Dame Prue Leith is not a fan of Meghan Markle – or her new Netflix cooking show.
“The Great British Bake Off” judge sounded off on the Duchess of Sussex’s “With Love, Meghan” this week while promoting her own new cooking series, “Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen,” on “Good Morning Britain.”
When asked by host Rob Rinder if she had tuned in to watch Markle’s latest Netflix series, Leith, 85, gave a blunt response.
“No,” she answered. “I’ve only read about it but I honestly wouldn’t watch it.”
According to Leith, she doesn’t really like the duchess.
“I’m not a Meghan Markle fan,” Leith declared. “All that touchy-feely, endless worrying about what creams you put on your hands.”
“I just think there’s more to life than how you look and how your friends think of you,” she added. “I’ve probably alienated half my fans.”
But Leith is not the only one refusing to support Markle’s latest venture on the streaming giant.
Viewers couldn’t help but ridicule Markle over her questionable cooking skills.
“That’s not food – that’s punishment!” one person quipped.
“Her food looks very basic and a bit boring,” another watcher said.
“Another American destroying Italian food,” a third critic mourned.
Even culinary stalwarts like Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray were dragged into the Markle mania as critics drew biting comparisons between the duchess and the beloved cooking personalities.
“In marketing, there is aspirational marketing and relatability marketing,” PR expert Doug Eldridge remarked after “With Love, Meghan” premiered. “Martha Stewart was aspirational; Rachael Ray was relatable.”
“Each personality came at it from a different direction, but managed to connect with their audiences (because they were authentic) and in so doing, climbed to the top of the lifestyle mountain, respectively,” he continued.
“Connection comes in two forms, but regardless of the path or direction, it remains the critical first step in any creative or marketing endeavor.”
The backlash grew so intense that one critic, celebrity chef Jameson Stocks, received death threats over his response to Markle’s show.
“I started getting death threats and all sorts of nasty messages,” Stocks, 41, exclusively told The Post this week.
“And I’m thinking to myself, Christ. I’ve not gone in on somebody personally here because that’s something I do not do and would not do. And it’s something that’s just not [in] my nature, to be honest with you,” he explained.
Markle, 43, first announced her Netflix cooking show in January via an Instagram video. All eight episodes of the program’s first season premiered on March 4.
“I have been so excited to share this with you!” Markle captioned the announcement. “I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it.”
“Wishing you all a fantastic new year! Thanks to our amazing crew and the [Netflix] team,” she added. “Beyond grateful for the support – and fun!”
Besides her husband Prince Harry’s brief appearance, “With Love, Meghan” also featured guests like actress Mindy Kaling, chef Roy Choi, literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and makeup artist Daniel Martin.
Despite its mixed reviews, “With Love, Meghan” has already been renewed for a second season.
Markle also recently announced a new upcoming podcast titled “Confessions of a Female Founder.”
The podcast, which the “Suits” alum will produce alongside Lemonada Media, comes after streaming giant Spotify decided not to renew Markle’s $20 million deal for a second season of her first podcast, “Archetypes.”
“I’m so excited to share with you something else I’ve been working on: ‘Confessions of a Female Founder,’ my new podcast with [Lemonada Media]!” Markle wrote in her announcement this week.
“I’ve been having candid conversations with amazing women who have turned dreams into realities, and scaled small ideas into massively successful businesses,” she continued. “They’re opening up, sharing their tips, tricks (and tumbles), and letting me pick their brains as I build out my own business, As Ever.”
“It has been absolutely eye-opening, inspiring … and fun! (Because what’s the point if we can’t have some fun on this wild adventure?).”
The first episode of “Confessions of a Female Founder” will release on April 8.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
