MEGHAN Markle’s heavily criticised Netflix show has been renewed for a second season as a new trailer dropped.
Footage showed the Duchess of Sussex alongside a host of famous guests ahead of the release of the second series of With Love, Meghan on August 26.
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Meghan Markle in the trailer for the second season of her show With Love, MeghanCredit: Instagram
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A number of stars are due to join the Duchess of Sussex in the new series
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The first season aired on Netflix in March, with the new series set to land on August 26Credit: Netflix
The first season of Meghan’s eight-part Netflix show saw her bee-keeping, making homemade candles and cooking with celeb pals, including Mindy Kaling and make-up artist Daniel Martin.
Now, the show’s second series promises to be “fun and heartwarming” as a plethora of celebrity guests are due to make their appearance.
This includes stars Chrissy Teigen, Christina Tosi, Jamie Kern Lima, and Tan France.
Describing the new season, Netflix said: “Meghan returns with a fun and heartwarming new season, welcoming celebrity chefs, talented artists, and beloved friends for hands-on adventures filled with laughter and discovery.
“From playful cooking challenges to DIY projects, Meghan and her guests explore bold flavors, experiment with new techniques, and discover simple ways to add beauty to everyday life.
“It’s all about embracing playfulness over perfection and finding joy in creating together.”
Meghan can be seen laughing alongside guests at her Montecito home in the trailer, even joking at the end about Prince Harry’s lack of love for lobster.
Speaking to Chef Andrés, she says: “You know who doesn’t like lobster? My husband.”
In response, the chef light-heartedly retorts: “And you married him anyway?”
They had secured a lucrative five-year contract – thought to be worth more than $100 million (£74 million) – with Netflix after quitting as senior working royals in 2020.
However, this new deal has been signed for “much less”, an insider told Page Six.
Meghan and Harry’s Netflix deal is extended as ‘special’ Christmas episode of cooking show & new documentary announced
Meghan said in a statement: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand.
“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.”
Netflix will only pay for projects they want to screen, rather than pay in a single multi-million pound agreement like the one signed in 2020, The Sun understands.
The Sun can also reveal, however, that the streaming giants will cover Archewell Productions’s overheads, including all costs for its offices and staff.
The new deal was also described as a “downgrade” by PR expert Mark Borkowski.
He told the 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’.”
‘Meghan & Harry need to come up with a hit soon’
By Matt Wilkinson
JUST when you thought it was safe to turn the telly on again… Harry and Meghan are back. And their multi-year renewal with Netflix means they are not going away anytime soon.
There have been tense negotiations in recent weeks but Netflix is so deeply involved with Meghan’s As Ever brand it was always likely that the streaming giants would want them back.
Make no mistake, Harry and Meghan would have been desperate for the deal to be renewed. They will likely be opening a bottle or two of As Ever Rose in Montecito.
Because they have invested heavily in Archewell Productions and getting on board with Netflix is central not only to their post-Royal endeavours but more importantly crucial to their bank accounts.
If they lost their Netflix money then how could they afford their life in the US?
While the length of the deal or how much the couple are getting paid is vague we do know that Meghan will appear in a ‘holiday special’ in December that will likely clash with the Princess of Wales’s annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.
And finally, two years after I revealed in The Sun the couple had bought the rights to the book Meet Me At The Lake, production is in active development.
Sources close to the couple are coy about whether Harry or Meghan will appear on screen for the production of Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within which will air later this year.
But perhaps the best piece of news from the announcement is no repeat of the six-part documentary which dumped on the Royal Family.
However, ‘Harry & Meghan’ was a ratings dream and none of their projects since have been anywhere as successful. They need to come up with a hit soon.
And this ‘first look’ deal means Netflix has the first option on new projects from the couple without any guaranteed commitment.
But remember the Sussexes are not the only Royals to be in bed with Netflix.
The King will feature in a documentary on The King’s Foundation with Idris Elba.
“Join Meghan in Montecito for a magical holiday celebration,” the announcement read.
“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. It’s a holiday wonder with warmth, tradition, and a generous dose of joy.”
The couple will also release a short film called “Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within” which will look at Uganda’s Masaka region and the HIV/AIDS crisis there.
She famously shook the hand of a man suffering with the illness without gloves, publicly challenging the idea that HIV/Aids was passed from person to person by touch.
There is also “active development” on other projects with Netflix which “span a variety of content genres”, including a feature adaptation of the bestselling romantic novel by Carley Fortune, Meet Me At The Lake.
Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, said: “Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere.
“The response to their work speaks for itself — Harry & Meghan gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series.
“More recently, fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As Ever line consistently selling out in record time.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”
But it was also understood that bosses were mildly infuriated by Meghan making her As Ever brand a priority.
The With Love, Meghan viewing figures have reportedly been “dismal”.
Lifestyle and cookery show With Love, Meghan only ranked at number 383 in Netflix’s six-monthly engagement report this year, with just 5.3million viewers across the globe.
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.
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.
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The Duchess of Sussex’s show previously featured husband Prince Harry and some celeb pals, including Mindy KalingCredit: Netflix
After a brief flirtation with being a member of the Royal Family, Meghan Markle/Sussex/Mountbatten- Windsor/Spencer is flying solo.
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Meghan Markle is seeking to trademark future ventures in the hospitality sector for her As Ever brandCredit: Instagram/Meghan
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Marrying Prince Harry fired her into global fame and now she wants to capitalise on itCredit: Getty
The reports that Meghan is now seeking to trademark future ventures in the hospitality sector for her As Ever brand suggest she is now fully invested in life as an influencer and entrepreneur.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
But it has absolutely nothing to do with being royal.
Marrying Prince Harry fired her into global fame and now she wants to capitalise on it.
Somebody has to fund their Californian lifestyle, and Harry claims he has been financially cut off by his family.
After almost obsessive secrecy about their children and their home life, Meghan is now bombarding her growing band of social media fans with updates of what she, Harry and the kids have been up to.
To add some mystery, the children’s faces are obscured.
It’s a telling contrast to the pictures we see of William and Catherine’s young brood as they grow up.
Everything Meghan posts — from twerking videos on the labour ward to a family trip to Disney — multiplies the clicks and the potential revenue.
She’s turning out to be a shrewd operator — which perhaps she always was.
Meghan Markle Expands As Ever: From Lifestyle Brand to Hospitality Empire
Again, I have no problem with that.
But to try to cling to the vestiges of her blink-of-an-eye time as a working royal is disingenuous.
So, Meghan, how about dropping the Duchess nonsense and the HRH which you are no longer entitled to use?
Be independent and successful.
Make your As Ever brand bigger than ever on your own.
You are an independent woman with a husband who adores you.
Just because he’s a prince doesn’t mean you have to hang on to the idea of being a princess.
You tried being part of the Royal Family and hated it.
Time to move on, which, I think, is what this is all about.
FORGET Game of Thrones, nobody understands the art of forming alliances better than Meghan Markle – but her latest friendship might just be her most fruitful yet.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend… and having been blacklisted by David and Victoria Beckham, she and Harry have now made their allegiances very clear, while also bolstering their own “cool” social standing in the process.
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Brooklyn and Nicola are hot property – with a combined Instagram following of over 19million between themCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Harry and Meghan have been upping their public appearances – and packing on the PDA – amid her reinvention as a lifestyle queen
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David and Victoria Beckham have reportedly been blindsided by the new Peltz-Beckham and Sussex allianceCredit: David Beckham/Instagram
After all, it’s no secret that Meghan is making every concerted effort right now to re-establish herself as a lifestyle guru and online influencer.
Since launching her lifestyle brand, As Ever, last month, she’s upped her output on social media in a bid to cement herself as the ultimate domestic goddess and yummy mummy.
Having the endorsement of the Beckham-Peltzes – who have a massive social media following between them and are hot property right now, thanks to all the whispers circulating about tensions with Brooklyn’s family – would only help her cause.
What’s more, having seen their friendships with the likes of George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Brooklyn’s parents, David and Victoria Beckham, fall flat, Meghan and Harry can use all the star power they can get right now.
As the Sun exclusively revealed this week, the Sussexes and the Peltz-Beckhams came together last week at a dinner at the Sussexes’ mansion in Montecito, California.
The VIP event, which included 18 other guests, had been planned for weeks – but its timing, just days after Brooklyn and Nicola skipped his dad David’s 50th birthday celebrations amid a very public fall-out, was significant.
According to insiders, the two couples “found a lot of common ground” – as Harry and Meghan lent an empathetic ear, and shared their own tales of battle with Harry’s family.
As far as they are concerned, they’ve both been treated unfairly, prompting their estrangements.
And in the aftermath, the two couples have potentially formed a powerful alliance.
This may be an unlikely quartet, but it might just be a friendship that pays dividends.
Prince Harry & Meghan’s secret mansion summit with Brooklyn Beckham & Nicola Peltz to share trauma of toxic family feuds
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Meghan – pictured starring in her Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan – has relaunched herself as a domestic goddessCredit: Netflix
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Meghan’s been showing more snippets of her home life – including snaps with her and Harry’s kids, Archie, six, and Lilibet, three – in her bid to be the ultimate yummy mummyCredit: Instagram
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Having Gen Z stars Nicola and Brooklyn on side would potentially open her up to an even bigger audienceCredit: Instagram
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, brand and culture expert Nick Ede believes Meghan is well aware of the benefits that come from this new foursome.
“Meghan is a very strategic player,” he tells us. “She knows how to maximise her influence by associating herself with those who have more than her.
“This move is positioning her away from old Hollywood stars who have already established themselves, like Oprah and the Clooneys, and it’s bringing new blood into the Montecito establishment.”
He adds: “No one saw this friendship coming, but Meghan really looks like she’s creating a new ‘Fab Four’ with Harry, Brooklyn and Nicola.”
Fab Four
Let’s not forget, this isn’t the first time the Sussexes have attempted to form a solid quartet.
Since then the Sussexes haven’t held back in airing their grievances against the Waleses, most notably in Harry’s memoir Spare.
In it, the former senior royal alleged that his brother had physically attacked him amid their Megxit negotiations, and claimed that Kate had made Meghan cry before their wedding over a disagreement about Princess Charlotte’s flower girl dress.
These days the warring couples have reportedly cut all communication, and that ‘Fab Four’ alliance is splintered beyond repair.
‘Blacklisted’
Meanwhile, other A-list friendships have also fallen by the wayside.
Take George and Amal Clooney, who were proudly in attendance at Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding, and hosted them at their mansion in Lake Como soon after.
The two couples don’t seem to have spoken for years, and the Clooneys have made their indifference to the Sussexes known by snubbing them from several high-profile events they’ve hosted.
Likewise, fellow wedding attendees David and Victoria Beckham have also blacklisted their former friends.
No one saw this friendship coming, but Meghan really looks like she’s creating a new ‘Fab Four’ with Harry, Brooklyn and Nicola
Nick EdeBrand and culture expert
As we’ve reported, the two couples were historically close, and Meghan even wore a Victoria Beckham dress in her first post-Megxit appearance as a mark of respect to her famous friend.
But – after the couple accused Victoria of selling stories about them to the press – the lines of communication went dead.
The Beckhams duly switched their own allegiances to the royals, and have since been getting closer than ever to Harry’s estranged father and brother.
So, having been declared personae non gratae by the Beckhams, it seems as if all bets are off.
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George and Amal Clooney famously attended the Sussexes’ wedding in 2018Credit: Getty
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David and Victoria were also in attendance at St George’s Chapel in Windsor to watch the nuptialsCredit: Getty
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Shortly before they got married, Harry and Meghan banded together with Prince William and Kate Middleton to launch The Royal Foundation – and were duly dubbed the ‘Fab Four’Credit: PA:Press Association/PA Images
Raft of opportunities
With relations between David and Victoria and their eldest son Brooklyn reportedly at an all-time low, this Montecito dinner has made a very public statement indeed.
Yet this isn’t simply a case of trying to get back at the Beckhams.
For all intents and purposes, Brooklyn and Nicola’s friendship could hold the key to a raft of opportunities for Harry and Meghan at this critical juncture in their own lives.
To that end, she’s been sending out her homemade jams, and other products including shortbread biscuits and herbal teas, to friends including Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen, in the hope that they might plug them on their Instagram pages.
But so far, her connections haven’t quite paid off when it comes to promoting her business.
Indeed, one of the biggest complaints when it came to her Netflix series was that, while we know she’s enjoyed friendships with the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams in the past, she didn’t deliver on serving up A-list cameos on camera.
Her biggest signing was Mindy Kaling, but even that interaction seemed awkward and not representative of a genuine friendship.
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Mindy Kaling appeared on the Netflix series With Love, MeghanCredit: Netflix
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Before renaming her brand As Ever, Meghan sent her American Riviera Orchard jam to famous friends, including Kris Jenner, in the hope that they’d plug the product onlineCredit: Instagram
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Serena Williams – pictured with husband Alexis Ohanian – was another famous friend who turned up to the Sussexes’ wedding, but seems to have distanced herself from the couple in recent timesCredit: AP:Associated Press
So, having Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola , 30 – who both have a massive social media standing – on side could be highly advantageous to Meghan’s brand and online popularity.
While Brooklyn, in particular, may be the butt of several jokes when it comes to his career as an online “chef”, there’s no denying that his fans love watching him cook up a storm on his social media.
The nepo baby now has a whopping 16.3million followers on his Instagram account – which eclipses Meghan’s following of 2.9million.
With that kind of popularity, Brooklyn’s endorsement of Meghan’s jam, and her brand in general, would be a big win for As Ever.
It’s time to build on her credibility and build an audience who are authentic and buy into her brand.
Nick Ede
What’s more, Brooklyn and Nicola bring a hip and fresh factor to this new dynamic.
The Clooneys and the Beckhams may be established and dynastic couples, but the Peltz-Beckhams represent the next gen of showbiz influencers.
This potential leverage among younger followers will not have escaped Meghan’s attention.
It’s worth noting that the Duchess of Sussex has already made attempts to broaden her showbiz squad.
Earlier this year, she gave an online shoutout to Billie Eilish, the ultimate Gen Z cool girl, after the latter helped her with a charitable endeavour.
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Harry and Meghan packed on the PDA at a recent Beyonce concert
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Having distanced themselves from the Sussexes, the Beckhams have since been ingratiating themselves with the Royal Family – even attending events at Buckingham PalaceCredit: PA
She and Harry also recently stepped out at Beyonce’s LA concert – packing on the PDA and later thanking the singer online for a very fun “date night”.
This new Meghan is one who wants to be perceived as laid back, personable and fun – countering claims made in the past year that she’s a “bully” and difficult to work with.
Having the endorsement of a young, cool couple like Brooklyn and Nicola at this time could be beneficial – and Meghan knows it.
Meanwhile for Harry, having Brooklyn on side, who – as a Brit abroad – represents a piece of home at a time when he remains largely estranged from his family, might just be the source of comfort he needs.
Building a business should be Meghan’s priority
Nick Ede
But, as Nick tells us, she shouldn’t rely on her A-list friendships to guarantee her brand’s future.
She may be hoping to garner attention, but – ultimately – consumers want high quality products, regardless of who’s endorsing them.
“Whether this is a good move for Meghan is something we will have to wait and see,” Nick says. “The As Ever brand is still in its early days, and so is her TV career as a lifestyle expert.
“It’s time to build on her credibility and build an audience who are authentic and buy into her brand.
“Building a business should be her priority – this relationship may just serve as a distraction, rather than a positive step for both parties.”
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Brooklyn, then 13, last met Prince Harry in 2011 at the Sun Military Awards, alongside his dad DavidCredit: Darren Fletcher – The Sun
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Kate Middleton recently made her own allegiances known in a Victoria Beckham suitCredit: Getty
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While David is close to Prince William, their estranged family members – Brooklyn Beckham and Prince Harry – are hanging out in LACredit: PA
MEGHAN Markle and a beanie-clad Prince Harry have boasted about attending a hugely famous singer-songwriter’s gig – and even left with a signed book.
The pair, which included a beanie-wearing Harry, even took a photograph with the singer.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a huge concertCredit: Instagram/@Meghan
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Prince Harry got his own shot with James TaylorCredit: Instagram/@Meghan
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Meghan even received a signed book from the singerCredit: Instagram/@Meghan
The actress was pictured with music icon James Taylor – the hitmaker behind tracks including You’ve Got a Friend and Fire and Rain.
Meghan posted a picture with the singer which she captioned: “in my concert era. Thanks James!”
She included a snap of herself and Harry with James, alongside the singer’s brother Henry Taylor.
Meghan also posted a picture of the Prince and the singer standing together.
Harry wore a simple grey beanie, covering up his famous red hair, and an understated grey jacket.
In another picture, Meghan even revealed that she was given a signed book from the famous songster.
Entitled Sweet Baby James – which is also the title of one of the singer’s hit albums – the book contains illustrated pop-up designs and sells for $25.
James is currently on tour in the United States with his special guest Tiny Habits.
Meghan posted a picture from the crowd at his concert in Santa Barbara, California, on May 14 – one of the earliest dates on the tour.
The Sussexes’ dinner with Brooklyn and his wife took place at their home in Montecito – where they live with Archie and Lilibet.
The home is valued at £12 million and has nine-bedrooms, as well as a whimsical koi fish pond.
Harry and Meghan’s house also has a lavish swimming pool and a tennis court, alongside a private playground for their children.
Home Improvement expert Justin Nielsen, from Wolf River Electric, estimates that the property will need around 10 to 15 staff members to keep it in tip top condition.
He added: “Given the array of features, including a swimming pool, tennis court, koi pond, children’s playhouse, and chicken coop, the annual upkeep costs could easily reach between £150,000 and £250,000.
“This estimate accounts for landscaping, utilities, specialised care for the koi fish, and general maintenance.”
