Recently, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance alongside Jimmy Fallon, but instead of receiving applause, he was met with a wave of ridicule.
Fans were quick to mock his bizarre cameo in a haunted house skit, with one witty observer remarking that Harry screamed because he realized he’s married to Meghan Markle. The skit, which felt excruciatingly long despite lasting just under three minutes, saw Harry navigating Fallon’s "New Nightmares" attraction at Rockefeller Center, where he was heard exclaiming “Jesus f—!” as he encountered the spooky elements. Unfortunately for the Duke of Sussex, the true horror seemed to lie not in the haunted house but in the audience's reaction to the segment.
In a particularly awkward moment, an actress dressed as a zombie failed to recognize Harry, turning to a fellow performer and asking, "Who was that?" At one point, Harry tried to inject some humor into the situation by joking that one of the actors resembled Canadian crew member Michael B., but his attempt at humor fell flat. Viewers quickly took to social media to express their dismay, with one user sarcastically commenting, "He just realized he married the biggest con of the century, Meghan Markle." Another user added, "I seriously couldn't detest this guy more and wish he'd leave the U.S. with his constant publicity stunts."
The criticism only escalated, with another commenter labeling Harry "an absolute joke and a weasel of a man." Yet another chimed in, "Dude’s only claim to fame is that he used to be a member of the Royal Family. Now he’s just a joke. Sad, really." What was intended to be a humorous skit seemingly backfired, reinforcing the perception that Harry is a washed-up royal grasping for relevance in a world that has largely moved on from him.
Jimmy Fallon, too, didn’t escape unscathed. His decision to feature Harry on his show raised eyebrows, particularly as his own ratings have been on a downward spiral. One Reddit user observed, “Jimmy Fallon’s ‘nice guy’ act is so patronizing; he comes off like a smug bastard.” Many viewers feel that Fallon is just another overhyped talk show host struggling to recapture the glory of his past successes. One can almost imagine Fallon’s internal monologue when booking Harry: "Oh man, my ratings are so low that even a British prince wants in on this. At this point, anything might help." Unfortunately, the gamble didn’t pay off. After the disastrous segment aired, the ratings for The Tonight Show plummeted even further, leaving Fallon bewildered.
The harsh reality for Fallon is that Harry, whose relevance is quickly fading, was the last person he should have turned to in a bid to revive his show. The Duke’s public appeal has diminished, and he is increasingly viewed as out of touch—a relic of a bygone era, like a flip phone in a world dominated by smartphones. Fallon’s attempt to boost ratings by featuring the controversial royal backfired spectacularly, highlighting both men’s declining influence.
As NBC continues to trim its budget, reducing The Tonight Show from five nights a week to four, Fallon’s desperation is becoming increasingly evident. He is relying on his A-list friends, including Justin Timberlake, to keep his sinking ship afloat. But with a staggering 41% drop in audience since 2019, it seems Fallon’s luck has run out. In an era dominated by streaming platforms, Fallon’s brand of humor is starting to feel outdated. Similarly, Harry’s claim to fame appears to be dwindling to little more than the fact that he once belonged to a royal family that has largely left him behind.
In the end, both Fallon and Harry may have to face a sobering truth: sometimes a haunted house is the least of your problems when your career is teetering on the edge of irrelevance.
