A second series of With Love, Meghan has been announced after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a multimillion-pound deal with streaming platform Netflix in 2020
Netflix might not renew the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s multimillion-pound deal, but may “keep a vague hand” in working with them “in case there’s a divorce”, it has been claimed.
During a recent episode of the The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, hosts Marina Hyde and Richard Osman discussed the release of the Duchess of Sussex’s show With Love, Meghan. The lifestyle show, which was released earlier this month, sees Meghan give cooking, gardening and hosting tips to her famous friends, including Mindy Kaling and Abigail Spencer.
Following its release, the series made it to number seven in last week’s UK top 10 on Netflix, while it landed a spot in the top 10 in the US too. Figures from Netflix’s official companion site Tudum also revealed 12.6 million hours of the show had been streamed – this compares to the 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan, which had 97.7 million hours watched in its first seven days on the platform.
As part of the podcast segment, Richard and Marina reflected on the release of With Love, Meghan, with presenter Marina ruminating over what might happen next, MailOnline reports. “First of all, there’s not going to be a severing with Netflix. They’re not going to renew, but they might say we’re continuing to develop projects with them,” she claimed, before referencing reports the couple have purchased the rights to a best-selling novel with plans to adapt it for Netflix.
She added: “I have to say, and this is the reality, is that a lot of people are hanging around in case there’s a divorce. Because then, and that might be Netflix, or whoever it might be, who’s got a deal with them, might keep a vague hand in.” The Mirror has contacted representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.
It comes as Harry and Meghan were at the centre of a scathing article from Vanity Fair in January, which included a number of brutal allegations. Perhaps the most shocking was the claim that a member of Meghan’s team had reached out to a publishing house to “gauge interest” in a post-divorce book.
The article does make clear that the couple are not on the road to divorce, however – to the contrary, Harry and Meghan are said to be very loved up. An excerpt from the article reads: “Not a general book on life after marital dissolution, or one about Meghan’s past experience. (She was married to producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2014.)
“This book—this notion of a book, really—might center on a post-Harry divorce. Not that there was actually one in the works! Just…if this a priori divorce ever came to be, would this publisher theoretically be interested in a book that took place in its aftermath?” According to The Times, the Sussexes denied all claims in the blistering article and were ‘distressed’ by the whole ordeal.
A so-called insider reacted to the report at the time, stating that Harry and Meghan can’t break up because “their value is in being a couple”. The source, who is said to have worked closely with the couple, told Page Six: “Meghan and Harry know that they are tied together, their value is in being a couple — even if they wanted to split, they couldn’t. And honestly, they are obsessed with each other.”
The new Netflix series has been viewed as a make-or-break moment for Prince Harry and Meghan, who signed a multimillion-pound deal with the streaming platform in 2020. Despite With Love, Meghan securing millions of hours of views, the show has received mixed reviews online. This is alleged to have “concerned” Netflix bosses.
A second series of the show has already been announced, and is set to hit our screens in the autumn. Sharing the news on her Instagram Story, Meghan posted a video of herself wearing a hat with that read “lettuce romaine calm”.
Captioning the clip, she wrote: “Lettuce romaine calm… or not (!) because I’m thrilled to share that Season 2 of ‘With Love, Meghan’ is coming!” A second post added: “Oh, how I love ASMR! If you’re loving Season 1, just wait until you see the fun we cooked up on Season 2! Thanks for joining the party, and an endless thanks to the amazing team and crew who helped bring it all to life! @netflix.”
As well as the release of With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has been busy working on her brand As Ever. She has also announced the release of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which will feature “the real, unfiltered stories and lessons learned from notable female founders”.
