Loose Women star Katie Piper, who survived an acid attack orchestrated by her evil ex-boyfriend, has opened up about the health challenges she still continues to face, and why she’s never been discharged

Our good health is a privilege, says Katie Piper. And as she knows only too well, it can change at the drop of a hat whether by chance – or evil design.

In 2008, an acid attack orchestrated by an ex-boyfriend left the then 24-year-old model with life-changing injuries and permanent scarring.

It has meant years of operations and pioneering surgery to repair damage to her face, skin and eyesight, which she is still undergoing.

“I’m never discharged,” admits Katie, now 41. “I have to go back for my eyes, nose, and throat.” Yet her stoicism in the face of adversity has brought her peace and success as a presenter, author and charity fundraiser expert.

“I learnt at such a young age the value of looking after your mind, your body, how our health is a privilege and how it can suddenly change,” she says.

At a heartbreakingly young age, Katie learned that health is a ‘privilege’ ( 
Image:
Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
TRAUMA

The Loose Women presenter recently revealed her decision to get an artificial eye, a prosthetic shell, to fit her left eye, damaged in the attack.

“I’ve always had problems with my eyes, especially the left,” she continues. “That was so damaged on the surface.”
She’s been in the care of a cornea consultant for 16 years, but had “a huge trauma last summer with the retina detaching. I was left with a condition called phthisis bulbi, where the eye cannot be reconnected to the retina. Mine had disconnected and was shrunken. It really marks the end of the road for treatment.

“I knew in the back of my mind it would happen to me one day. I would class myself as a realist and someone who is very practical.”

That practicality and incredible inner strength led to her becoming an advocate for burns and scar survivors, raising awareness, and setting up her charity, the Katie Piper Foundation. And for Katie personally, physical and mental health are paramount.

“I’ve had this unique experience as a 20-something where I know what it is like to be incapacitated, to be ill, to be in hospital for a long time. I always take myself back to that memory of ‘Do all this now, so when you are older, your quality of life is the best it can be’.

“I want to be healthy. I take looking after my body as a job. I want the best from it.”

One of the key factors for her is looking after her gut. She reveals she first became aware of its importance while in hospital as a burns patient.

“I came to know more about gut health in a more unconventional way than most people because I spent a lot of time on gastro wards in my recovery,” she says. “I was having tube feeding and all kinds of gastro problems. About 13 years ago I used the gut supplement Symprove which was really useful for me with my recovery. It was a really important part of my daily routine and I stuck with it a long, long time.

It’s not just a fluffy thing to say but your gut holds the score of everything, trauma, psychological things. And anybody who has had any kind of stay in hospital or been unwell, will know that when you take things like painkillers or opioids, you get really bad constipation. Then after that you get a really upset stomach, so you do have to do something for the stomach lining when it’s been through so much.

“With your gut being linked to everything now from dementia to Parkinson’s, you can see how it is the epicentre of everything. And because I have had specific problems with my eyes, my skin, I know from those specialists they also can be affected by diet, gut and sleep. They are all intrinsically linked.”

The Loose Women presenter recently revealed her decision to get an artificial eye ( 
Image:
Katie Piper Instagram)

She’s started feeling less lethargic after taking Symprove ( 
Image:
Katie Piper Instagram)
FASTING

After having daughters Belle, 10, and Penelope, seven, Katie started taking Symprove again and says she feels less sluggish. “I was in my 30s, feeling lethargic and hungover when you haven’t been drinking – it was all linked to the gut. I rarely get sick now. I don’t get an upset stomach or diarrhoea and I sleep better.”

With the foundations of her gut and sleep working, does she also watch what she eats? “Just before Christmas I started intermittent fasting,” she says. “After the school run when I get to work, I’ll have scrambled eggs or take a box of yoghurt, berries and nuts with me. I’ve found it’s helped me be a bit more energetic in the mornings, to not need as much caffeine. I probably still eat the same amount of food and calories but it’s better spread out for the day.

“I’m not somebody who can cut out all sweets and wine. I try to make good choices, so I can have my glass of wine on the sofa on Friday evenings.”

At home she is conscious – along with husband, builder and carpenter Richie Sutton, 40 – that her daughters eat well. “It’s making sure I’m giving them the right messages at home about nutrition and food. Parenting is that whole thing of not what you are saying but what you do,” she says.

“I don’t want to demonise anything, so we’re not cutting out carbs. We’re trying to make it balanced and have helpful conversations in the house around that. Richie does most of the cooking. Nobody likes my cooking!”

She also runs and does weight training. “I try to make fitness purpose-led, so I do quite a lot of running. I’ll enter races you have to pay for, get sponsorship for my charity.

“You have that accountability and that makes me train. I can’t just say I will exercise four times a week and hope it happens, because it won’t.

“I got weights in lockdown and set up a makeshift gym in the garage. I sometimes go there before everyone’s awake. It’s finding time around family life. A little bit of me time

“Motivation definitely ebbs and flows and sometimes when it starts to ebb away, you can become a bit self-sabotaging and destructive and say, ‘I’ve had a cake or I’ve skipped the gym, I’ll carry on’. That’s when you have to call on discipline.”

When exercising, motivational speaker Katie listens to podcasts or audiobooks. Her own book, Still Beautiful, is out in June. “I’m a multi-tasker. It’s that guilt where I think I’m technically doing research as well as exercising. I’m making good use of the time, which is ridiculous, as you should be allowed to go for a run for 30 minutes and not feel bad. It’s also where creativity ignites.”

She finds her mind is too active to meditate, so she turns to craft in quieter moments. “If I sit still, I think I haven’t done the online shop or I haven’t got the cleaning stuff. I do quite a lot of craft, gem art, it’s a bit like painting by numbers. You should preserve your mental health. Put yourself first, so you can help others afterwards.

Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show With Love, Meghan will finally hit screens tomorrow – but one royal expert doesn’t believe her estranged royal relatives will be tuning in to watch

After months of mystery, Meghan Markle’s long-awaited Netflix show finally hits screens tomorrow.

The series With Love, Meghan will offer a glimpse into the Duchess of Sussexes’ California life and across eight episodes, she will offer tips and tricks when it comes to cooking, crafting and hosting.

In recent weeks, Meghan has dropped several teasers for the show on her newly-launching Instagram account, with several promos featuring glimpses of her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. And while Netflix will be hoping for bumper audience figures, one royal expert believes there is one group who she can’t rely on to watch the show – her estranged royal relatives.

Meghan Markle in her new show With Love, Meghan
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that Meghan’s frosty bond with her husband Prince Harry’s family means they don’t give her “any consideration” meaning they won’t be tuning in tomorrow. She said: “I doubt if anyone from the Royal Family will bother to watch it. Nor will they give any consideration to the next phase of her life. I really feel she has made herself irrelevant to the rest of the family.”

Initially, With Love, Meghan was due to premiere on the streaming giant in mid-January – but three days before its debut, the Duchess of Sussex announced that it was being pushed back to 4 March due to the devastation caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles.

In recent weeks, questions have been raised about the series’ content. It has been reported that the programme, which was previously rumoured to be a cookery show, will hardly feature any recipes and will instead offer ideas on how to be the “perfect hostess”.

Meghan with some of her royal relatives back in 2019 ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Meanwhile, comparisons have also been made to a very similar-looking lifestyle series presented by former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson. And Jennie believes this criticism will not have gone down well with Meghan.

She added: “I think she will justifiably feel annoyed that her plans have drawn such criticism. But I guess she’s used to it by now. I think it’s ridiculous to suggest she’s copying other people. First of all, there’s very little in the media world that is original.

“And secondly she started out as an influencer – and a very successful one – so it makes perfect sense for her to return to one of her strengths. I think the Netflix publicity is rather to blame, suggesting that this is something new, when the idea of cooking and chatting with friends and celebrity guests has been around for years. But there’s nothing wrong in Meghan giving her own take on a well-used format.”

The series will consist of eight episodes and offers a glimpse into her LA life. According to Netflix, With Love, Meghan will blend practical tips with candid conversations.

“Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected,” the streaming platform said in a statement. “She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond, and invite you to do the same.” The show will feature appearances from Meghan’s friends including Mindy Kaling and former Suits co-star, Abigail Spencer.

Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show With Love, Meghan is about to drop on the streaming platform – and it appears to be peppered with her celebrity pals who will be making appearances in the eight-part series

Meghan Markle is counting on her celebrity pals ahead of her new Netflix show dropping on the streaming platform.

The highly awaited series, With Love, Meghan ,will see the Duchess return to the lifestyle space in style over eight episodes, with the help of a myriad celebrity pals.

For many years before Meghan ever met Prince Harry, she ran a popular lifestyle blog called The Tig, which covered everything from travel to wellness – and her new offering for Netflix will excite die-hard fans of the blog, which was closed down when her relationship with Harry was getting more serious.

Harry only appeared in the trailer for Meghan’s new show briefly ( 
Image:
Netflix)
The trailer sees Meghan exploring all her best “tips and tricks” for hosting, gardening, and cooking – accompanied by famous friends both “old and new”. The full series will show how Meghan “reimagines the genre of lifestyle programming, blending practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends,” Netflix explains.

The show was filmed in a lavish property in Montecito, California, which is not her own. However, when Meghan posted the trailer on her new Instagram account, she wrote, “I have been so excited to share this with you! 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 team @netflix. Beyond grateful for the support – and fun! As ever, Meghan.”

Below we explore all the famous faces who appear alongside the Duchess in the hotly anticipated show, with Prince Harry seemingly poised to take a back seat while his wife shines in the new series….

Mindy Kaling

Mindy in Meghan’s new show
Hollywood A-lister Mindy Kaling, 45, was featured in the trailer, seen being served a piece of cake delicately decorated with strawberries and announcing enthusiastically, “This is probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life”.

Kaling was also a guest on Meghan’s podcast Archetypes, where the two women dissected the negative stereotypes often associated with being a single woman, and the pair had a wide-ranging discussion, including their experiences at high school.

Meghan and Mindy are reported to be long-time pals, so it’s no surprise the actress has thrown her support behind Meghan’s new venture. Kaling shot to fame on The Office US and has since starred in her own show The Mindy Project and created two hit shows, Never Have I Ever, and The Sex Lives of College Girls.

The mother of three has also penned two bestselling memoirs – so it’s likely she has a lot of common ground with Harry too, not just Meghan.

Abigail Spencer

Meghan met Abigail Spencer when they starred in Suits together ( 
Image:
Getty Images for St. Regis)
One of Meghan’s closest pals, actress Abigail Spencer, 43, also appeared in the trailer, and will be part of Meghan’s new series. The two women met when they starred together on NBC’s hit legal drama Suits, and Spencer has never been shy about supporting her close pal.

Last year, when Meghan initially launched her lifestyle brand America Riviera Orchard, Spencer received a limited edition strawberry jam made by Meghan herself, and made sure to post about her friend’s new venture on social media.

Delfina Blaquier

Deflina is married to one of Harry’s best friends ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Sentebale)Delfina Blaquier, 44, was also featured in the trailer and is one of Meghan’s closest pals. The wife of one of Prince Harry’s best friends polo player Nacho Figueras, the two couples are known to be seriously close.

Blaquier was also one of the lucky few who received one of Meghan’s jams last year and quickly posted the haul on her social media. When Meghan made her return to Instagram to mark the new year with a short video filmed by Prince Harry, Delfina reposted it to her stories, writing she is “so proud” of her friend and “can’t wait to see more” from the Duchess.

Roy Choi

Roy Choi appears in the show alongside Meghan ( 
Image:
COURTESY OF NETFLIX)
Roy Choi, 54, an acclaimed celebrity chef who has hosted his own cooking show on Netflix also appears in the trailer for With Love, Meghan. The Korean-American chef rose to prominence with his food trucks and was named one of the best new chefs back in 2010 by Food and Wine magazine.

The hit movie ‘Chef’ starring John Favreau was inspired by Choi and the pair later starred in a cooking show on Netflix together. Choi has also been named as one of Time magazine’s most influential people twice – so he definitely has a thing or two to teach Meghan and her viewers about cooking up a storm.

Alice Waters

Alice Waters is a pioneering food activist and restauranteur ( 
Image:
PA)
Acclaimed restauranteur Alice Waters, 80, is also poised to make an appearance in the show. Waters changed the game when she opened her restaurant Chez Panisse back in 1971, starting a movement of food straight from farm to table, and promoting sustainable and organic food sources – something that would make her a woman after King Charles’s own heart, whose Duchy Organics helped create similar awareness of good farming practices and the benefits of local produce in the UK.

Daniel Martin

Acclaimed chefs and Meghan’s closest pals will appear in the show ( 
Image:
Netflix)
Meghan’s longtime makeup artist and one of her best friends Daniel Martin will also be appearing in the show. The pair are reported to have first met when Meghan was starring in Suits and have been seriously tight ever since. And according to the Daily Mail, “while working on her former blog The Tig, Meghan asked Daniel to give her a helping hand. He has remained in contact with the Duchess throughout her life in the royal family and was by Meghan’s side on her wedding day as he perfected her make-up.”

Vicky Tsai

Vicky Tsai is one of Meghan’s friend and accomplished businesswoman ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Sephora)Meghan’s glamorous neighbour Vicky Tsai, 47, is also set to star in the series. The business executive co-founded the popular skincare brand Tatcha, which she then sold to Unilever back in 2019 – reportedly for a cool £400 million. Vicky also appeared in the couple’s Netflix series Harry & Meghan, which explored their love story and eventual royal exit.

Tracey Robbins

Tracey Robbins and her husband Brian attended a glitzy premiere with Harry and Meghan last year ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Paramount Pictures,)
Tracey Robbins, fashion designer and wife of Paramount executive Brian Robbins, will appear in Meghan’s new show. Tracey and Brian are friends with both Harry and Meghan and invited the Duke and Duchess to Jamaica last year for the premiere of One Love a film about reggae superstar Bob Marley.

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Ahead of her new Netflix show With Love, Meghan hitting screens tomorrow, Meghan Markle has opened up in one of her most candid interviews yet reflecting on her life as a mum, her trademark issues and tradwife claims

Meghan Markle has given one of her most candid interviews yet setting the record straight on several bombshell claims – just hours before the release of her new Netflix show.

The Duchess of Sussex has opened up about her life as a mum to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, her trademark issues that forced her to scrap her American Rivera Orchard brand name in favour of As Ever and hit back at claims she’s morphed into a tradwife with the release of With Love, Meghan, which focuses on cookery and hosting tips.

The interview, with US celebrity magazine PEOPLE also sees her talk about her surname and title and open up about how much Prince Harry was involved in the development of her new show. Here we look at the biggest revelations from her eyebrow-raising interview…

Breaks silence on trademark woes

In the interview, Meghan talks for the first time about the trademark woes that forced her to change the name of her new lifestyle brand to As Ever. Last year, to much fanfare, she launched the brand under it’s previous name American Riviera Orchard – but she faced a catalogue of legal issues when it came to securing the name.

Meghan in a teaser clip from her new Netflix show ( 
Image:
PA)

Last month, she took to Instagram to announce the shock news she was ditching the American Riviera Orchard name, launching the new As Ever brand name, logo and website. And talking about it for the first time, she admitted to PEOPLE: “There are tons of twists and turns — even with the name. I was figuring it out in real time.”

Addressing the public scrutiny, she added: “I appreciate everyone who gave me the grace to make mistakes and figure it out and also to be forgiving with myself through that. It’s a learning curve.”

Hits back at tradwife label

One criticism that Meghan has faced since revealing her new project is that despite proclaiming to be a feminist, her show and brand have “trad wife” – short for “traditional wife” – vibes given it shows her cooking in the kitchen and picking berries in the garden.

Meghan has opened up about her new venture
In the interview, she hits back at the label saying: “I like being able to do a hybrid.” Talking about how she sometimes orders a Chinese takeaway she adds: “but even when I get takeout, I will try to plate it beautifully. The series is about doing what you can do and doing it with love.”

Addresses confusion over house

Meghan also addresses in the interview why she chose to film her new show at a rental property rather than her and Harry’s multi-million pound Montecito mansion.

The show was actually filmed close by in farmhouse owned by California philanthropists Thomas and Sherrie Cipolla. Explaining her decision Meghan says she wanted to protect her own home as a “safe haven”. She added: “We’re a close-knit family, and I love those moments — putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day. Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!”

Brushes off neighbour claims

In several reports over the last few months, Harry and Meghan have faced claims that their neighbours in Montecito haven’t welcomed living near the former royal couple.

Meghan in the show with pal Mindy Kaling
However, Meghan has appeared to hit back at this, talking about how much her family, especially Archie and Lili have become part of the community. She explained: “Once you know us, I think you want us to have the same normalcy as parents and for our children as they do, despite however unique our situation is.”

She also said that she and Harry go to a lot of dinners both at neighbours homes and in local restaurants where they can “just have fun”.

Clear message Harry gave Netflix crew

While Meghan has admitted her new show wasn’t filmed inside the home she shares with Harry, Archie and Lili, it sounds like her family were regulars on the set.

Being the supportive husband he is, Meghan says Harry popped in regularly to see how they were getting on. There are also clips of the couple sharing affectionate cuddles in the trailer, to the delight of royal fans around the world.

But a member of the crew has revealed he made sure he never stole the spotlight away from his wife. They told PEOPLE: “Whenever Harry visited set, he was always super polite and friendly but it was clear he wanted this to be Meghan’s moment to shine.”

New surname

Elsewhere in the chat, Meghan confirmed the surname she now uses in her post-royal life, and it’s the same one the couple have decided to give Archie and Lili.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their children Prince Archie and Princess LilibetMembers of the Royal Family don’t officially have surnames as they have HRH titles instead. So, for example, Meghan’s official name is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. However this isn’t practical in normal life, especially for children at school, so royals tend to turn their title into a surname.

And it seems Meghan and Harry have stuck to this tradition, with Meghan, Archie and Lili all using the surname Sussex. Meghan explains how much this shared named means to her, saying: “It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children,” she says. “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”

Sick kids

In another admission about mum life, Meghan revealed that during her time at the Invictus Games with Harry in Vancouver, her children Archie and Lili were sick.

The Duchess reveals that she was staying in close contact with mum Doria who was caring for the youngsters – making sure they sipped bone broth and were seen by a doctor. Meghan only stayed for several days before heading back to California early without Harry.

Honeymoon period

When it comes to her relationship with Harry, Meghan proudly announces that they are in their “honeymoon period” again amid her new project.

Harry and Meghan in her new show together ( 
Image:
NETFLIX)
Meghan explains that when she first met Harry she was working on her blog The Tig and as she’s returned to her roots, she says she sees “this spark in his eye” again. In recent weeks, much has been made about the couple making increasing separate appearances.

And she added: “You have your individual jobs, but then you have things that you share together. “We’ve been such a close team for so long that we’re just in it beat by beat with each other. And I love that. To be able to be a female founder and do that with my husband’s support means everything.”

Suits returns

In the interview, Meghan shares her thoughts on the return of the hit show that made her famous – Suits. She said: “I love that it gets a new breath of fresh air.”

She also revealed that she’s just finished watching Netflix’s Black Doves, and that she and Harry love the Apple TV comedy Shrinking, which stars Harrison Ford and Jason Segel.

Meghan also speaks about mornings in the Sussex household, revealing she gets up before the kids at about 6.30am.

She gets the children up and dressed before heading down for breakfast. But she admits that while she loves making breakfast, there isn’t always time – so sometimes they “just put a frozen waffle in the toaster and call it a day”.

She also shared the cute way she and Harry end their days after the kids have gone to bed. She says they do “nightly recaps”, where they chat about their day over a glass of wine while making lunch boxes for the following day.

Meghan dropped the name Markle after marrying Prince Harry in 2018, and she’s now confirmed the couple have kept with royal tradition when picking which surname to use in their day-to-day lives

When Meghan Markle met Prince Harry back in 2016, she was a famous actress with a loyal fan base.

So even after her royal wedding many still referred to her using her maiden name, as it’s how they’ve known her for so many years. But she dropped the surname Markle after marrying Prince Harry – but as a member of the Royal Family she doesn’t officially have a surname.

Royals use their titles in place of surnames, so Harry is officially Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, while Meghan is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Their children Archie and Lilibet were granted Prince and Princess titles following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

As a royal, Meghan has no official surname ( 
Image:
Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
However, these titles aren’t really practical in day-to-day life, especially as the family have now made new lives for themselves in the US. And Meghan has now confirmed the surname the family are using in their new lives – Sussex

It seems the couple have kept with royal tradition and decided to turn their title into a family name for everyday use. Meghan explained how much the surname means to her in a new interview with PEOPLE magazine, published on the eve of her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan.

She described it as being part of her and Harry’s “love story”, adding: “It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognised how meaningful that would be to me until we had children.

“I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.”

Prince William and Princess Kate decided to do the same when their children started school, and George, Charlotte and Louis all used the surname Cambridge – their titles before Queen Elizabeth II passed away

Charles and Diana made the same decision, and William and Harry used the surname Wales during their time at school and in the Army and RAF. Meghan’s highly-anticipated new show drops on Netflix tomorrow, and will show her sharing her best gardening, cookery and hosting tips.

She’s joined by a host of celebrity pals, including Mindy Kaling, Abigail Spencer, Delfina Blaquier and Roy Choi.

The show has been made as part of the couple’s multi-million dollar five-year deal with the streaming giant, which they signed after quitting their senior royal roles just before the pandemic.

Meghan Markle has spoken extremely honestly about her relationship with Prince Harry, saying they’re even stronger since she started working on her lifestyle brand As Ever and new Netflix show With Love, Meghan

Meghan Markle has given an unusually intimate insight into her relationship with Prince Harry, saying it feels like they’re back in the ‘honeymoon period’.

The royal has lifted the lid on her marriage in a chat with PEOPLE magazine to promote her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan.

In it, she talks about how the show and her new lifestyle brand, As Ever, have allowed her to get back into a creative flow, which she compares to when she ran her popular lifestyle blog, The Tig.

Her new post-royal direction is very similar to her old blog content, which focused on food, travel, beauty and hosting. She told the publication: “My husband met me when I had The Tig, and I see this spark in his eye when he sees me doing the thing that I was doing when he first met me.

“It’s almost like a honeymoon period again because it’s exactly how it was in the beginning when he’d watch me scribbling away, writing newsletters, fine-tuning edits and just really being in the details of it. I think he loves watching as much as I love doing that creative process. It’s just been fun. This is who I’ve always been.”

Meghan decided to close The Tig down after her relationship with Harry became serious, a decision she says she doesn’t regret.

She said that while she loved the site and the community she’d created, she “loved [her] husband more”.

When Meghan and Harry first stepped back from the royal family in 2020, the majority of their deals and projects were joint.

Their first Netflix show – a fly on the wall docuseries called Harry & Meghan – followed both of them as they settled into their new lives in the US.

However they are now focusing on separate projects, while coming back together to work on their shared orgaisation the Archewell Foundation.

She explains: “I imagine that it’s the same as it would be for any couple, you have your individual jobs, but then you have things that you share together.”

“We’ve been such a close team for so long that we’re just in it beat by beat with each other and I love that.”

Meghan’s new Netflix show – With Love, Meghan – drops on Netflix tomorrow and will see her sharing her top lifestyle hacks.

She’s expecting to share recipes, gardening advice and hosting tips with viewers, while welcoming a host of celebrity pals.

However she’s admitted the show wasn’t actually filmed in her home – as is quite common with celebrity TV shows – as she wanted to “protect” their family’s space.

Meghan Markle has revealed she and husband Prince Harry are fans of three TV shows in particular and it seems the pair share the same taste in television as other members of the Royal Family

Meghan Markle has revealed what she and Prince Harry are keen to watch.

Despite the reported rift between them, Harry and his brother, Prince William share a common interest – they’re both fans of the same TV show. In recent years, the relationship between the two brothers has become strained, with Harry opening up about their bond in his memoir, Spare, which featured explosive claims about William.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, and the Prince of Wales, 42, along with their wives, have been engrossed in the Netflix spy thriller Black Doves. The critically acclaimed drama stars Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, an agent leaking secrets about her politician husband [ Andrew Buchan]. Now, Meghan has revealed what she and Harry love to sit down and watch at home.

She spoke about their life in Montecito, ahead of the premiere of her lifestyle series. The Duchess shared that she and Harry enjoy ‘day dates’ when possible, or ‘nightcap recaps’ in the evenings. Sometimes, the couple, parents to Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, also get to indulge in some TV time together. “I think all parents in this phase with kids the same age know it’s rinse and repeat,” she told the outlet.

Meghan Markle shares emotional video following LA wildfires

Meghan says her and Harry are fans of Black Doves ( 
Image:
Netflix)

“We love Shrinking; we just finished Black Doves, and we’re excited for the new season of The White Lotus,” she told People magazine. And it seems Black Doves is a hit among the royals, as Meghan’s brother-in-law William, and his wife, the Princess of Wales, are also fans.

At a party for the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment in Wiltshire last December, the future king handed out Christmas presents to children and families and expressed his enthusiasm for the series to attendees. During a visit to the Mercian Regiment, where he met with soldiers and their families, William revealed that he and Kate, 43, have been enjoying the Netflix series Black Doves. The eight-part show has received glowing reviews, achieving a perfect 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes just a day after its release.

Following this Royal endorsement, Netflix’s official account tweeted: “Black Doves gets the Royal seal of approval”, prompting Royal fans to express their interest in watching the series. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the former actress emphasised that she is “not an influencer” and shared how the Sussex title has become “part of our love story”.

She shared how her and Prince Harry are spending quality time with each other
Her new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, premieres on Tuesday morning and aims to reveal a different side of the Duchess of Sussex. Celebrity friends such as actress Abigail Spencer and comedian Mindy Kaling will feature in the eight-part series.

The series was produced with the help of Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions, with Meghan also credited as an executive producer. The couple signed a £80million five-year deal with Netflix in 2020 and recently served as executive producers for the show ‘Polo’. This follows their first documentary, Heart Of Invictus, which aired 16 months ago and followed a group of service members on their journey to the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting competition.

Meghan Markle shares rare glimpse of Lilibet playing with auntie Serena Williams ( 
Image:
Instagram/meghan)

Meghan and Serena have been friends for many years ( 
Image:
Serena Williams/Instagram)The initiative was established by Harry in 2014 to support injured and sick military personnel and veterans. This follows the 2022 release of Live To Lead, a series focusing on leaders committed to social justice, and prior to that, the couple’s contentious six-part Harry & Meghan documentary.

In other news, trademark filings indicate that Meghan is set to venture into the food industry, planning to sell biscuit and pancake mixes under her newly rebranded lifestyle company ‘As Ever’. On February 18, the Duchess announced the name change from American Riviera Orchard, explaining that the previous name restricted her to locally produced goods.

In a lively selfie-style video, the launch of a new venture selling jam was announced – a product previously hinted at by Meghan and her celebrity pals. The business also promises to deliver extensive homeware and gardening collections in the US.

Meghan in her trailer for Netflix show, Meghan With Love ( 
Image:
Netflix)
On Sunday, the Duchess kicked off the countdown to her Netflix show’s debut with a personalised board game session featuring Lilibet. Tennis superstar and ‘Auntie’ Serena Williams joined them for a round of Candy Land, much to the delight of the three year old princess. Meghan shared a snippet of their fun-filled day on Instagram, set against Bill Withers’ Lovely Day, captioning it: “When the aunties come to celebrate… and to play! Love you @serenawilliams.”

She followed this up with an eager countdown to her cooking show With Love, Meghan, inviting everyone to join the party on Netflix in three days.

The short clip showcased Lilibet in a cute matching pink outfit, while Serena, donned in a vibrant raspberry ensemble, sat next to her, clapping and smiling in a heartwarming moment caught on camera. Another photo showed Meghan, clad in a navy blue pyjama set with white pin stripes, leaning over Lilibet with a Candy Land pink box – bearing her and brother Archie’s names – strategically placed on a table in front of them.

Choi appears with Meghan as they cook together in the trailer ( 
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Netflix)
Just two days ago, Meghan shared the first glimpse of her upcoming Netflix show after the streaming giant released a sneak peek. The teaser featured the Duchess bonding with ‘new friend’ and renowned chef Roy Choi.

In the clip, Meghan is seen discussing ‘karaoke and dancing’ in Koreatown while preparing a delicious dish of Korean fried chicken in a chic kitchen setting. The video kicks off with Meghan sharing with Roy: “The best thing about Koreatown is that you could go to all ages clubs and karaoke bars…’ To which he responds, ‘I was part of dance crews, all that stuff.”

Meghan then fondly recalls various dances ‘that were such a big deal’ like the ‘Roger Rabbit’ and the ‘Kid-N-Play’. ‘Oh, it was just so much fun,’ Meghan adds, as she and Choi collaborate in the kitchen of a plush Montecito, California mansion. The Korean-American chef, who rose to prominence as the founder of the gourmet Korean-Mexican taco truck Kogi, then comments: “Man, you and I are so similar.”

On the eve of her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has opened up about the everyday realities of her family life, including her and Harry’s relatable evening routine

Ahead of the launch of her brand new cooking show, Meghan Markle has shed light on what life is really like behind the doors of her Montecito mansion.

The mum-of-two has spoken candidly about what her everyday life looks like five years after leaving palace duties behind, from sweet ‘day dates’ with Prince Harry, to making ‘mama meals’ for Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.

She also likes catching up on her favourite bingeworthy shows, but didn’t mention whether The Crown was on her watchlist.

This comes as fans eagerly await the release of With Love, Meghan, the Duchess’s new Netflix show which will see her share her tried and trusted gardening, cookery and hosting tips.

She and Harry share many of the same routines as other parents ( 
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Netflix)

In a personal interview with People, the former Suits actress opened up about what mornings look like in the Sussex household, sharing: “I’m up before my kids are, so I’m normally up at 6:30, and then I get them up and dressed for the day, and we go downstairs. I love making breakfast for my family.”

“My husband and Archie both love fried eggs. There’s a lot of bacon around here. And then sometimes you don’t have time for all that, and you just put a frozen waffle in the toaster and call it a day. And there’s no shame in that either.”

When she’s not busy working, she and Prince Harry will enjoy “day dates,” where they will eat lunch together. Their days are, of course, filled with plenty of parenting duties, from arranging playdates to school drop-offs. Over the winter holidays, they also set up camp at their home, with Harry organising obstacle courses and face painting.

The Duchess loves cooking for her family ( 
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COURTESY OF NETFLIX)
Despite her high profile, Meghan, 43, has made plenty of mum friends in Montecito, enjoying “girls nights out” and Pilates sessions. She and Harry also like going out for dinner, at restaurants as well as the homes of friends.

It’s their family home which is their true “safe haven” however, and it’s here where Meghan focuses on having quality time with her husband and kids, making “mama meals” which she hopes her children will look back fondly on as adults.

She explained: “We call them Mama Meals, and those are the ones that I hope they come back to when they’re older, when they’re married, and they have their own kids, and they go, ‘Oh, let’s have a Mama Meal.’ And it’s the same roast chicken I’ve been making since they were little.”

In the evenings, Meghan and Harry like to unwind with their “nightcap recaps”, whereby they share a drink and reflect on their day, while packing lunch boxes just like any other parent. Then it’s time to relax in front of the TV.

She revealed: “We love Shrinking; we just finished Black Doves, and we’re excited for the new season of The White Lotus.”

Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, will see her cook up dishes in the kitchen with celebrity friends and famous chefs, including Roy Choi – who has faced a number of battles on his way to culinary stardom

Chef Roy Choi has overcome more than most to get to the top.

He’s spoken openly about using drugs and gambling when he was younger, as well as battling anxiety, depression and addiction. But now, at the age of 55, he’s influenced an entire food movement, appeared on a number of TV cooking shows and been listed on TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list twice – all while running a hugely successful business.

And he’s about to add cooking with a royal to his impressive CV. Roy is one of the many famous faces joining Meghan Markle on her new lifestyle Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. The show is set to drop on the streaming giant today, and fans can’t wait to see the next step in Meghan’s post-royal journey.

Meghan Markle with chef Roy Choi ( 
Image:
Netflix)
Roy, who is originally from South Korea but moved to Orange County in California when he was two, features briefly in the trailer, and can be seen telling Meghan “we’re family now”. He is best known for his role in kick starting the food truck movement along with his business partner Mark Manguera with their brand Kogi Korean BBQ.

The pair turned their idea of selling Korean tacos out of their van into a massive business with a huge social media following, and inspired thousands of others to do the same. But Roy didn’t get into cooking until later in life after he had already faced many battles.

Speaking to AskMen back in 2019 he opened up about struggling to fit into his posh new hometown. He also claims his creative mindset meant he struggled with the formal settings of school and working towards getting a 9-5 job. He told the publication: “It was really difficult. I went through a lot of drugs and gambling all the way into my mid-twenties.

“I could never express myself in the traditional forms and it sent me spiralling into anxiety, depression, and addiction because I had to abandon my creative feelings and go and get a traditional job, try to go to school.”

Choi appears with Meghan as they cook together ( 
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Netflix)
He then battled a gambling addiction, which led to a troubled five years of drinking every day and sleeping in motels. He also admits losing a lot of his friends during that period. However it was during this time that he became inspired by a new career path after watching American chef Emeril Lagasse on a TV cooking show.

He told AskMen: “At my lowest point, I found cooking. I was watching TV and saw the Emeril show and it spoke to me.” He decided to move to New York to attend culinary school, which he said “fit like a glove”. He went on to rise through the ranks, but 10 years later in 2008, when he was 38, his life plan took another unexpected hit.

He was hired by a top new LA restaurant as part of their launch team, but was fired shortly before it opened its doors. With a family to support, he started to apply for jobs but panicked when he was rejected time after time. Even when going for positions way below his experience level, he had no luck – and had no idea what to do.

Roy is known for his role kickstarting the food truck movement ( 
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Getty ImagesSpeaking to Inc in 2016, he said: “I was so scared, man. I had a family. I didn’t know what I was to do.” But then a call from an old friend changed his life forever – again. Mark Manguera, who Roy worked with at the Beverly Hilton, had the idea to sell Korean tacos from a van outside clubs.

Roy admits he wasn’t sure about the idea, so went home to sleep on it. But he woke up in the middle of the night convinced it was the right thing today – so called Mark to say he was in. It was a hit from the start, but they quickly realised a problem with their plan. Their customers had normally had a few drinks, so didn’t remember what they’d eaten

Their unexpected break came in the unlikely form of a group of students from UCLA who asked if they would park up near their campus. They agreed and the students promised to spread the word. When the duo arrived, they claim there were about 600 people there, who quickly took to Twitter to spread the word – kickstarting the food truck’s massive social media following.

Since then, their business has grown and grown, and the brand now has several restaurants as well as the fleet of trucks. With Love, Meghan is part of the multimillion dollar deal Prince Harry and Meghan secured with Netflix after stepping back from their royal roles in 2020.

The couple have already had a fly on the wall docuseries – Harry & Meghan – in which they shared their stories of life within the royal family. They’ve also worked on a number of documentaries on issues that are close to their hearts, including one on Harry’s Invictus Games.

Meghan Markle has called in help from her celebrity pals to launch her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, including polo legend Nacho Figueras’s wife Delfina Blaquier – who already has some royal links of her own

Meghan Markle has shown off her celebrity-packed contacts book in her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, inviting a host of Hollywood guests to share the small screen with her.

Despite probably having an endless of stars keen to get involved, the Duchess appears to have picked the famous faces who have supported her through the past few years. Top of the list is Delfina Blaquier, wife of polo superstar Nacho Figueras, who Meghan has become firm friends with since moving back to the US with Prince Harry.

Delfina has even described her royal bestie as her “sister” and gushed about her several times on social media. But Meghan isn’t the only member of the Royal Family Delfina boasts friendships with, and it may have caused some awkward moments during the ongoing family dramas.

Harry and Meghan with Nacho and Delfina ( 
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AP)
In fact, Nacho and Delfina were seen posing for photos with Mike and Zara Tindall just hours after the trailer for Meghan’s new show – which Delfina appears in – dropped back in January. Both couples travelled to Australia for the Magic Millions carnival, a huge celebration hosted by the racing horse auction house.

The Tindalls are said to be big fans of the event, with Zara acting as ambassador, and Nacho and Delfina are regular attendees. This year, Zara and Delfina posed for several photos together at different events, beaming as they stood with their arms around each other.

One of the snaps shows them dressed up in glamorous cocktail dresses with their husbands. Another, posted on social media by glasses company Valley Eyewear, shows the two of them with Delfina’s daughter Aurora, posing in day dresses showing off luxury sunnies. And it’s not the first year the two couples have spent time together.

Delfina with Harry’s cousin Zara Tindall
At the 2024 event, Zara and Nacho went head-to-head in a polo match and hugged for photographs afterwards. There are photos of them together dating back to 2019, where they posed on the beach for that year’s official event draw. Despite her friendship with Zara, Delfina has been vocal about her support and admiration for Meghan. Harry has known Nacho for many years through their shared love of polo.

After moving to LA, Harry joined the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club with his pal, and the two women appear to have formed a close friendship while watching them play. Back in 2022, she took to social media to reflect on the time they’d spend together

Alongside a photo of them as they watched their husbands play polo together, she wrote: “M – looking forward to many more of these times with you and H. Getting to spend time together over these two months was so special. I wish everyone knew you the way you are.”

“My sister, my now fellow “pwife” (polo wife) – genius of you to come up with this. Can’t wait to see you again soon, to share thrill, hikes, and just more chill time. You also have my respect. Keep walking, steady and strong. Listen to your heart, that will guide you well, because you have a big one and it’s a beautiful one. I love you my darling.”

In the trailer for With Love, Meghan – which drops this week – Delfina can be seen watching Meghan passionately cut a loaf of focaccia and tasting ice cream, before sipping on cocktails with her pal in the garden