Duchess Meghan wrapped filming on her Netflix cooking/lifestyle show

We still have not been able to spend our Sussex Bucks on one single item from the Duchess of Sussex’s American Riviera Orchard brand. She sent out strawberry jam and lemons, but there has been no real ARO launch or actual product reveal. I’m not “concerned,” I just want to be able to buy some ARO stuff. The ARO launch might have been paused for a few months while Meghan filmed her Netflix… cooking show? Entertaining show? Lifestyle show? All of the above, probably. Well, the Daily Beast’s Royalist got a hot tip that Meghan has wrapped filming the show, and of course Tom Sykes has to put the most negative spin on it:

Meghan Markle needs a hit. If she is lucky, she may have one soon. She has finished filming her new cookery and home show, The Daily Beast understands, meaning her as yet untitled new project could soon be appearing on Netflix. A Hollywood source told The Daily Beast: “It all went well and it is in the can.”

A spokesperson for Meghan declined to comment to The Daily Beast when asked if filming had finished. Neither the streamer nor Meghan’s team have said when the new series will air or what it will be called, however Meghan has said it will “celebrate the joys of cooking & gardening, entertaining, and friendship.”

Meghan was recently spotted by one TikTok user filming in a Beverly Hills park. The industry insider said that while it was possible that the show might need a few extra shots, they suspected that the filming uploaded to TikTok was unrelated to the home show project as the team had “got everything” they needed.

The Daily Beast has been told that filming has now ceased at a residential property just a few miles from Meghan and Prince Harry’s own home which was being used as a principal set for the show. While the decision on when to transmit the new show will ultimately be down to the streaming giant, Meghan will likely be eager to make a start on her new career as a home and lifestyle guru in the mold of Martha Stewart or Gwyneth Paltrow as soon as possible.

And there is no denying that a slam-dunk smash hit would be extremely helpful, after a perceived failure to follow through coherently and profitably with her various initiatives and businesses in recent years.

One expert on the intersection of talent and business, the PR consultant Mark Borkowski, told The Daily Beast, “The issue is Meghan’s ability to generate actual money. That is dependent on the quality of this new show. I suspect it won’t be a car crash; there is too much riding on it and she is being repped by the most powerful talent agency in the world, who will have gathered the right people around her. If she has listened and learnt and is comfortable in this new role as a kind of sub-Martha Stewart, sub-Oprah, this could be a relaunch to something new and interesting. If it is another fail, it will be more difficult, because she will have to pivot to yet another new direction. But the bottom line is that whatever Meghan Markle does will always generate massive interest, she brings eyeballs and that means there is a long line of people who would still want to align with her. She will always attract somebody who will want to leverage her brand.”

[From The Daily Beast]

I cut out a chunk of Sykes lamenting the lack of updates on the 40X40 mentorship project, because Sykes and all of the British commentators seem to think that it was actually an “initiative” rather than a suggestion Meghan made to fans for her 40th birthday. Anyway, I’m glad Meghan has wrapped on this show and I hope we get to see it soon. I’m not looking forward to the negativity around it, but I suspect that Meghan isn’t even going to breathe a word about the left-behinds. It’s going to be wholly positive and all about food and flowers and sh-t.

Photos courtesy of Instar, Cover Images and Archewell.

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80 Responses to “Duchess Meghan wrapped filming on her Netflix cooking/lifestyle show”

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  1. Eurydice says:

    This is pretty much the only reason I’m holding on to my Netflix subscription.

    • Laura D says:

      Same here @Eurydice

      @Kaiser – PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember to show us pictures of Kate’s pancakes next to Meghan’s dishes when the clips are published. PLEASE! 😆 😆 😆

      On a more serious note wasn’t this the type of thing Pippa Middleton was aiming for but, it ultimately came to nothing. I remember her having a contraversial column/book giving tips on ice in drinks and that sort of stuff.

      • The Robinson Group says:

        That’s possible about Pippa… actually when Kate was preparing to marry Willie, the press was fawning after Pippa more so than Kate. It was said Pippa was a well liked social butterfly with lots of friends and a sort of fashionista in her circles. Kate didn’t have many friends, as baby sis. Loads of articles was being put out by the BP rags, overshadowing big sis Kate. QE2 must’ve put the kibosh on that reporting, because it all of a sudden came to a screeching halt. It was also said that QE2 highly suggested Pippa be married off soon to tap down her rising popularity.

      • sevenblue says:

        Pippa published a stupid book after her popularity and even gave interviews to American TV for the book. She stopped not because QE2 ordered or smt, but because the book failed miserably.

      • Drea says:

        Pippa-tips?

      • StillDouchesOfCambridge says:

        @drea I remember this amazing pippa tip for entertaining at home: something groundbreaking like taking water from the tap and serving it to her guests, in a glass, because they could be thirsty.

    • Monlette says:

      Better to cancel your subscription and renew it when the show airs. Netflix measure success by the uptick in subscribers.
      Of course all the Anti-meghan trolls will be subscribing, watching, then calling for another boycott, which will have the opposite effect of what they intended.

      • Bridget says:

        She’s fine, I saw let her do whatever she wants of course, it’s America. But- I for one, in this economy don’t have the luxury to be buying such things. My family is living off casseroles and leftovers and there is no fluff going on in 2024. Most the money goes to mortgage and interest!

  2. Well of course they have to put a negative spin on it because it’s probably really good and that in their minds will make the leftovers look bad. Can’t wait to see what she is doing.

  3. Maxine Branch says:

    I certainly will watch this show, purchase items from ARO and sit back to watch the crusty old left behinds complain. Power to the Sussexes

  4. equality says:

    What “failure to follow through coherently and profitably with her various initiatives and businesses”? A number one, award-winning podcast is a failure? A best-selling book is a failure? The biggest documentary debut on netflix was a failure? I notice they manage to ignore all that.

    • Elizabeth says:

      Exactly!

    • Eurydice says:

      Yes, and her projects when she was with the RF worked out well – the cookbook and Smart Works. Not to mention her investment in Clevr Blends.

    • sevenblue says:

      She lived in UK a few years and still she completed more successful projects than W&K combined 😭😭. They just love lying.

    • Jenny says:

      And countless rewards for her philanthropic endeavors. The BM have written horrible things about Meghan for six years now. They saturated the market a long time ago, and I hope Meghan takes it for what it is– anger that she and Harry are wildely successful and living their best lives!

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      Their pr “expert” said that crap and then in the same breath said “everything she does generates interest, everyone wants to be a part of her brand!” He knows the “fail” narrative is total bull, he just knows what he has to say if he wants to get paid.

      In any case, I can’t wait to buy a jar of monarchy destroying jam!

    • windyriver says:

      And a show she left in 2017 mysteriously had a record setting resurgence in 2023 when picked up by Netflix, including most minutes ever watched in a single year (57.7 billion), plus 3 billion viewing minutes per week for 7 weeks straight.

      I’m sure the fact Meghan was in it had nothing to do with attracting that massive audience, and Netflix was just broken hearted over it (/s).

  5. StillDouchesOfCambridge says:

    Food, gardening and entertaining friends is everything I love!

  6. sevenblue says:

    Can’t wait!! I didn’t follow The Tig at the time, but I love food shows. I wonder who is gonna join her. If I remember correctly, they said there are gonna be guests.

  7. Dee(2) says:

    They’ll just vacilitate between how Kate held a chunk of cheese once, so Meghan making lobster thermidor from scratch is a ” sweet nod” to her ailing SIL, to Meghan is a monster for stealing a television show from all those struggling Le Cordon Bleu graduates. The outrage is baked in at this point. And their ” concern” about lack of updates for initiatives is solely them being upset that they can’t write articles every single week about the meeting that Harry and Meghan went to or the people that they met with. I know he’s not Rota but there is an inherent laziness in just looking at the person you’re tasked with coverings schedule ( court circular) and writing fanfic around it every week. They miss that.

    • Looty says:

      I hope no one from the british media sees this comment, because they will totally steal your lobster thermidor script.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      Huesa’s claim to fame: touching cheese, pouring a gawdawful pint of Guinness, and shambolic pancakes. lmao.

      the Duchess of Sussex is about to dish out some life lessons in “Don’t compete where you can’t compare”. Absolutely looking forward to it.

  8. ML says:

    By now we know that when Meghan (or H&M show) shows up, everything is ready. Not only that, it’s usually a flurry of activity and highlighting multiple causes. I can imagine that TS of the DB might be nervous. The royals just moved into dog dishes and such; they need ideas.

  9. Tessa says:

    I will be watching. Can’t wait

  10. Chaine says:

    I am looking forward to it. Gonna be honest I’m not a celebrity interview podcast listener and the Harry and Meghan documentary put me to sleep so I never finished it. But I am here for a cooking and lifestyle show, that is the kind of content I want!!! Bring it on!

    • DeluxeDuckling says:

      Same, I couldn’t finish their doc at all. Too sugary sweet, too much “this mansion spoke to my heart”. I’m a fan, but they are soooo out of touch. I just want to shop ARO products and follow Meghan’s incredible fashion sense. I don’t need to know how much they love each other. I would love it if she started a fashion line.

  11. Julia says:

    The messaging in this article makes no sense. Sykes is saying she needs a hit (ignoring the fact that she has had a lot of success despite the constant negativity thrown at her) but the PR man says people will always want to work with her because she draws so many eyeballs. Which is it? It must be exhausting being Meghan she is not allowed to have some successes and some failures like the rest the human race. She must have a number 1 hit and follow up on every little thing or she is torn apart.

  12. Jenny says:

    The smart plan would be to coordinate the actual ARO launch with the series.

  13. maisie says:

    One sentence says it’s another fail, the next says every move she makes gathers enormous attention and can’t help but succeed LOL

    • pottymouth pup says:

      I, for one, would like to know what she has failed to justify the use of the phrase “another fail.”

  14. Becks1 says:

    I am super excited for this, I think it will be a very positive and feel-good show, kind of like Great British Baking or something similar. My guess is September for a release date, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

    • QuiteContrary says:

      Heaven knows we’ll need a cheerful diversion in September. I can’t wait.

  15. Libra says:

    I can’t imagine what it’s like to live with the knowledge that so many people want to see you fail. No matter how successful, they will find a way to turn it around. I would crawl into a corner with a blanket over my head and never come out. I don’t know how she copes.

    • Tina says:

      Same and this is why I will buy anything she sells and watch everything she makes. I was young during the Diana years but I remember being so sad at how the media went after her. I would not be able to live like this so I will always root for Meghan.

    • wolfmamma says:

      She’s had a lot of experience of this before she met the lovely Harry. Bi racial woman hood is not an easy road to travel. Criticism helps her focus, I think or maybe all her experience with it.

      • Blithe says:

        Hard agree.

      • Just me 2 says:

        @WolfMamma Never truer words have been spoken. As a student I had a professor look deeply depressed as he looked at samples i prepared because i was good at the hands-on lab work and the theoretical academic part of my major. I just had to laugh to myself 😄 because it was so ridiculous ! For me and my sisters it’s motivating because after a while it becomes just ludicrous.

      • Kim says:

        I don’t think she had experienced this amount of criticism before she met Harry! What the British media are doing is over the top! And it is year after year! The stories are repeated or new vicious ones are created! She is a strong woman to keep going!

  16. Jenny says:

    Everything Meghan touches is wildly successful. She doesn’t ‘need’ a hit, and I’m certain Tom Sykes knows this.

    It’s sick how obsessed he is with Meghan.

    • QuiteContrary says:

      It’s always freaking Opposite Day with these sick f*cks.

    • Beverley says:

      Sykes has a hate-boner for Meghan. This attraction makes him despise her (and himself). He can’t quit her. He’s a sick creep – brings to mind the rapist overseers who didn’t see the enslaved women as human, yet desired to rape and sexually torment them.

  17. SussexWatcher says:

    I’m really hoping ARO launches tomorrow, on American Independence Day 🇺🇸 Seems fitting and full of symbolism.

  18. HillaryIsAlwaysRight says:

    I am so ready to watch this, and I don’t even cook. I hope she does a yoga / wellness show next.

  19. Jais says:

    ARO. ARO. ARO! Can’t wait. Time to set aside a sussex savings fund. I’m a an august Virgo so I wish it would be out by then so I could ask for ARO birthday gifts. Either way I’m so excited for it.

  20. Amy Bee says:

    I’m looking forward to the show. I’m going to predict that the British press is going to be upset when Meghan doesn’t mention the Royal Family on the show.

    • Anna says:

      I really hope she doesn’t even blink in a way suggesting she had sth to do with them. Like they No longer exist in her world. The outrage will entertain us for months!

    • Laura D says:

      If she doesn’t name check the royals but, uses one of the recipes from the Grenfell cook book the RR will be apocalyptic! :lol

  21. sunny says:

    I am looking forward to this! As an O.G. reader of her blog, she used to talk about food A LOT there. Between her interest in food, her natural warmth, and being good on camera, this show should be fun!

  22. Hypocrisy says:

    I read this crap and I make it a point to rewatch and listen to all of Meghan and Harry’s Netflix shows and podcasts. I can’t wait to have another one to add to my list. It makes me feel like I’m supporting them by adding viewing/listening minutes because no one deserves the years of abuse they have endured.

  23. GoodWitchGlenda says:

    I’m not concerned about them at all, but I do wonder what was the point of sending out those jams months ago if there was nothing to sell or promote soon after?I had honestly forgotten about it until Kaiser reminded us here.

    • Eurydice says:

      Well, she got a huge mailing list of people who’d be interested in her products.

    • BlueNailsBetty says:

      Advertising for big projects often comes in phases. The blitz this past Spring was an introduction to gauge interest as well as collect email addresses that can be used for future news/advertising.

      My current guesstimate is that ARO and the cooking show will go live in September/early October so as to take advantage of people being home more (vs the summer travel/activities) as well as the pre-holiday shopping ramp up.

    • Julia says:

      To create buzz, to test some of the products out on her friends before fine tuning for a launch, create brand awareness?

  24. Flamingo says:

    I love when a non-professional chef has a cooking show. It makes me feel like it will be attainable for me to recreate something they cook.

    Patiently waiting for her show and try and learn to cook like Her Royal Highness, take that Charlie!

  25. Princess Caroline says:

    The way they talk about her is so disgusting. Always talking like she’s so desperate and “needs a hit”. When has she had ANY failures? Self made woman that has had win after win due to tenacity, hard work, and sheer likability. They’re so desperate for her to be a loser, it’s infuriating

    • Blithe says:

      Eh. When I read sht like this, I wonder what the writers themselves have accomplished. Usually it’s not much — especially comparing them with the accomplishments that they’re disparaging.

      • Julia says:

        I would say if you call yourself a journalist but your claim to fame is being a royalty expert in 2024 your life has not been an overwhelming success.

  26. Saucy&Sassy says:

    “And there is no denying that a slam-dunk smash hit would be extremely helpful, after a perceived failure to follow through coherently and profitably with her various initiatives and businesses in recent years.”

    The only thing I can think of is that ARO hasn’t launched. Yet. I’m not sure why they get to determine when something will be launched, but there you go. They continue to believe that they ‘own’ Meghan and get to have a say about anything and everything connected to her.

    The Sussexes have always announced something when it’s completely ready to roll and when they choose. It’s not hard to figure out.

    Poor babies. They seem to be upset because H&M succeed at what they do. Cry more.

  27. mary mary says:

    Why are they so obsessed with Meghan’s money? Like, she CLEARLY has a lot of it.

  28. bisynaptic says:

    “And there is no denying that a slam-dunk smash hit would be extremely helpful, after a perceived failure to follow through coherently and profitably with her various initiatives and businesses in recent years.”
    — LOLOL

  29. Well-Wisher says:

    Looking forward to the show….