HUGE BLOW
Meghan Markle’s new podcast ‘put on ice until next YEAR’ as duchess focuses on Netflix show and lifestyle brand
Producers don't want her Netflix show to overshadow the launch
MEGHAN Markle's new podcast has been put on ice until next year, reports claim.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, will instead focus on making her new Netflix series about "cooking, gardening and friendship".
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Producers at American network Lemonada Media don't want the podcast to be overshadowed by her TV show and are concerned about "scheduling conflicts", it is understood.
Filming has started on both Meghan’s new lifestyle show and Harry’s polo programme.
A source told the Daily Mail: "The relaunch of Meghan's Archetypes podcast got pushed back to 2025."
Meghan revealed she was fronting a new podcast after widely-criticised Archetypes flopped.
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The American network will re-distribute Archetypes and also produce a new show with the duchess.
In a statement, Meghan said: "I'm proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting.
"Being able to support a female founded company with a roster of thought provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024.
"Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast are well in the works.
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"I'm so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family."
Weeks after her announcement, it was revealed Netflix were producing two untitled non-fiction projects with the Duchess, 42, and the Duke, 39.
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The shows are considered to be a make or break for the couple as part of their £100million Netflix deal.
But Archie, four, and Lilibet, two, will not appear in either.
Meg’s show — which is said to “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining and friendship” — is not being filmed at the couple’s £11million home.
Instead, camera crews have been seen setting up at a neighbour’s house in Montecito, California.
It came not long after Meghan launched her new brand American Riviera Orchard focusing on home, food, garden and lifestyle goods.
The first glimpse at the brand was revealed when Meghan dished out beautifully-packed gift baskets to friends and influencers before the launch.
Meanwhile, Harry is working on a TV series about the sport of polo.
Harry and Meghan's business flops
- Meghan had her upcoming animated series Pearl chucked out by Netflix while in the development stage.
- Then 42-year-old was said to have been "uncharacteristically quiet" following the loss of her £18million Spotify deal in June last year.
- While Spare initially sold a staggering number of copies demand soon dwindled and a year on its popularity has plummeted with major retailers slashing prices in half.
- Meanwhile, their Netflix documentary also took a hit and the Duke and Duchess are believed to have been paid only half of their reported £78million contract.
- The pair were poked fun at by comedian Jo Koy at the Golden Globes for "being paid millions by Netflix for doing nothing".
- Harry's series, Heart of Invictus, shedding light on the Olympic-style games he started for wounded ex-service competitors also flopped.
- Archewell figures in December last year revealed a hole in the accounts after it received almost £9million less in donations than in a previous year.
He was spotted filming at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge for charity Sentebale’s fundraiser in Florida.
The couple have vowed to stop trashing the royals after their previous series Harry and Meghan in 2022.
Released in two parts, the explosive docuseries lobbed bombs at The Firm - seeing it torn apart by royal experts.
But, despite the attention it drew, it didn't even rank in the top 200 most-watched Netflix shows from January to June.
Months later Harry's series Heart of Invictus about the Olympic-style games he started for wounded ex-service competitors flopped.
And Meghan's animated series Pearl, about a girl inspired by historical female figures, was dropped while still in the development stage.
Harry and Meghan are believed to have been paid only half of their reported £78million contract.
It was said they will get the rest only if they produce content of real interest before the end of 2025.
Comedian Jo Koy roasted the pair at the Golden Globes saying they were "being paid millions by Netflix for doing nothing".
Meghan's Spotify deal was scrapped in June with the announcement her podcast wouldn't get a second series.
It was said the shows did not meet "productivity requirements".
Meghan also abandoned an attempt to secure the name of the ill-fated Archetypes streaming series.
She had wanted to trademark the word Archetypes but the couple withdrew the bid by their firm Archewell Audio.
Meghan's previous programme, aimed at discussing "labels that try to hold women back", was dropped after producing 13 episodes in 31 months.
Spotify executive Bill Simmons was reported to have labelled the pair "f***ing grifters" while also ridiculing Harry's own podcast ideas.
Meghan revealed in December 2020 she signed the Spotify deal after the pair's departure from the Firm.
But it was another 20 months before her Archetypes series was launched in August 2022.
Controversy was sparked by the podcast when Meghan claimed her son Archie had to be saved as a baby from a fire when they were fulfilling a royal tour of Africa.
She also appeared to swipe at Palace insiders' suggestion she was "Duchess Difficult", with Meghan telling listeners how setting boundaries doesn't make her "difficult".
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The duchess also described quitting an £800-per-episode job because she felt objectified as a briefcase model on TV game show Deal Or No Deal.
Celebrity guests on her Archetypes podcast included tennis legend Serena Williams, pop star Mariah Carey, socialite Paris Hilton and Sex And The City author Candace Bushnell.
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