Author: bang5

Shortly after giving a speech at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry and Meghan made a surprise stop off at an ice hockey match, where they made a sweet nod to Harry’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II

Prince Harry and Meghan have made a surprise visit to watch an NHL ice hockey match between Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The couple arrived at the Canucks’ Rogers Arena home just minutes after leaving the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games at nearby BC Place.

Harry followed in the footsteps of his late grandmother by dropping the ceremonial first puck before play commenced in the match, said to be the most watched NHL game of the season.

Queen Elizabeth II performed the same feat at a Vancouver Canucks match in 2002 during her two-week Golden Jubilee tour of Canada.It was the first NHL match the then Queen had attended since 1951, when still a princess, she and Prince Philip watched the Montreal Canadiens take on the New York Rangers.

Harry and Meghan could have been forgiven for having mixed feelings about who to support at the match due to their shared links to both Vancouver and Toronto.

Hockey fans were in for a surprise when Prince Harry turned up ( 
Image:
SNOHD)They moved to nearby Vancouver Island immediately after they quit royal duties in what became known as ‘Megxit’ in 2020 and previously watched a match between Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks at the same venue in November 2023.

But they also began their romance with secret dates and stays in Toronto, where Meghan lived while filming the TV drama Suits for five years.

Canada holds many memories for the Duke and Duchess ( 
Image:
NHLI via Getty Images)Harry alluded to the rivalry between the two cities at the Invictus Games opening ceremony earlier in the day, where he and Meghan were seen enjoying performances by a number of stars, including Katy Perry, Chris Martin and Nelly Furtado.

Harry, 40, also gave a speech on stage at the event in front of a sold-out audience of 40,000 people.

Harry alluded to the rivalry between the two cities during today’s opening ceremony ( 
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SNOHD)

With his tongue placed firmly in his cheek, he had told them: “Hello Canada and Bienvenue! So, the Toronto Games in 2017 were incredible, and I’m told there is no rivalry between East and West Coast, especially when it comes to sport!”.

Meghan spoke about her love for Canada on Friday night while appearing at a welcome reception for competitors behind closed doors at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Meghan spoke fondly of her love for Canada at last night’s welcome reception ( 
Image:
Samir Hussein/WireImage)

SIMILAR ARTICLES TO THISIt came just hours after she and Harry touched down in Vancouver after travelling on a private plane together from Santa Barbara, close to their home in Montecito.

Meghan, 43, said: “I was not planning on speaking tonight and we just arrived, I don’t know, a couple of hours ago and I touched Canadian soil and I went ‘ohh, feels like home!’.Earlier in the day, the couple, whose children Archie and Lilibet have stayed in California, attended two separate breakfast meetings, including one where Harry was caught dad-dancing.

The first saw the couple meet with Team US competitors and was also attended by a number of US government and military officials.

The second event saw the Duke and Duchess meet with Team Canada competitors, as well as officials from True Patriot Love and presenting sponsor – ATCO, the Governor General, the BC Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, and the Chief of Defence Staff.

Martin Kemp made a sweet parenting admission about son Roman, 31, on Thursday’s Loose Women, leaving the panellists surprised

Martin Kemp stunned the Loose Women studio on Thursday as he made a sweet parenting admission about son Roman.

The Spandau Ballet icon, 62, shares son Roman, 31, and daughter Harley, 35, with wife Shirlie Holliman, who he married in 1988.

On Thursday’s episode of Loose Women, panellists Denise Welch and Judi Love were joined by Martin and Vernon Kay in a Loose Men shake-up. During the instalment, the panellists discussed the topic “do you parent boys and girls differently?” which prompted a surprising response from Martin.

Host, Denise, 66, asked: “Do you worry more about Harley though than you do Roman just because she’s a girl?” to which Martin admitted: “I didn’t, actually, it was the other way round. I used to worry far more about Roman because boys have that thing of getting into fights. That made me worry a lot more.

Martin Kemp stunned the Loose Women studio on Thursday as he made a sweet parenting admission about son Roman ( 
Image:
ITV)

“To a point where when Roman started going out, you know when they start going to the house parties, about 16 to 17, Shirlie and I would take them. We would drive them to wherever the house party was and instead of going back home we would wait there in the car for four hours with sandwiches.”

This admission led to gasps and laughter from the Loose Women studio as Judi asked: “Waiting for them to come out?” to which a giggling Martin explained: “Yeah, waiting for them to come out!”

Martin has a very close bond with presenter son Roman and only recently his son teased his famous father over his unique wardrobe choices on their podcast FFS! My Dad Is Martin Kemp. During their chat, Roman noticed his dad’s new sunglasses. Initially, Martin said, while noticing his son’s facial expression: “When I came in this morning, I thought I looked quite cool.”

Roman then quizzed: “What is that? You got mum’s sunglasses on?” In defence, Martin then said: “I haven’t got mum’s sunglasses, they’re my new ones. Bit of Tom Ford.” Believing that his dad was pranking him as the glasses were seemingly feminine, Martin then added: “Ro what are you laughing at?”

Martin has a very close bond with presenter son Roman and the duo have their own podcast ( 
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Getty Images)
In response, Roman continued: “They’re not yours, please don’t tell me that. How much did you spend on them?” To make matters worse Roman was then told his dad spent £300 at an airport for his new purchase.

He replied, in between fits of laughter: “No you didn’t.” And it looks as though fans of their podcast enjoyed their banter, while some sided with Roman over his view of his father’s so-called trendy purchase. One person added in the comment section of the post: “You two are definitely a good replacement for Morecambe & Wise lol.”

Another added: “Ha ha agree with your son. They are just not your style.” Meanwhile, a third person said: “Best podcast ever .. I’m going to listen to them all again & hope you get another series.” And a fourth fan wrote: “You can rely on your kids to tell it straight.”

Roman recently quit his role on Capital Breakfast with his replacement announced as BBC Radio One Drivetime host Jordan North. Roman has been busy with his podcast and presenting duties on The One Show.

On Friday’s instalment of Loose Women, ITV viewers saw the panel discuss whether or not children are becoming addicted to their mobile phones.

Loose Women star Linda Robson opened up about her fear for her grandchildren during Friday’s show.

On the ITV programme, the panel was speaking about their concerns with the younger generation becoming addicted to their mobile phones.

Speaking about her grandchildren’s young ages, seven and 12, host Kaye Adams asked if they loved their phones and Linda agreed.

She replied: “But, Lauren (their mum), doesn’t let them have it lot, mostly during the week she takes the phone and the laptops off of them.”

However, the ITV star highlighted that now when she looks after them, they instantly want a laptop or phone.

Linda added: “I said, ‘Bets why don’t we play a game? Let’s play cars or something or let’s watch a film together.

Linda confessed she was worried about her grandchildren’s addiction to their devices
“She couldn’t think straight, she wanted the phone or the laptop. In the end, I gave her the laptop.”

Although she confessed her other granddaughter who is 12 and has just started secondary school needs a phone.

Linda added: “I have noticed that their behaviour has changed because of the phones and the laptops.

“Instead of spending time doing things together, the three of us, even if we go to a restaurant they’ll want my phone or they’ll want something.”

Cutting in, Kaye questioned whether or not their need for devices is starting to worry her.

Linda’s grandchildren are 7 and 12 years old
Linda replied: “It does worry me, but Lauren is on top of it as well. So she does make sure they don’t have it too much.

“But every now and again, Lila will hide it and then Lauren will hear the beeping going off and take the phone off of her.”

However, sharing their thoughts on the topic, Frankie Bridge admitted her children have told her she was the one who needs to put her phone down.

The Loose Women panel were discussing whether or not kids are becoming addicted to phonesShe said: “If he ever says that I (gagging), it makes me feel sick! He’s nine and he’s telling me off you know.

“I have two very different children. My eldest is, I would say, addicted. He wants to game.”

Although she was thankful that as he enjoys football, her oldest manages to away from the virtual world.

Loose Women continues weekdays on ITV from 12:30pm

The show first aired on September 6 1999 and has seen a variety of panellists appear on the show including Nadia Sawalha, Jane Moore, Ruth Langsford, Janet Street-Porter and Coleen Nolan

Loose Women has marked its 25th anniversary with a new silver jubilee-inspired portrait featuring 18 of the show’s panellists for the first time.

The image sees the all-female line-up posing together while donning an array of silver sequin and satin gowns – but Stacey Solomon is nowhere to be seen as speculation about the mum-of-five’s future on the ITV show continues amid her career shake-up.

Four original panellists from the first week of shows in 1999 Jane Moore, Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha and Ruth Langsford appear in the group photo. Janet Street-Porter and Coleen Nolan, who have individually appeared in more than 1,000 episodes each, also feature alongside Linda Robson, Denise Welch and Brenda Edwards.

Newer additions to the panel also feature including Christine Lampard, Judi Love, Katie Piper, Kelle Bryan, Frankie Bridge, Dame Kelly Holmes, Charlene White, Sunetra Sarker and Olivia Attwood-Dack. Reflecting on the show’s long-running success, Langsford said: “I was on Loose Women from the very start and I have noticed a huge difference in how much more open people are about talking about difficult subjects. I believe that we have helped bring that about because we bring honesty to the show, we bring our own lives to the show.”

“We talk about very difficult, painful things in our lives, but we know that that reflects what people are going through themselves at home and now we talk about Alzheimer’s, suicide, divorce, all sorts of things that were a little bit taboo and I think it’s great that we do that.”

Stacey Solomon doesn’t feature in the special anniversary snap ( 
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No credit)
Loose Women editor Sally Shelford said: “Over the last 25 years, Loose Women has tackled taboos and talked about issues not openly discussed on television, including domestic abuse, menopause, miscarriage and grief. Our incredible audience in the studio and at home have always been the fifth Loose Woman, and we promise to keep talking, sharing and shining a light on important subjects like these for our amazing viewers.”

Managing director of Daytime Studios at ITV Studio Emma Gormley added: “Loose Women is Britain’s longest running panel show and 25 years on, continues to lead the conversation on so many topics that reflect the lives of our viewers, from agenda-setting campaigns to lunchtime laughs with the women.”

“I’m immensely proud to work with a brilliantly talented team on and off screen and be able to celebrate the milestone anniversary with this wonderful silver jubilee themed shoot.

The show first aired on September 6 1999 with Adams, Sawalha, Moore and Apprentice star Baroness Karren Brady on the panel. Since the first one, there have been approximately 4,550 Loose Women episodes and specials, according to ITV. The show has also hosted nine all-male Loose Men panels which have drawn attention to men’s mental and physical health, with the first launching on International Men’s Day on November 19 2020.

Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV1, ITVX and this September celebrates the show’s 25th anniversary.

Celebrity Bear Hunt host Holly Willoughby’s impressive pay cheque for every minute she appeared on the new Netflix series has been revealed as she returns to the limelight

Holly Willoughby has stepped into the limelight again and enjoyed a staggering pay day thanks to Celebrity Bear Hunt.

The presenter, who quit her role on This Morning in 2023, is fronting the new Netflix show alongside Bear Grylls. They welcomed 12 celebrities to Costa Rica to take on challenges as they learn survival skills and try to avoid being caught by Bear. The show dropped on the streaming platform earlier this week, with more than seven hours of adventure.

However, Holly just appeared for 24 minutes across the show series of Celebrity Bear Hunt. She is on screen for an average of only 180 seconds in each of the eight episodes. Holly was reportedly paid almost £1million to front the show, meaning she bagged an equivalent of £40,000 for every minute she appeared.

“Viewers will be surprised just how little she features in the final version of the programme given all the attention there’s been surrounding the show,” a source told the Sun. “Holly is a huge talent and very popular with viewers, plus she has decades of experience of presenting big TV shows, particularly live TV which requires a level of excellence few presenters have.

“But in the final edit of Celebrity Bear Hunt she plays second fiddle to leading man Bear, and even gets less screen time than the dozen celebrities who are competing.” Bear praised Holly for her work on the show at the series premiere earlier in the week. He said: “I just want to say as well to Holly, you were such a key part of this, not just for them but for me also. You were a light and love to all of these people.”

Holly was reportedly paid almost £1million for the show ( 
Image:
Tom Dymond/Netflix)
Holly replied: “As soon as you’ve got Bear’s name attached to anything, you know you’re in for an adventure of a lifetime. This show really does have a little bit of everything. You 12 celebs that were involved in this, you said yes and it was the beginning of a real adventure for you all. You were so brave and I think it’s because of you, you can get anyone to do anything, you’re inspiring.”

Spice Girl’s Mel B, tennis legend Boris Becker, interior design expert Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, journalist Steph McGovern and former rugby player Danny Cipriani took part. They were also joined by Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas, rapper Big Zuu, The Saturdays star Una Healy, The Inbetweeners actor Joe Thomas, model Lottie Moss, actor Kola Bokinni and fashion model Leomie Anderson.

Holly had stepped away from the spotlight after it was revealed security guard Gavin Plumb had planned to kidnap and kill her. Plumb was jailed for a minimum of 16 years in July last year. Holly had been away from the spotlight for just under a year when she made a return to screens for You Bet! with Stephen Mulhern and Dancing on Ice.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Holly said her comeback was always going to happen, and that it was “important for me to get back to normality”. She said: “I’d be an idiot if I said no. [Money’s] not the reason I make a decision. I’m not saying, how much are they going to pay me for this, and how much are they going to pay me for that? But by definition my work is a business.

“I’m not going to shy away from saying that. I think, sometimes, when women earn money people see it as a greedy, ambitious thing, but when men earn money? ‘Oh, he’s incredible, I want to be like him!’ I don’t have any shame in saying it’s my business, it’s my work. It’s also all I have known. It’s what I do.”

ITV Loose Women returned to ITV on Monday afternoon and viewers and the studio live audience were joined by Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan, Jane Moore and Olivia Attwood-Dack

Loose Women Coleen Nolan was supported by her co-stars as she opened up on her personal battle as she admitted that she ‘struggles’ to sleep.

During Monday’s episode of the ITV hit daytime show, viewers and the studio live audience were joined by Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan, Jane Moore and Olivia Attwood-Dack and for one segment they spoke about those who suffer from insomnia.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get enough quality sleep, according to the NHS website. “It can cause daytime issues like fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.”

Coleen,59, used the opportunity to open up about her own battle with the discord as she admitted that she ‘can’t remember’ the last time she had a proper night sleep.

Loose Women Ruth supported Coleen ( 
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ITV)

Ruth started off by saying: “Did you get enough sleep last night? Apparently over 30% of the population will be answering no to that question that’s due to suffering from insomnia and it turns out women are twice as likely to suffer from it and unfortunately Coleen is part of that statistic.

The panellist, 64, put her arm on Coleen’s shoulder as she added: “About six months you said that you started to get insomnia which you haven’t had before.”

In an emotional moment, Coleen opened up and said: “I don’t know if it’s menopause but all of a sudden I can not remember the last time I had a proper full night’s sleep. So I fall asleep easily but then I wake up at like 2am, probably 2am till 5am and I’m wide awake.”

She continued: “It’s so hard because I’m so tired in the day and then I think this is good. I’m so exhausted during the day but when I get home I can’t sleep. For some reason I get in bed and my brain is like ‘no’.

Coleen Nolan opened up about her personal struggle on Loose Women ( 
Image:
ITV)
“It’s really frustrating and to this day the only way I sleep really well is on a car, plane or train and that’s probably from touring when I was younger.”

Coleen’s co-stars shared their support however Olivia revealed that she can’t relate as sleep is something she doesn’t struggle with. She pointed out that she uses a ring that tracks her sleep.

Ruth jumped in and admitted: “I have a tracker thing for my steps and it’s got all the sleep things but I’m very lucky that I’m a really good sleeper even through trauma and upset. I am a good sleeper.”

Loose Women airs from 12.30pm on ITV and ITVX

Olivia Attwood, who found fame on Love Island in 2017, has been happily married to her footballer husband Bradley Dack since 2023, but the pair have clashed over their baby plans

Reality star Olivia Attwood has spoken about her plans for a family, after being forced to constantly dodge questions about when she’ll have a baby.

The 33-year-old, who found fame on Love Island in 2017, married footballer Bradley Dack in 2023. The couple are happily married, but have faced constant scrutiny on their plans to expand their family with a child.

Despite Olivia’s previous confession that Bradley, 31, would have a baby “tomorrow”, the pair have no plans in the near future to try for a child. The I’m A Celeb star recently hit out at the hundreds of questions she receives asking her if she’s going to have a baby.

After an Instagram Q&A, she told fans she found some fans’ interest in when she will want a baby “a bit boring”, admitting she hasn’t ever “yearned” for motherhood. She said her focus is “100 percent” on her career and marriage.

Olivia and Bradley got married in June 2023 ( 
Image:
Olivia Attwood/Instagram)

And now, speaking to the Mail about her and Bradley’s plans for the future, she told the paper: “I feel like we are in that point in our life where Bradley and I are both prioritising our careers and relationships, we are going after our dreams and goals in our separate fields and then the time we spend together is really precious.

“There will be different eras in our life and like when we start a family I will automatically, naturally have to be more present, as will he.” Olivia said she doesn’t “fear” motherhood, but is “enjoying what we have right now”.

It’s not the first time she’s spoken about her future plans with Gillingham midfielder Bradley, with the podcast host candidly admitting she would be a “f***ing nightmare Dance Mom” if the time ever came. Speaking to her husband on her So Wrong It’s Right show, she said: “I wouldn’t say it’s a bone of contention – I know Brad would be an amazing Dad and balance out the type A f***ing nightmare Dance Mom that I’m probably going to be.

“I’m going to sacrifice my body, mental health, my house and I don’t want to take any time off work because my ambitious personality is so… I don’t want a day off to actually have the baby. I’m a monster!” But Olivia did admit the couple are not “getting any younger” and would like to start their own family.

She added: “Brad wants to have a baby tomorrow and I’m thinking of all the what-ifs. But I feel like if it happened I’d be happy, people have this misconception that I hate children but that’s not true at all – I wouldn’t mind owning one myself one day! – but I’m just scared.”

Speaking on Loose Women last year, Olivia told her co-stars that they had clashed over the topic, telling the panel: “I’m sitting here listening to you girls talking and I’m thinking I’m going to be a geriatric mother, as they call it.”

During Meghan Markle’s time as a working royal, she crossed paths with dozens of servants and staff, but not everyone warmed to the modern-day duchess, a new book claims

While many royal servants warmed to Meghan Markle, others reportedly found day-to-day challenges with the duchess.

Royal staff who waited on Prince Harry and his wife Meghan during their time as working royals have shared a glimpse into their lives within the four walls of royal palace. A brand new book, by author Tom Quinn, titled Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, lifts the lid on what many insiders observed during their time waiting on the Sussexes.

In the explosive book, which has been excerpted in The Times, life is shed on Meghan’s very American mannerisms fuelling a shock rumour and claims she thought the Royal Family acted like ‘babies’ and were ‘belittling Harry’. Here, the Mirror takes a look inside the royal bubble and what allegedly went on behind the scenes…

Meghan thought the royals ‘behaved like babies’, a former staff member claims ( 
Image:
PA)

Meghan thought royals ‘behaved like babies’

The new book says that Meghan’s American upbringing made her sheltered from the realities of British royal life. Quinn writes that when Meghan discovered that Harry was only worth about £20million, she “quickly realised” that she needed to “reassess other assumptions she’d made about this strange new family”.

As one royal staff member put it, “She expected a billionaire and she got a millionaire.” A member of her former team is also quoted as saying that the actress “really disliked the hierarchy”. Giving an example of senior royals getting jealous of each other’s materialistic goods, the ex-staff member said: “Meghan thought they behaved like babies.”

Meghan initially tried to ‘run the show’

Before joining the Royal Family, Meghan was used to being far more independent and in control. But she soon realised that it wasn’t traditional royal protocol to ‘grab the bull by the horns’, according to the book. In early meetings with the new duchess and members of staff, Meghan was “so confident” that it seemed as though she wanted to run the meetings rather than listen and learn, one of her former team claimed.

Meghan thought royals were ‘belittling Harry’

Meghan was less than impressed by her first royal residence, according to the book. Quinn writes that Meghan felt the size of Nottingham Cottage, a two-bedroom cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, “must be a reflection of how the royal family were belittling her husband”, as a member of staff told him.

He claims Meghan didn’t understand how Kensington Palace, where William and Kate lived with teams of live-in servants, seemed the “equivalent” of Nottingham Cottage. It’s not the first time the residence has come up in conversation, with Harry writing in his memoir Spare: “I was excited to welcome Meg to my home, but also embarrassed. Nott Cott was no palace.”

Meghan has always been a hugger and found it difficult to accept the royal formal way ( 
Image:
PA)

Quinn claims that Meghan’s tactile manner made William feel uncomfortable ( 
Image:
PA)

Meghan’s sweet dancing with William

Before their close bond crumbled, William and Kate were incredibly excited to welcome Meghan into the fold, Quinn says. The author recounts a surprisingly lighthearted moment between Meghan and William, allegedly witnessed by a junior staffer who saw them “doing a jokey parody of the Fifties jiving together”. One staffer recalled the Waleses thinking Meghan was a “breath of fresh air” at the beginning.

William and Kate weren’t the only ones to initially welcome Meghan with open arms. A courtier previously told the Daily Mail’s royal reporter Richard Eden that “the Queen believed that Meghan would be a breath of fresh air and a great asset to the Monarchy.”

They said: “The Queen fast-tracked her entry into the Royal Family, inviting Meghan to join her at a service to mark Commonwealth Day – her first official engagement with the Queen – two months before the wedding. It was another clear indication that Her Majesty valued Meghan and wanted her to be seen as a part of the family without delay.”

Meghan’s affection ‘fuelled flirting rumour’

Meghan’s affectionate side has always stood out in stark contrast to the Royal Family’s formalities. But her hugging and cheek kissing was wrongly misinterpreted by staff as her ‘flirting’ with William, according to insiders quoted in the book. Quinn writes that her tactile manner made William feel “uncomfortable”, as Meghan would allegedly hug him almost every time they saw each other.

The hugging and cheek-kissing fuelled gossip among staff “that Meghan was flirting with William, which she was obviously not, but the tense atmosphere caused by all the touchy-feeliness (and the resultant gossip) deepened the rift between the brothers”, the book claims. Both Meghan and Harry have previously stated that William and Kate found her love of hugging ‘jarring’.

In their Netflix docuseries, Meghan said she did not know the royals’ formal way carries through behind closed doors. She said: “I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward-facing way of being and then you close the door and think, ‘OK, we can relax now’. But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me.”

Meghan was given a number of nicknames by staff, including the Duchess of Difficult and Mystic Meg ( 
Image:
PA)The book claims that Meghan’s “warm, friendly hug-everyone approach”, caused tension to develop between William and Harry, with problems arising “fairly early on”. Quinn claims Kate, William and Charles “tended to flinch when she moved in for a hug”, as they weren’t used to so much affection between royals. He says California native Meghan was “understandably hurt”.

Meghan given nicknames by staff

Meghan, whose birth name is Rachel, chose to go by her middle name long ago. While Harry publicly calls his wife Meg and M, staffers had many nicknames for the duchess. According to Quinn, “her nickname for a while was the Duchess of Difficult, but she had other, friendlier nicknames, including Mystic Meg, while came about because she was so new agey, so woke, about so many things”.

It was previously revealed that Charles had his own nickname for Meghan during her time as a working royal, with the King recognising her resilience. He affectionately called her Tungten, due to her being ‘tough and unbending’, it was claimed. Tungsten refers to a metal in the periodic table, which is known for its high melting point and core strength.

Meghan Markle’s With Love, Meghan is set to land on Netflix, promising ‘how-to’s and candid conversation’ with famous pals and celeb chefs. But those looking to follow along in their own kitchens may be in for a surprise

With Love, Meghan, Meghan Markle’s eagerly anticipated new cookery show, will be served in March—but it may take a slightly different form from what avid foodies may be expecting.

Now set to air March 4, it’s understood viewers won’t be able to rustle up Meghan’s favourite dishes at home, as is often the case with food-based shows, with the matter of grams and ounces not taking centre stage here.

Indeed, sources say the upcoming Netflix series won’t include any cooking or recipes, instead taking the format of a stylish ‘how to’ guide for those who want to perfect their hostessing skills and throw get-togethers like a true duchess.

Viewers are reportedly unlikely to see any actual recipes ( 
Image:
COURTESY OF NETFLIX)
A source told the Mail Online: “There is no point at which Meghan says ‘take 200 grams of flour’ or anything like that. It’s a very magical and beautiful guide to hosting and entertaining rather than a how-to cookery show. It’s about inspiration – more like, ‘Why not try and make this kind of pasta or this kind of dessert’. Harry isn’t in it. It’s all her, and all about her. It’s very watchable.”

Although some amateur home cooks may be a little disappointed by this revelation, many of Meghan’s famous friends have expressed great excitement ahead of the launch, including her former Suits co-star, Abigail Spencer.

Taking to Instagram last month, Abigail wrote: “So elated for you @meghan! Happy New Year & 20twentythrive indeed! How lucky are we to get a glimpse into your heart-song, magical-thoughtfulness & deliciously wonderful ways! Can’t wait for all to fall in love with #WithLove Meghan.

“Thanks for having me over & being truly the most wonderful friend a gal could get. Joy & bubbles abound. Here to learn. I’ll get the salt.”

Meanwhile, Delfina Blaquier, the wife of Prince Harry’s close friend Nacho Figueras, also praised Meghan’s new endeavour in an Instagram post, cheering: “Congrats for the love and hard work you put into this project of yours! So grateful to be a part of it – I can’t wait to see all you have to share.”

The show has been described as ‘very magical and beautiful’
A description of the eight-part series published via Netflix companion site Tudum reads as follows: “Produced by Meghan, ‘With Love, Meghan’ blends practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old.

“Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection, and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected. She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond and invite you to do the same.”

Mum-of-two Meghan will be joined in the kitchen by a number of celeb pals, including the likes of Roy Choi, Mindy Kaling, Alice Waters and Abigail Waters. “Additional acclaimed chefs and special friends” will also be stopping by.

In the trailer, Meghan, 43, tells fans: “I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it. Surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking of them.

“I’m going to share some little tips and tricks and how you can incorporate these practices every day. This is about connecting with friends, making new friends and just learning. We’re not in the pursuit of perfection; we’re in the pursuit of joy.”
The Duchess of Sussex had been expected to release the lifestyle series on January 15 but opted to delay in light of the tragic wildfires sweeping Southern California. In a statement made to Tudum at the time, Meghan shared: “I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.”

Having been born and raised in the US, Meghan Markle reportedly had to “reassess” some “assumptions” she’d made about the royals after she began dating Prince Harry

Meghan Markle had to “reassess” “assumptions” she’d made about the realities of British royal life after meeting Prince Harry, it has been claimed.

The 43-year old, who now lives in Montecito with Prince Harry and their two children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, was born and raised in Los Angeles before moving to Illinois to attend Northwestern University. According to a new book, Meghan’s American upbringing meant that she made “assumptions” about the royals that reportedly differed from reality.

Writing in his new book, Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants – which has been excerpted in The Times – Tom Quinn alleged that when the Duchess of Sussex discovered that Harry was only worth around £20million, she “quickly realised” that she needed to “reassess other assumptions she’d made about this strange new family”.

Meghan now lives in Montecito and was born and raised in Los Angeles ( 
Image:
Juancho Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As reported by the publication, Tom claimed: “Meghan Markle had a typically American view of the royal family before she joined it – for her, life was all about castles, glittering balls and limitless wealth and ease.

“As one royal staff member put it, “She expected a billionaire and she got a millionaire”.”

In the past, Meghan has opened up about her experience getting to grips with royal life. As part of the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries, the former Suits star discussed the moment she was taught how to curtsy shortly before meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II.

“I mean, it’s surreal. There wasn’t like some big moment of ‘Now you’re gonna meet my grandmother’. I didn’t know I was going to meet her until moments before. We were in the car and we were going to the Royal Lodge for lunch, and he was like, ‘Oh, my grandmother is here, she’s gonna be there after church,’” she recalled.

“I remember we were in the car, driving and he’s like, ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’. And I just thought it was a joke.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry added: “How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you would need to curtsy, especially to an American. That’s weird.”

Meghan has previously opened up on the moment she was taught how to curtsy ( 
Image:
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
Continuing the discussion, Meghan said: “Now I’m starting to realise this is a big deal. I mean, Americans will understand this. We have Medieval Times dinner and tournament. It was like that. Like, I curtsied as though I was like… ‘Pleasure to meet you your Majesty.’

“It was so intense. And then when she left, Eugenie and Jack and Fergie say ‘you did great!’. Thanks. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Similarly, Harry discussed in Spare how Fergie had asked Meghan if she knew how to curtsy. He wrote: “Meg shook her head. Fergie demonstrated once. Meg imitated her.”

Elsewhere, Meghan said that she didn’t search up Prince Harry on the internet when she was first welcomed into the royal family. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in a 2021 CBS interview, she explained how she hadn’t researched her now-husband prior to marrying him.

“Thank God I didn’t know a lot about the family,” she said. “Thank God I hadn’t researched. I would’ve been so in my head about it.”

Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants by Tom Quinn is out on February 18.