Netflix insists that it's âexcitedâ to continue its partnership with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle â despite rumours their deal could be axed amid disappointing ratings and reviews
Chief content officer Bela Bajaria has described the Duchess of Sussexes' upcoming series as â??a great take on a lifestyle showâ??
Netflix's chief content officer has insisted that the streamer is âexcitedâ to continue its partnership with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
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Despite disappointing ratings and reviews for their latest documentary, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still have the backing of Netflix â with the streamer's chief content officer insisting that the company remains âexcitedâ to work with the Duke and Duchess on upcoming projects.
âWe have Meghanâs new show coming out, which is great,â Bela Bajaria told the Daily Mail, referring to the Duchess' lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, which will air on the platform in March. âIt is such a great take on a lifestyle show and a showcase for California, Montecito and nature. Thereâs really easy, great takeaways on life. I am really excited about that coming out.â It's the first time a senior Netflix executive has gone on the record to confirm that the streamer is pursuing its partnership with the Sussexes, which many believed to be on the rocks.
With Love, Meghan, which will air in March, is apparently a âgreat take on a lifestyle showâ
Courtesy of Netflix
In December last year, Harry and Meghan failed to wow audiences with their latest Netflix offering: Polo, a deep-dive âinto the dedication and skill required to compete at the sportâs highest levelâ which introduced the couple as executive producers. Those who had settled down to the programme hoping for a juicy glimpse behind the scenes into Harry and Meghan's life, however, found themselves disappointed. The couple only appeared for a brief scene in the final episode of the five-part series, during which Prince Harry could be seen participating in a charity game for the organisation he co-founded, Sentebale, while Megan cheered him on.
Royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun that most people watching Polo would expect to see the Sussexes making a substantial contribution â and consequently feel let down at their fleeting appearance on screen. âThe main problem for Netflix is that Harry and Meghan are hardly in this programme,â he explained, adding that he didn't think the streamer was âgetting a great deal of Harry and Meghanâ for their exorbitant fee. âI'm not quite sure why Netflix have done this.â
The couple's first programme, Harry & Meghan, was hugely successful â but Polo failed to live up to the hype
Courtesy of Prince Harry and Meghan
Whispers spread around LA that Netflix was, indeed, disappointed by the Sussexes' output, which has largely stalled since the barnstorming success of their initial tell-all project, Harry & Meghan. One source based in California told MailOnline that Netflix was unimpressed with Polo's unenthusiastic reception, and that it's now âmake or breakâ for the couple. âPeople say Netflix are exhausted. Itâs so much work with [Meghan] and, bluntly, the âdeliverableâ does not seem to be worth it.â An entertainment executive told the newspaper that Meghan's upcoming show âwill have to be an enormous hit to turn around [the Sussexesâ] deal and their reputations in this townâ, while another source explained that Netflix is unlikely to renew its multi-million pound deal with the Sussexes after their programming's lacklustre performance.
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Bajaria's latest comments are the first indication Netflix has given since 2023 that the streamer is committed to continuing its partnership with Harry and Meghan, but much is thought to be riding on the reception of Love, Meghan. In January, the Duchess posted a trailer for the series on her new Instagram page, writing: âI have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it. Wishing you all a fantastic new year! Thanks to our amazing crew and the team @netflix. Beyond grateful for the support â and fun! As ever, Meghan.â
In With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex shares her own âtips and tricksâ for hosting, cooking and entertaining
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
In the trailer, Meghan Markle can be seen baking, arranging flowers and collecting honey, as she chats with a number of celebrity guests, including Mindy Kaling, her makeup artist Daniel Martin and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer. The Duchess describes her love of hosting and cooking, saying: âIâm going to share some little tips and tricks and how you can incorporate these practices every day.â Prince Harry also makes an appearance in the trailer, with a short clip showing the Duke cuddling up with the Duchess. The series, which was originally slated to air in January, has been postponed until March in the wake of the LA wildfires. âIâm thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,â the Duchess said in a statement.
And supposedly, With Love, Meghan isn't all the couple has in store. In February last year, as per Deadline, Bajaria revealed that the pair âactually have a bunch in developmentâ with Netflix, including âa movie, a TV show and a couple of unscripted showsâ. Specific details are unknown, but the film could be related to Harry and Meghan's planned £3 million adaptation of the novel Meet Me At The Lake. The Duke and Duchess have reportedly secured the rights to the romantic story by Carley Fortune, a New York Times bestselling author. Whatever happens next, Team Sussex must hope that Meghan's upcoming documentary wins them the approval they need.