A great deal has been said about Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle series on Netflix. While many fans have been lapping up the recipes and glimpse into Meghan’s life behind the scenes, the eight-part show has received some brutal reviews following its release – and now one of Meghan’s former friends has spoken out.
Nick Ede, a popular culture expert, knew Meghan when she was starring on Suits. He has now shared his thoughts on ‘ With Love, Meghan’, and revealed the one aspect that really upset him.
Speaking on the ‘ A Right Royal Podcast’, Nick remarked: “I always look at everything I do…saying to myself, ‘ Do you care? ‘ and the first thing I did when I watched it was say, ‘ No, I don’t care’. There was nothing about it that I cared for”.
He continued: “I didn’t care about the way I felt I was being almost patronised, I didn’t care for the way that the guests were treated, I didn’t really care about the takeaway tips, I felt they were all pretty patronising.
” Especially the one about wrapping a present and using the side to make sure the edges are sharp. You know that kind of thing is so basic I felt almost patronised by Netflix for actually making me endure this for quite a few hours. “
But not everyone agrees. Royal expert Jennie Bond previously told the Mirror:” I think she will justifiably feel annoyed that her plans have drawn such criticism. But I guess she’s used to it by now. I think it’s ridiculous to suggest she’s copying other people. First of all, there’s very little in the media world that is original.
“And secondly, she started out as an influencer – and a very successful one – so it makes perfect sense for her to return to one of her strengths. I think the Netflix publicity is rather to blame, suggesting that this is something new, when the idea of cooking and chatting with friends and celebrity guests has been around for years. But there’s nothing wrong in Meghan giving her own take on a well-used format”.
An expert, meanwhile, has warned that Meghan has just two options if she wants to move past the backlash. The show had been viewed as a make-or-break moment for the Sussexes, who signed a multimillion-pound deal with Netflix in 2020. However, it has already been revealed that it will be returning for a second season in the autumn since filming has already taken place.
PR expert Ed Coram-James told the Mirror that Meghan can now either do nothing or completely re-evaluate her role in the show. He explained: “On With Love, Meghan, the duchess is glowing, surrounded by seemingly close friends and family, in stunning Montecito, which she calls home. She seems happy — it’s her passion project — she’s experimenting and is lucky enough to have the resources and platform to share her passion.
” Some people have compared her to Brooklyn Beckham, not knowing his forte, but experimenting with everything from cooking to photography, and I don’t think this is a bad thing at all.
“Perhaps she simply won’t care about the reviews and expected bad feedback if she has any self-awareness. It might be best to simply ignore them and continue doing what she does best: making headlines as she continues her journey post-royal life”.
But Ed, CEO of Go Up, believes that the poor reviews will sting for Meghan and she should attempt to “reframe the narrative”. He explained: “Meghan has experience pivoting in the media — take her Oprah interview, for example, where she took ownership of her own story.
” Moving past these reviews will require her to lean into her authentic self even more, perhaps by showing up more prominently in the content and being more transparent about her involvement. She’s recently returned to Instagram but could be doing more with it, such as taking her audience behind the scenes of her work. “
The second season of With Love, Meghan is set to be released in the autumn, and has already finished filming, according to Netflix. Meghan celebrated the news on her Instagram Stories, sharing a video showing her wearing a hat with the writing” lettuce romaine calm “on, grinning, and then turning and putting her hands in the air.
