Meghan Markle’s ambitious cooking show, rumored to be her next big Netflix project, appears to have been shelved before it even reached the pre-production stage.
After securing a $100 million Netflix deal, Meghan and Harry attempted to carve out a niche in the streaming world, starting with Polo, a five-part documentary series that promised an insider look at elite equestrian players. Instead of dazzling audiences with high-society glamour, the series fell flat, leaving viewers disenchanted and critics merciless in their reviews. Descriptions like “boring,” “tedious,” and “a niche vanity project” dominated the feedback, with some even likening it to a parody background gag from Succession.
The fallout was swift and brutal. Reports now suggest that Meghan’s next venture—a cooking, gardening, and entertaining extravaganza tied to her defunct lifestyle brand, the American Riviera Orchard—is in serious jeopardy. According to insiders, Netflix has placed the project on hold, and the likelihood of revival seems as slim as the Duchess’s remaining ties to royal life. This decision could prove to be a pivotal moment for the Sussexes’ burgeoning, albeit faltering, television empire. Spoiler alert: It’s breaking apart faster than anyone could have predicted.
One Netflix insider hinted at a sliver of hope, suggesting that Meghan’s cooking venture might still materialize if she can breathe life back into her dormant lifestyle brand. However, given her recent track record, optimism is scarce. The rumor mill suggests that her culinary “genius” involved handpicking artisanal loaves of banana bread—made painstakingly by her assistant—and posing for Instagram-perfect shots that implied she baked them herself. Authentic? Hardly. And let’s not forget the elaborate tablescapes. Allegedly, Meghan’s method involved berating assistants until the décor achieved her Pinterest-level aesthetic.
Meanwhile, Harry’s role as co-executive producer of Polo hasn’t gone unnoticed, though critics have noted that even this project leaned heavily on his personal interests. Meghan’s rumored cooking show, by contrast, was supposed to be her shining moment—a chance to cement herself as a lifestyle icon akin to Martha Stewart or Gwyneth Paltrow. Instead, it’s reportedly been relegated to Netflix’s infamous “never-going-to-happen” folder.
Adding to the tension are whispers about the couple’s strained relationships in Hollywood and beyond. Meghan was conspicuously absent from Oprah’s surprise birthday bash for Gayle King, sparking speculation that even their once-close allies are keeping a cautious distance. Insiders claim that Meghan and Harry have become pariahs in certain elite circles, their invites dwindling as fast as their Netflix goodwill. At Beverly Hills brunches, the gossip reportedly includes phrases like, “Oh, darling, the Sussexes are so last season.”
Despite their setbacks, the couple’s antics remain a source of endless fascination. The real Netflix hit, some argue, would be a behind-the-scenes exposé on what it’s like to work with Meghan and Harry. Forget banana bread recipes and meticulously curated tablescapes; audiences would devour the dirt on rumored tantrums, rewritten scripts, and inflated egos. Until then, the public will have to settle for the steady stream of leaks and speculation surrounding Meghan’s creative ventures.
Rumors persist that Meghan, in a desperate bid for approval, privately funded portions of her cooking show and pitched it to Netflix with all the enthusiasm of an unpaid intern. However, what she envisioned as a “manifestation” moment seemed more like an act of desperation. With Polo dead in the water and Netflix’s patience reportedly wearing thin, the streaming giant has seemingly opted to cut its losses.
In the end, Meghan’s cooking show wasn’t just canceled—it never truly began. While the Duchess may have dreamed of ascending to the lifestyle-queen stratosphere, her foray into television has so far yielded more drama than success. But at least the debacle has given the world some juicy schadenfreude to savor.
