ROYALSMeghan Markle's Cooking Series Risks Being Axed by Netflix After Prince Harry's 'POLO' Flopped
Meghan Markle is developing a cooking series for Netflix.
Meghan Markle's cooking series might be her second show to get the axe from Netflix after Prince Harry's POLO documentary was ripped apart by critics.
When the Sussexes first secured their deal with Netflix, Meghan worked on a children's series titled Pearl, but the project was canceled before it ever aired on the platform.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry secured a partnership with Netflix in 2020.
"There won’t be another deal. There may be one-offs but that’s it," a source told an outlet.
"A-listers are now actively keeping away from them and events they are apparently going to attend," another insider shared. "One told me, 'It’s not a good look to be around them.'"
Meghan Markle is quietly building her lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard.
OK! previously reported Meghan's culinary program could rehabilitate Archewell's brand if Netflix gives it the green light.
"It's probably their last chance of keeping Archewell as a really successful TV production brand, so there's a lot riding on the new year," editor Charlotte Griffiths shared when discussing the upcoming show.
After leaving the royal fold, the Sussexes began pursuing opportunities in Hollywood, but they've struggled to establish themselves in the competitive industry.
"The new polo documentary hasn't received good reviews, and this is another foray into producing from Meghan and Harry," brand expert Nick Ede told an outlet.
"It could, like the Invictus documentary, start well due to the public's fascination with the pair and with polo potentially," he noted.
Meghan Markle's podcast, 'Archetypes,' was canceled by Spotify.
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Netflix Contract Is at Risk After 'POLO' Receives Harsh Reviews
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix Gamble: Royal Rebels Accused of 'P------ Money Away' for 'Unwatchable Trash'
- Meghan Markle's Cooking Series Is Her 'Last Chance' to Make Archewell 'Really Successful'
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Aside from the subject matter, critics were disappointed to see that the Sussexes were barely featured in POLO.
"With very little airtime, we don't get to see the pair much and also hardly any PR around the series, this looks like it's Oh No! Rather than Polo!" Ede added.
"We are still waiting for the new food show from Meghan," Ede noted, expressing concern about the declining interest in the Sussexes' productions.
Polo is often assocaited with royalty and nobility, but the pastime isn't as popular outside of affluent social circles.
"Polo is a very niche sport. It's very much a sport for very wealthy people," royal expert Phil Dampier told an outlet. "The average person can't afford a polo mallet or stick let alone a horse or a horse box."
"I don't think it's going to attract many new players," Dampier added. "I spent many, many days watching the royals play polo, and I have to say it's pretty boring."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry hoped to make polo 'more accessible.'
An insider claimed the Sussexes hoped they could make the hobby "more accessible," but they failed to accomplish their goal.
"It's very much one of those sports where people who are in it are enjoying it," Dampier noted. "But as a spectator sport it's not terribly exciting. It's mainly about the social scene."
The Sussexes' tell-all documentary, Harry & Meghan, broke records for the streaming giant, but fans of the couple seem more interested in their royal family drama than their personal interests.
"People swilling champagne, wearing very smart clothes and hobnobbing with each other off the pitch," Dampier stated. "The main problem for Netflix is that Harry and Meghan are hardly in this program."
"There are five parts and they only make a brief appearance in the fifth episode," he noted. "I think for the amount of money they're paying them reputed to be upwards of 80 to 100 million dollars."
Sources spoke to Daily Mail.
Sources discussed Harry's "vision" with People.
