Meghan Markle's father Thomas slams daughter's new Netflix show for being 'out of touch' with reality
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle, has offered a withering critique of his daughter’s new cooking show, 'With Love, Meghan', saying she is “trying too hard to stay in the limelight.”
The 80-year-old, who has been estranged from Meghan for years, expressed his disappointment with the show, suggesting that it lacks authenticity and is out of touch with reality.
Thomas Markle criticizes his daughter Meghan's 'inauthentic' cooking show
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Mail, Thomas Markle revealed his feelings about his daughter’s latest project, criticizing her attempt to present an image of a domestic, relatable mother.
He pointed out that Meghan's performance in the kitchen comes across as inauthentic, stating, "Meghan has never been authentic. She has to think about everything. She's not spontaneous. Everything she says is pre-planned and rehearsed."
He went on to explain that for cooking shows to resonate with audiences, the presenter must show passion and spontaneity. "The best cooks are funny, they mess up, they are human. She just wants to be perfect. It’s sad because she’s trying so hard to stay in the limelight," he added.
The show, which premiered as part of Meghan and Prince Harry’s $100 million deal with Netflix, is meant to offer viewers a glimpse into the duchess' new life and passions, including cooking, gardening, and family life in their $14.5 million mansion in Montecito, California.
However, Thomas believes that Meghan’s carefully crafted image doesn’t ring true. "Cooking show are horrendously boring unless the presenter has a passion for it," he said, adding that Meghan's performances come off as forced.
Thomas Markle slams Meghan's portrayal of her childhood
The criticism didn’t stop at the presentation of the show. Thomas Markle also commented on Meghan’s portrayal of her childhood. Meghan, who is seen in the show reflecting on her love of cooking and connecting it to her grandmother’s apple butter recipes, has been accused of misrepresenting her upbringing.
Meghan claimed to be a "latchkey kid," but her father vehemently disagreed, stating, "Meghan never had a problem with the Markle name until she met Prince Harry."
He added, "We occasionally ate TV dinners, which family doesn't? But I was working two jobs so money was never an issue. We would eat out at least three times a week and order in the rest of the time."
Meghan’s fondness for lavish fruit platters and extravagant meals also drew ire from her father, who expressed concern over how out of touch her portrayal is with the realities many people face.
He added, "She’s out of touch with normal people. She puts edible flowers on everything. No one has edible flowers handy. Sending kids off to school with edible flowers on their food is silly. Kids don't like them and if you put edible flowers in a kid's lunchbox they would probably get teased at school."
Thomas became estranged from his daughter following two heart attacks just before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
