still living and playing next to minefields,' Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond commented: 'I think this is precisely the sort of work that Harry should do. 'It is not only a hugely worth-while cause, but it also connects him with his mother, which is something he yearns for. 'I think he is coming to recognise that the LA celebrity world is one in which he is not especially comfortable. 'And he seems quite willing to let Meghan take the limelight over there. 'He speaks frequently about a life of service, and trips like this certainly serve a very good cause indeed.' Yet charity missions, while good for the soul, do not pay the bills . And the Sussexes' court in the Californian sunshine is not a cheap enterprise. Their home, a nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion close to the Pacific in 8 Meghan and Harry's podcasting deal with Spotify was terminated in 2023, with senior Spotify executive Bill Simmons labelling the duo 'f***ing grifters' Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 8 Harry's autobiography Spare became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever They bought it for almost £11million after the drama of Megxit in 2020, and the following year Harry said in his Without the money left to him by Diana — said to be £10million — Harry said 'we would not have been able to do this'. Harry's finances got a boost last September when he turned 40 and a fund set up by the late Queen Mother gave him access to around £8million. But while most people could live very well on that kind of cash, Harry and Meghan's lifestyle is not like most people's. They have more in common with the super-rich of California than your average couple. Indeed, they are said to have mortgage payments of around £350,000 a year, while staffing costs come to an estimated £180,000. Harry has also spent on court cases and could be in line for a £1.5million bill for Security is a very real worry for Prince Harry, who served two tours of Afghanistan. Former royal protection officer Simon Morgan estimated the Sussexes' protection costs come to at least £3million a year, adding: 'Security is not a fashion accessory, it's a need.' EYE-WATERING TAB It leaves the Sussexes with an eye-watering tab just to meet their estimated outgoings. Last month, royal financial expert Norman Baker told Channel 5 show Meghan And Harry: Where Did The Money Go? that the Sussexes' earning potential was on the wane. The former Liberal Democrat MP said: 'They've done the big hits that they could do. 'They've done the big Spotify event, they've done the big book, there is nothing else to come, nothing else to sell apart from themselves.' Harry's autobiography Spare became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever and has gone on to sell more than six million copies worldwide. With their Netflix deal over, perhaps Meghan will feel the time is right for her to release her own blockbuster tome to get the cash registers ringing again. Both Netflix and Harry and Meghan are yet to comment. 8 The Sussexes' home is a nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion close to the Pacific in Montecito, which is in America's fifth most expensive postcode Credit: Google Earth 8 A Netflix insider has pronounced the couple's lucrative contract 'dead' Credit: Netflix
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reveals which job roles will disappear soon — Is yours on the AI hit list?
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman painted a bold and an alarming vision of a future dominated by artificial intelligence, where some jobs disappear entirely, medical care is redefined, and AI becomes both a national asset and a potential weapon, as per a report. Sam Altman warns of AI-driven job loss During the Capital Framework for Large Banks conference at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Altman didn't hold back, as he shared his prediction that AI systems like ChatGPT will soon eliminate entire job categories, starting with customer service, as per The Guardian report. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Digital Marketing Finance MBA Artificial Intelligence Data Science Project Management Data Analytics Degree healthcare Data Science Technology Healthcare others CXO Management Leadership Others PGDM MCA Cybersecurity Design Thinking Operations Management Product Management Public Policy Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Social Media Marketing & Advertising Data Analytics & Measurement Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate Programme in Digital Marketing Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategies Customer Journey Mapping Paid Advertising Campaign Management Emerging Technologies in Digital Marketing Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Digital Marketing and Analytics Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Is customer service already an AI-dominated field? The OpenAI founder told the crowd, pointing to customer support roles that, 'Some areas, again, I think just like totally, totally gone,' as quoted in the report. Altman said, 'That's a category where I just say, you know what, when you call customer support, you're on target and AI, and that's fine,' as quoted in The Guardian report. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dolly Parton, 79, Takes off Her Makeup and Leaves Us Without Words The Noodle Box Undo He even explained the transformation of customer service as already done as he told the Federal Reserve vice-chair for supervision, Michelle Bowman that, 'Now you call one of these things and AI answers. It's like a super-smart, capable person. There's no phone tree, there's no transfers. It can do everything that any customer support agent at that company could do. It does not make mistakes. It's very quick. You call once, the thing just happens, it's done,' as quoted in the report. ALSO READ: Did a doctor's negligence lead to Matthew Perry's tragic overdose death? Plea deal reveals shocking details Live Events Can AI and ChatGPT outperform doctors? Altman then highlighted about the involvement of AI in healthcare and even indicated that AI's diagnostic capabilities had surpassed human doctors, but wouldn't go so far as to accept the superior performer as the sole purveyor of healthcare, as reported by The Guardian. He pointed out that, 'ChatGPT today, by the way, most of the time, can give you better – it's like, a better diagnostician than most doctors in the world,' and then added that, 'Yet people still go to doctors, and I am not, like, maybe I'm a dinosaur here, but I really do not want to, like, entrust my medical fate to ChatGPT with no human doctor in the loop,' as quoted in the report. ALSO READ: The one time you should never eat, according to a leading cardiologist Will world leaders take advice from AI? According to The Guardian's report, AI will also dominate in functioning of governments across the world where presidents will follow ChatGPT's recommendations and hostile nations wield artificial intelligence as a weapon of mass destruction. Donald Trump's "AI action plan" Altman's remarks came as the US president Donald Trump's administration unveiled its new 'AI action plan,' aimed at reducing regulatory burdens and accelerating AI infrastructure, such as building more data centers, according to The Guardian report. It marks a shift in tone from the former US president Joe Biden's administration, where Altman and other tech leaders actively called for stronger government regulation, as per the report. Under Trump, the message has become one of urgency and international rivalry, particularly with China, according to the report. FAQs Is my customer service job at risk? According to Altman, yes. He says AI can already handle those roles better and faster than humans. Can ChatGPT really diagnose illness better than doctors? Altman claims it often can, but he still wants a human doctor involved in his own care.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Macrons sue US commentator over claims that French President's wife is a ‘man'
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware against US rightwing commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading false and malicious claims for personal gain. According to the lawsuit, Owens has repeatedly claimed that Brigitte Macron is a man and alleged that Emmanuel Macron is under the control of the CIA. The Macrons say Owens has used these fabrications to grow her media platform and monetise attention, including through an eight-part podcast series titled Becoming Brigitte. 'These outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions included that Mrs Macron was born a man, stole another person's identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte; Mrs Macron and President Macron are blood relatives committing incest; President Macron was chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program; and Mrs Macron and President Macron are committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets,' the lawsuit says, The Guardian reported. The Macrons said they had sent multiple retraction demands with evidence disproving the claims, but Owens responded by mocking them and intensifying her attacks. 'Because Ms Owens systematically reaffirmed these falsehoods in response to each of our attorneys' repeated requests for a retraction, we ultimately concluded that referring the matter to a court of law was the only remaining avenue,' the couple said in a statement as quoted by The Guardian. 'It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.' The lawsuit says the campaign has subjected the Macrons to global humiliation and 'relentless bullying,' causing reputational damage and forcing them to spend 'considerable sums' to correct the public record. The couple is represented by the law firm Clare Locke, known for its role in the Dominion Voting Systems case against Fox News. According to The Financial Times, the Macrons are prepared to appear in a Delaware court for trial. Owens has not yet commented publicly on the lawsuit.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Afghan man helped US military against Taliban, almost got a green card. Then, immigration officials came for him
A 35-year-old Afghan translator who aided American troops during the war in Afghanistan has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Connecticut, in a move that has sparked bipartisan outrage and raised questions about the Trump administration's treatment of wartime allies. Identified as Zia S, the man entered the US legally in October 2024 on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and humanitarian parole. He was arrested last week after attending a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, according to his attorney and multiple officials. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Zia, a father of five, fled Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021. His visa was part of a US programme meant to protect foreign nationals who risked their lives to support US military operations abroad. 'This is the worst kind of abhorrent violation of basic decency,' said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) in a statement quoted by The Guardian. 'He actually worked and risked his life in Afghanistan to uphold the values and rights that are central to democracy.' Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, also from Connecticut, said Zia's family had been left in the dark. 'Our credibility is at stake. We have families who have risked everything not just for themselves, but for their entire family … in the name of standing up for the promises of our American democracy,' Hayes told The Guardian. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Reuters that Zia is under investigation for a 'serious criminal allegation,' though no specifics have been made public. His lawyer, Lauren Petersen, said she has no knowledge of any charges. 'Zia has done everything right. He's followed the rules. He has no criminal history,' she said. 'If he is deported … he faces death.' A federal judge has issued a temporary stay on his deportation, but Zia remains in custody. Zia is the third known Afghan ally to be detained by ICE since Donald Trump returned to office. More than 70,000 Afghans were brought into the US under President Biden's 'Operation Allies Welcome,' but many still face legal limbo. The Trump administration has also moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela, despite ongoing unrest in those regions.
India Today
8 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says these human jobs will entirely disappear due to AI advancements
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently spoke at a Federal Reserve conference in Washington, offering a blunt view of how artificial intelligence may reshape the world of work. According to a report by The Guardian, Altman said certain jobs could disappear entirely, especially in areas like customer service. While AI's impact on jobs has long been debated, hearing this directly from one of the leading voices in the field feels quite significant and of course, a little bit concerning moving didn't mince words when it came to the fate of customer support roles. He described AI-powered systems as already being smart enough to handle everything from basic queries to complex issues, that too without any human help. 'That's a category where I just say, you know what, when you call customer support, you're on target and AI, and that's fine,' he said. His point was that AI is now fast, accurate and capable enough to do what human agents do, minus the delays or also touched on AI's growing role in healthcare, noting that tools like ChatGPT can often offer better diagnoses than many doctors. Still, he admitted he wouldn't want to trust his health entirely to a machine without human oversight. 'I would not want to rely on that without a human in the loop for my own healthcare,' he said. And honestly, it's a fair point - while AI can process huge amounts of medical data quickly, most people still value the reassurance and judgement of a real doctor. Altman's comments come as OpenAI steps up its presence in Washington. The company is planning to open an office there, and this visit marks a shift in tone from its earlier push for strict AI regulation. Under the Trump administration's new 'AI action plan', the focus now appears to be more on speeding up development and infrastructure rather than slowing things the founder of OpenAI didn't ignore the risks. He raised concerns about how AI could be used maliciously, including the threat of voice cloning being used for fraud. 'The thing that keeps me up at night the most is the potential for cyberattacks on financial systems from rogue nation states using AI,' he warned. It's a reminder that while AI holds promise, it also brings serious challenges we are only beginning to understand.- Ends
