Prince Harry Mandel keeps a memento of the former Deal or No Deal model Megan Markle on his desk, despite not recalling her brief stint on the game show.
When asked if he stayed in touch with the former actress, who later married Prince Harry in 2018, the host simply responded with a no. "When I heard that she was on Deal or No Deal, I didn't remember her," he admitted on Monday's episode of the Good Guys podcast.
"I have a picture of her in my office; she's one of many of the girls standing behind me," he added. However, Mandel emphasized that it wasn't personal, as he didn't recall many of the models. "Chrissy Teigen was also a Deal or No Deal model," he added, implying his lack of recollection of working with the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Covergirl either.
There were allegations that Megan was dismissed because she was spotted behind the scenes flirting with male guests on the show after they won. Mandel verified this when he said he received a report about a model on the show trying to fling herself at the male players' heads. The person believed to be Megan Markle, as she always exhibited strange behavior backstage. Mandel first spoke out about Markle during an interview ahead of her nuptials to Prince Harry.
"To be honest, I don't even remember her," Mandel said of the Duke of Sussex, who appeared in 34 episodes from 2006 to 2007. "I'd like to say I do, and if she's watching and she's not, right?" he joked. The America's Got Talent judge then addressed the camera, saying, "I don't remember you. I've seen a lot of pictures; I just don't."
Markle, who ditched the gig and went on to star in Suits, later revealed that she quit her job as a briefcase model because she felt she was being reduced to a bimbo. The revelation comes after a PR expert suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan have been speaking publicly about the royal family for four years now, but it's time to stop and go about things in a different way. Ryan McCormick suggested the Sussexes put their time and energy into projects that have the greatest chance of garnering prestige and public support.
"Up until now, the more high-profile projects like Suits and the Netflix documentary series Harry and Meghan have been based on their lives as royals. At this point, it doesn't seem to be working," the PR expert said. "If Meghan and Harry did a show where they interview celebrities or other globally respected individuals, it would immediately keep them relevant for the foreseeable future," he added. "I would not recommend that they ruffle any more feathers in the royal family. A period of calm and quiet will suit them well," McCormick concerned that they may be low on fuel and it may be easier said than done to come up with something that's going to win the public over.
However, another expert said that all the work in the world won't cover the absolute terrible untruths and damage done by Meghan Markle's mouth. "Not woman enough to accept her faults and behavior and apologize, but thinks she can override them all with a sheer volume of PR," they concluded.
