Look out, Martha Stewart! Meghan Markle is coming for your job!
It’s no secret Meghan and Prince Harry are prepping for what they hope will be a big Hollywood comeback. They’ve already started their controversial Sussex rebrand, which is seemingly just one part of the process. But with their Netflix deal likely coming to an end soon, the Suits alum could be making one last big push to regain TV stardom!
According to several sources who spoke with Page Six on Friday, the Sussexes’ deal with the streamer, which began in 2020, will run its course by the end of 2025. And while it was “a good deal for both of them,” as one source urged, multiple insiders don’t expect either side to want to renew it. Wow!
Related: Charles Wants To ‘Mend Fences’ With Harry — But Will…
Just because the deal is ending, though, that doesn’t mean they’re done making content for Netflix. They still have lots of stuff in the works, including a film adaptation of the romance novel Meet Me at the Lake and a reported scripted series. The Duke has also been in talks about filming a documentary in Africa. And now those in the know think the Archetypes host’s next move is to create a lifestyle show similar to her former blog The Tig. An industry source explained:
“From what I understand, I think Meghan will take on Martha Stewart, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ina Garten and play them at their own game.”
The 42-year-old is reportedly already getting advice from friends, including Clare Waight Keller, a former Givenchy designer who created her wedding dress. The pals were spotted on Thursday having lunch in Beverly Hills — and Clare knows a thing or two about landing big deals in Tinseltown since she just locked down a few new ones of her own. So, we’re sure Meg was looking for tips!
As for why folks think the activist is gearing up for a lifestyle/cooking show? Well, she’s dropping hints! Last month, the Deal or No Deal alum was seen cooking traditional Afghan food while visiting the Southern California Welcome Project for “an evening of cooking and storytelling.” And this is really nothing new for her. Aside from posting recipes on The Tig and being an outspoken fan of chefs like Ina, back in 2018, the mother of two launched a cookbook to raise funds for victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. This has always been something she was interested in!
By the way, insiders claimed the publishers of that cookbook pitched a cooking series with the Duchess all about the power of food bringing communities together. We could totally see the former actress getting involved in something like that! There’s just one potential problem with trying to create the next lifestyle empire, as one source put it:
“This would not surprise me. [But] she would have to be relatable and natural, the way Drew Barrymore is, it can’t feel contrived or like she’s acting.”
Rachel Richardson, a former SnapChat exec and writer of the Highly Flammable trends newsletter, added:
“The reason Martha, Joanna [Gaines] and [Gwyneth] have crushed it is because they’ve let viewers into their most private spaces and shared their biggest secrets. […] Authenticity is key in the lifestyle arena and those that succeed tend to be willing to share their whole lives. Think about it — what do we not know about Gwenyth Paltrow?”
While Harry and Meghan have allowed cameras to follow them, they haven’t exactly been the most open book:
“In ‘Harry and Meghan’ [Netflix documentary] and the Oprah [Winfrey] interview, Megan let cameras capture some aspects of her private life. But to pull off a successful lifestyle show she’ll have to be prepared to swing the door all the way open.”
Considering how much they try to protect their privacy, we’re not sure that’ll work…
Oh, and if Meg tries to use her royal coat of arms — which is now prominently positioned on their new website — for branding, that could be a huge issue with The Firm since “any exploitation of her title [or] coat of arms” could “cause friction with the palace” since it is “very much frowned upon to exploit royal status for commercial gain.” So far, though, the Archewell founders don’t seem worried about that!
Regardless, if done correctly, Richardson thinks the El Lay native really could have a future in the lifestyle sector, noting:
“Becoming a lifestyle guru offers endless opportunities to make serious money via brand deals. […] Having a royal seal of approval certainly raises the stakes in terms of what she could charge for partnerships and how consumers would view the products.”
But if done inauthentically, we could also see this being just another big flop! So Meg better have a good team helping her develop this idea! Thoughts? Do you think she could compete with the likes of Martha and Gwyn?? Sound OFF (below)!
[Image via MEGA/WENN & Today/Harper’s BAZAAR/Martha Stewart/YouTube]
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