Jimmy Kimmel recently took a sharp jab at Meghan Markle’s Netflix cooking show, "The Duchess Dines," during a segment on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
This latest critique comes amid an ongoing feud between the British royal family and the Duchess of Sussex, which has now reached the stage of late-night television. The premise of "The Duchess Dines" seems straightforward: Meghan, a former American actress turned royal, invites various high-profile guests into her home to prepare meals and engage in casual conversation. However, Kimmel's review was far from glowing.
In his characteristic style, he lambasted the show as a self-serving endeavor that fails to captivate. “Leave it to Meghan Markle to take something as universally loved as cooking and turn it into yet another opportunity to celebrate herself,” Kimmel quipped, drawing hearty laughter from his audience.
Kimmel did not hold back in his critique, targeting everything from the show’s production quality to its celebrity lineup. He derided the set design as if it had been assembled by "a team of kindergarteners with macaroni and glue," and dismissed the guests as "has-beens and D-listers." He cited reality star Bethenny Frankel, disgraced comedian Louis C.K., and former Star Trek actor George Takei as examples of the show’s lackluster guest list, mocking its apparent lack of relevance.
The host's most scathing remarks were directed at Meghan herself. He ridiculed her frequent references to her royal status and the supposed trauma of her time in the palace. “Oh, please,” Kimmel scoffed, “this is the same woman who convinced her husband to leave his family, move to California, and rake in millions from self-serving projects like this cooking show.” Kimmel played a series of clips from "The Duchess Dines," each one more cringe-worthy than the last. In one, Meghan was seen tenderly chopping onions while extolling the virtues of home-cooked meals, prompting Kimmel to sarcastically wonder how much Netflix paid her to appear "normal" in her own kitchen.
Another clip featured Meghan and actor Cuba Gooding Jr. struggling to make a souffle, with Meghan dramatically lamenting its collapse. Kimmel retorted, “Yeah, just like your reputation,” and saved his sharpest critique for a segment with former *NSYNC member Joey Fatone, where Meghan discussed the challenges of fame. “Meghan Markle and Joey Fatone discussing the trials of fame?” Kimmel said, dripping with sarcasm. “You can’t make this stuff up.”
Kimmel also took aim at Meghan’s broader media strategy, suggesting that the cooking show was another ploy to criticize the royal family and play the victim. “Let’s be honest,” Kimmel remarked, “this show is just Meghan’s way of getting back at the British royals and making herself look like a martyr.” He continued, “How dare they not roll out the red carpet for her and treat her like the next Queen Elizabeth.”
The segment received widespread acclaim on social media, with many viewers applauding Kimmel for his candid assessment of what they saw as Meghan Markle’s attempts to portray herself as a victim. Comments ranged from praising Kimmel for finally putting Meghan in her place to celebrating the humor in his critique. One Twitter user wrote, “Bravo, Jimmy Kimmel! You’ve done what we’ve all been wanting to do for years.” Another commented, “Megan Markle is the gift that keeps on giving for comedians, and Kimmel absolutely nailed it.”
However, not all reactions were positive. Some critics accused Kimmel of engaging in bullying and misogyny, arguing that his comments reflected a broader societal bias against successful women. “Jimmy Kimmel just proved that even in 2024, powerful women are still targets for sexist mockery,” one critic wrote on Twitter. “Shame on him for punching down at Meghan Markle like that.”
Despite the mixed reactions, the majority of responses on social media seemed to support Kimmel’s take. Meghan Markle has yet to publicly address Kimmel’s critique, but given her tendency to respond to critics, it’s likely she will eventually weigh in on this latest late-night takedown of her Netflix show.
