Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is navigating a pivotal moment in her Netflix career, openly addressing the lukewarm reception of her lifestyle series With Love, Meghan. Despite its struggle to gain traction, she remains steadfast, revealing plans for a holiday special and an innovative pivot towards shorter, more digestible content formats, signaling a strategic evolution in her partnership with the streaming giant.
The journey of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s ambitious Netflix partnership has been one of immense public scrutiny and evolving strategies. After signing a reported $100 million deal with the streamer in 2020, expectations were sky-high for content that would showcase the couple’s unique perspectives and lifestyle. Among their initial projects was Markle’s solo venture, the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, a show designed to offer audiences intimate glimpses into cooking, gardening, and hosting.
As dedicated fans of classic film and storytelling, we understand the anticipation surrounding new ventures from beloved public figures. Markle’s foray into lifestyle content brought a different kind of narrative to the screen, promising a curated look at her world, featuring celebrity guests like Mindy Kaling and Chrissy Teigen.
The Journey of ‘With Love, Meghan’: High Hopes and Mixed Reviews
The debut of With Love, Meghan season one in March 2025 garnered significant attention, reportedly drawing 2.6 million viewers and managing to secure a spot in Netflix’s coveted Top 10. This initial success hinted at the potential for the Duchess’s unique brand of content. However, the path forward proved more challenging for its subsequent installment.
Season two, which premiered in August 2025, faced a considerably cooler reception. It failed to crack Netflix’s Top 10, experiencing a noticeable drop in viewership. Critics were quick to point out a repetitive format and a perceived lack of narrative depth, with some online commentators describing the show as “polished yet hollow” or even “tone deaf,” as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
Within the fan community, discussions around the show’s format and substance have been varied. Some viewers appreciated the aesthetic and the lifestyle tips, aligning with Markle’s stated demographic, while others yearned for more substantial storytelling or a clearer purpose beyond curated candor and what felt to some like “televised practice sessions.”
A Candid Reflection: Meghan Markle on ‘A Year of Learns’
Despite the critical feedback, Meghan Markle appears remarkably unfazed, addressing the show’s future with a blend of introspection and optimism. At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C. on October 14, 2025, the Duchess spoke candidly about her experience. She characterized the past period as a “year of learns,” acknowledging the significant effort involved in producing “eight episodes for two seasons.”
Drawing on her extensive background in television, including her seven-year tenure on Suits, Markle shared her understanding of the demands of production. She stated, “I remembered what goes into a production,” indicating a pragmatic approach to her current projects. When addressing criticism, she boldly suggested that detractors might be “saying negative things and then secretly going home and making single skillet spaghetti?” a remark made on Bloomberg Original’s The Circuit. She firmly reiterated her focus on “who I was trying to meet” and the demographic her content serves, believing that her core audience “love the show.”
Pioneering New Formats: The Future of Content and ‘As Ever’
Markle’s reflections are not merely backward-looking; they are a clear signal of an evolving strategy. She revealed an enthusiastic plan for a “really good” holiday spin-off of With Love, Meghan, set to premiere in November. This move indicates a willingness to adapt and experiment with different types of content delivery, moving beyond the traditional series format.
The Duchess further elaborated on her vision for content, emphasizing a desire to cater to varying audience consumption habits. “I also recognize how much people want content in different sizes,” she explained at the Fortune Summit. She posed the intriguing question: “It’s amazing to be able to sit and watch a show for 30 minutes, but how can I give you a recipe in two minutes?” This exploration into shorter, more direct content is intertwined with her burgeoning lifestyle brand, As Ever, which encompasses shelf-stable food and wines. This brand aligns perfectly with her aspiration to provide quick, practical content, indicating a cohesive strategy for her public persona and business ventures.
The Evolving Netflix Partnership: From Overall Deal to First-Look Flexibility
The future of Markle’s show and her broader relationship with Netflix has been a subject of ongoing speculation. Initially, she and Prince Harry embarked on a substantial overall deal, similar to the one held by the Obamas’ Higher Ground productions. However, as that term concluded, their partnership evolved into a new first-look deal.
This extension, described by Markle as an “incredible sign of the strength of our partnership,” offers significant flexibility. As she explained, it allows them to go to Netflix first with their content ideas, but also provides the option to “shop content that might not be the right fit for Netflix, but has a home somewhere else.” This strategic shift allows for greater creative freedom and diversified distribution, potentially broadening the reach of their future projects beyond a single platform.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attend the 2025 Invictus Games in February
This updated deal, initially reported by the BBC in 2020 for the original overall agreement, reflects a mature approach to content creation in the competitive streaming landscape. It suggests a focus on creating impact through diverse storytelling, whether it’s a quick recipe tutorial or a more extensive documentary series.
Fan Perspectives and the Path Forward
For fans of Meghan Markle and those curious about the future of her content, this strategic pivot offers new possibilities. The upcoming holiday special is keenly awaited, providing a fresh format to assess her evolving approach. The shift towards bite-sized, practical content, potentially distributed across various platforms, could resonate more broadly with an audience accustomed to quick consumption.
The ongoing discussions within fan communities often center on the balance between authenticity and the polished presentation that has become a hallmark of Markle’s projects. As she continues to refine her content strategy, the question remains whether these new formats will allow her to transcend the “trial run purgatory” that some critics have described and achieve lasting cultural relevance, particularly for her dedicated demographic.
Conclusion: A Duchess’s Determined Vision
Meghan Markle’s journey with Netflix is clearly far from over. Her candid reflections at the Fortune Summit underscore a determined vision for her content and lifestyle brand. By embracing a “year of learns” and actively exploring new content sizes, she is demonstrating adaptability in an ever-changing media environment. Her commitment to meeting her audience’s needs, coupled with the strategic flexibility of her new first-look deal, positions her to continue creating and sharing content on her own terms, proving that even a “flop” can be a powerful catalyst for innovation and growth.
