Meghan Markle ready to ‘call in favours’ from Suits co-stars in bid to boost new podcast

Meghan Markle has reportedly not lost contact with her former celebrity friends, but will have a “smaller pool” of people to rely on as guests for her upcoming podcasts with Lemonada Media

Meghan Markle signed with Lemonada (
Image: (Image: Getty))

Meghan Markle’s celebrity contact list “may have not completely diminished”, but the Duchess of Sussex now has a “smaller pool” of friends to rely on as guests for her upcoming podcasts with Lemonada Media, it has been claimed.

The Duchess of Sussex signed with Lemonada Media in February 2024 to launch a “dynamic new podcast” after her and Prince Harry’s split with Spotify, which saw the release of a 12-episode podcast series called Archetypes.

Meghan’s Archetypes podcast about female stereotypes ran for just one series before her lucrative £15million deal with the streaming giant ended in 2023.

Meghan’s podcast with Spotify ran for one season ( 
Image:
(Image: Getty))
Celebrity PR Specialist Kayley Cornelius told Express : “While Meghan’s contact list may not have completely diminished, she will certainly have a smaller pool to rely on.

“Initially, we might expect her to call in favours from her remaining friends and work through their networks. For instance, long-term friend Priyanka Chopra, who did not feature on Archetypes, could be among the first names Meghan considers.”

She added that Meghan may have to reach out to her former TV Suits show colleagues, saying: “Other potential guests could include friends from her ‘Suits’ days, such as Abigail Spencer and Wendell Pierce, who likely remain accessible points of contact for Meghan.”

This comes amidst rumours of Meghan Markle’s recent fallouts with high-profile figures like Victoria Beckham, who was reportedly once close to the Duchess. David and Victoria Beckham had a long-standing friendship with Prince Harry and the rest of the royals, but their relationship with the Sussexes appears to have soured over the past few years.

In his latest book, House of Beckham, Royal author Tom Bower alleges that Meghan was “irritated” by Victoria’s greater wealth when they first met and felt they had “little in common”.

Kayley later suggested that Hollywood stars like Zendaya and Tom Holland are rumoured to be in contact with the Duchess of Sussex. However, she believes the chances of them appearing on her podcast are slim due to “high fees and limited availability”, which would “surpass the podcast’s budget” and platform capabilities.

The PR expert did offer a potential solution for Meghan’s lack of celebrity connections: “If Meghan’s new podcast aligns with her upcoming Netflix series and emphasises lifestyle content, she might pivot by engaging high-profile experts in various fields. Drawing inspiration from successful shows like Steven Bartlett’s ‘Diary of a CEO’ could help compensate for the lack of traditional celebrity connections.

Meghan’s debut Spotify podcast, Archetypes, reportedly racked up around one million listens per episode and was the top podcast in 47 countries upon its release in August 2022, as per the Daily Mail. The show featured high-profile guests like tennis legend Serena Williams and pop icon Mariah Carey.

Earlier this year, Meghan expressed her enthusiasm about her new venture, stating: “I’m proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting.”

Following the end of their collaboration, Spotify and Harry and Meghan’s production company, Archewell Audio, announced they had “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together”.