Why Meghan Markle Decided Against Filming Netflix Show At Her Home

Meghan Markle has revealed the real reason why she filmed her cooking show at her neighbors’ residence.

The Duchess of Sussex shared that it had to do with her kids and the constant presence of a large production crew at their home.

Following the show’s release, it was critically panned by Princess Diana’s biographer and other media outlets. Still, Meghan Markle scored a win as it was greenlit for a second season, set to debut in the fall.

When Meghan announced that she had plans to create a Netflix show, many thought that the “Suits” star would film the project at her Montecito residence in California, where she currently lives with her husband, Prince Harry, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

However, the show was ultimately filmed in the kitchen of philanthropists Thomas and Sherrie Cipolla, whose residence lies two miles away from the former actress’s home.

The Duchess has now shared the reason behind her decision, explaining that she chose not to film at her Montecito home because she didn’t want her children to feel overwhelmed by the constant presence of a large production crew.

“When people say, ‘Why didn’t you [film in] your house?’ It’s like, well, my kids are coming home for their nap, and 80 people in the kitchen isn’t really the childhood memory I would love for them to have,” Meghan confessed during her recent appearance at the Time100 Summit in New York, per E! News.

Meghan also said she and the team were “really fortunate” to find a closer alternative, referencing the Cipollas’ $5 million property.

Reflecting further on her cookery show, Meghan revealed that she had a different idea about what she wanted for the Netflix series.

She ultimately chose to make it unique by staying “in conversation” with her crew, which helped her feel like she was connecting directly with the audience at home.

“I didn’t necessarily want to do [a typical cooking show], and I didn’t want a reality show,” the former actress shared. “So the only way to feel as though you were still in conversation with me, I felt, was I had to be talking to the people in the room with me, and that was the crew.”

In addition to her crew, Meghan also had some star-studded guest appearances across the series. Roy Choi, Mindy Kaling, Alice Waters, and Abigail Spencer are some of the top names that appeared in the show.

After an initial delay due to the California wildfires, Meghan’s cooking show eventually debuted on Netflix in March.

In the wake of its release, it received heavy criticism from Princess Diana biographer Tina Brown.

In her Substack newsletter titled Fresh Hell, the former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief claimed that Meghan’s show is proof that the former actress has an “unerring instinct for getting it wrong.”

According to the journalist, Meghan has also “never figured out a convincing persona”—a” statement that seems to take a dig at the duchess’ rumored intention for the show to be about her authentic self.

Brown further suggested that Meghan should have chosen to focus on a project detailing “what a spectacular failure the past five years have been” if she aimed for it to be successful.

Despite the criticisms the show received from Brown and multiple media outlets, it was renewed for a second season just days after it premiered.

“If you’re loving Season 1, just wait until you see the fun we cooked up on Season 2!” Meghan announced the news on her Instagram page at the time. “Thanks for joining the party, and an endless thanks to the amazing team and crew who helped bring it all to life!”

For now, details about who will guest star in the show remain tightly under wraps. However, it’s expected to premiere this fall, barring any delays, according to CNN.

A source previously shared that the new series doesn’t guarantee Meghan’s $100 million Netflix contract will be renewed once it expires.

“It’s not a runaway success,” an insider told the Daily Mail. “I know they filmed the shows back-to-back so in theory there is no second season; it’s like with lots of Netflix shows, it is already in the bag at the same time as the first one.”

They added, “What this does is allow edits to be made to the show from feedback from press and Netflix viewers. It’s clever and cost-effective. So, no, the overall contract hasn’t been renewed yet.”

Prince Harry and Meghan inked their multi-million dollar deal with the streaming giant after stepping down as senior royals. They have since gone on to produce various projects for Netflix, including the successful “Harry & Meghan” docuseries.