PR expert calls Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show a ‘masterclass in cringe cooking’

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle’s latest Netflix venture, 'With Love, Meghan', has been met with an avalanche of criticism, with one PR expert branding it a “masterclass in cringe cooking” and crowning her the “Duchess of Flops and Rating Disasters.”

The lifestyle show, which premiered March 4, showcases the Duchess of Sussex preparing various dishes and offering hosting tips alongside her Hollywood friends.

Expert slams Meghan Markle’s new show as 'out of touch elite desperation'

Eric Schiffer, chair of Reputation Management Consultants, didn’t hold back in his critique either.

Speaking to Newsweek, he said, “The show is not a recipe to rebuild her reputation; in fact, it reinforces her as the Duchess of Flops and Rating Disasters.”

Schiffer further lambasted the show’s premise, remarking, “I don’t think this builds her back or expands her audience in a meaningful way at all. To me, this is not the project for her to start a masterclass in cringe cooking. For her to think she’s going to somehow recast herself as a modern-day Martha Stewart screams ‘out of touch elite desperation'.”

According to Schiffer, Markle's misstep lies in prioritizing commercial ventures over her once-admired charitable efforts.

Schiffer explained, “Where they have gone wrong is when they tried to merchandise and overcommit to contracts where they’re forced to put out content which is subpar.”

He continued, “They were at their best when they focused on organic, authentic acts to support causes that were meaningful to the next generation of the planet.”

Meghan Markle’s 'With Love, Meghan' faces harsh criticism from British and US media

The guest list boasts the likes of Mindy Kaling, celebrity chef Roy Choi, Abigail Spencer, and, naturally, her husband, Prince Harry.

However, despite the star-studded appearances, the show has failed to win over critics.

Apart from Schiffer, British media outlets delivered scathing reviews as well.

The Guardian dismissed it as a “gormless lifestyle filler that, had it been made by the BBC, would be used to bulk out episodes of Saturday Kitchen” and suggested it was “so pointless that it might be the Sussexes' last TV show.”

Meanwhile, The Telegraph was equally unimpressed, awarding it a meager two stars and calling it “insane” and an “exercise in narcissism," as per The Mirror US.

The backlash extended across the Atlantic, where US media outlets showed little mercy.

Variety ridiculed the show as a “Montecito ego trip not worth taking,” while The Hollywood Reporter stated it “lacks a key ingredient.”

'With Love, Meghan' follows the same struggling path as Sussexes’ past ventures

'With Love, Meghan' marks the Duke and Duchess' fourth release under the Archewell banner, but it seems to follow the same underwhelming trajectory as their previous ventures.

Their 2023 documentary 'Polo', a lackluster attempt to replicate 'F1: Drive to Survive', failed to make an impact, largely due to Harry’s absence and the niche appeal of polo.

Before that, 'Heart of Invictus' (2023) struggled to find a wide audience, and Markle's 2022 podcast, 'Archetypes,' which ran for 12 episodes, became the only outcome of their $20 million Spotify deal.

According to The Guardian, unless viewers suddenly develop a deep interest in Markle assembling children’s party bags with seeds and manuka honey, 'With Love, Meghan' is unlikely to change their creative fortunes.

So far, the couple’s only true success remains their Netflix docuseries 'Harry & Meghan.'