There’s not a lot of love for “With Love, Meghan.”
Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle series that premiered on Netflix Tuesday is getting dragged by critics.
The eight-episode show, produced by Markle and Prince Harry’s Archewell Productions, features the Duchess of Sussex, 43, showing off her cooking and gardening skills at home in Montecito, Calif. with appearances by some of her celebrity friends including Mindy Kaling.
The Guardian TV writer Stuart Heritage called the series “pointless” and said it should be the couple’s “last TV show.”
Markle and Harry, 40, signed a $100 million deal with the streamer in 2020. They came out with their five-part “Harry & Meghan” docuseries in 2022, while Harry’s “Polo” doc — which also got a scathing reception from critics — dropped in Dec. 2024.
Heritage said that Markle’s new show “probably won’t turn things around, unless the broader public suddenly develops a hankering for long-form television programmes about a woman filling children’s party bags with seeds and manuka honey.”
He also called the former actress “thirsty” and her show “joyless.” Heritage added, “Nobody wants to see Meghan making decorative ladybird crostini with Mindy Kaling.”
Radio Times columnist Caroline Frost wrote that Markle failed to “reimagine the genre of lifestyle programming” with her new series, while The Telegraph editor Anita Singh said the show is “an exercise in narcissism, filled with extravagant brunches, celebrity pals and business plugs.”
“It is all about ‘the joy of hostessing’ because Meghan is extremely welcoming to everyone, which you will know unless you are her father, her siblings, her father-in-law, her stepmother-in-law, her brother-in-law, her sister-in-law, 99 per cent of her husband’s old friends or Piers Morgan,” added Singh.
The Independent writer Katie Rosseinsky gave “With Love, Meghan” a one-star review and called the series “queasy and exhausting.”
On Tuesday’s episode of the British talk show “Loose Women,” panelist Jane Moore called Markle’s show “boring” and said she “found my attention drifting” when she tuned in.
“Even if you’re not interesting in home making stuff, you’d watch it to learn more about their house. You don’t see their house, it’s a rented house down the road,” Moore explained, noting that Markle didn’t film the show inside her and Harry’s $14 million Montecito mansion.
The show isn’t being received well on social media, either.
“Bailed after the first 15 minutes of With Love Meghan. Empty, vein, fake. Vomit inducing,” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“The new Meghan show is boring! The desperation is palpable. I am not a Meghan fan but it’s sad,” another fan said.
A third critical tweet read, “‘With Love, Meghan’ is a masterclass in how to waste Netflix money. What do we get? Her pretending to be relatable, and trades banalities with B-list guests like Mindy Kaling. This isn’t a lifestyle show, it’s a 40 minute infomercial for her ego!”
In the first episode of “With Love, Meghan,” Markle preps her guest room (not in her real home) for her friend, makeup artist Daniel Martin. They make pasta together and Markle strangely calls spaghetti “noodles.” Martin also brings up Markle and Harry’s lemon cake he got to taste test before their 2018 wedding.
The pair also reflect on Markle’s “Suits” days and how she only had an agent, and no publicist, at the time.
In episode 2, Kaling, 45, joins Markle in the kitchen. The comedian jokes that she thought she was ranked alongside other celebs because the jam that Markle sent out in the mail was numbered from 1 to 50.
The next two episodes feature Markle making donuts and enjoying beer in a glass in her kitchen with one guest, and making sun tea and going on a hike with her friend Delfi.
In episode 5, Markle writes “bready or not … here I crumb” on a chalkboard — but it appears she had to write over the board after seemingly making a mistake.
In episode 6, Markle makes a veggie platter and says, “When things are presented in a nice way, I often find people smile and they feel happy. It’s not that deep, but it is thoughtful. Even for our kids, I think what’s been so nice and why they love eating vegetables it because it looks colorful and fun.”
In the eighth and final episode, Markle gives a speech to a group of people including Harry and her mother, Doria Ragland, and says, “I just want to raise a glass to you guys.”
The mom of two also appears to make a subtle dig at the royal family in front of Harry.
“This feels like a new chapter that I’m so excited that I’m able to share and I’ve been able to learn from all of you,” she says. “All of that is part of that creativity that I’ve missed so much, so thank you for loving me so much and celebrating with me.”
Markle delayed the release of “With Love, Meghan” by several weeks due to the LA wildfires. The night before the show dropped, she surprised fans at a screening in NYC — and a few of them showed off their “As Ever” tattoos in honor of Markle’s new lifestyle brand.
“With Love, Meghan” is streaming now on Netflix.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
