Meghan Markle Might Not Have Met Prince Harry if She Wasn’t on ‘Deal or No Deal,’ Former Briefcase Girl Says

A former Deal or No Deal briefcase girl slammed Meghan Markle’s account of working on the series and explained that many of the models landed more opportunities after being on the show. The Duchess of Sussex might not have gone on to star on Suits or meet Prince Harry if she hadn’t appeared on Deal or No Deal, she said.

Meghan Markle quit ‘Deal or No Deal’ because she felt objectified

Meghan shared her Deal or No Deal experience on an episode of the Archetypes podcast. She recalled what it was like to be a briefcase girl and said she was “grateful” for the gig, but ended up quitting because she felt objectified.

“Just to paint the picture for you, that before the tapings of the show, all the girls, we would line up,” she explained. “And there were different stations for having your lashes put on, or your extensions put in, or the padding in your bra.”

Meghan noted, “We were even given spray tan vouchers each week because there was a very cookie cutter idea of precisely what we should look like. It was solely about beauty and not necessarily about brains.”

She said she was also told to “suck it in” by a woman manager before going on stage.

Meghan explained, “I was surrounded by smart women on that stage with me, but that wasn’t the focus of why we were there and I would end up leaving with this pit in my stomach knowing that I was so much more than what was being objectified on the stage.”

She added, “I didn’t like feeling forced to be all looks and little substance.”

Former briefcase girl shares her ‘Deal or No Deal’ experience

In an interview with Daily Mail, one of Deal or No Deal’s briefcase girls, Lisa Gleave, shared her experience working on the show.  

Gleave said she felt “blessed and lucky” to have the job. “For me, it was a joy and a great career move,” she explained. “Most of the girls would say that.”

She continued, “I never looked at it as a show that objectified women. The cast and crew treated us very well. It was a professional set. For many of us, it was a stepping stone on our careers and we went on to greater things.”

Meghan Markle might not have had an acting career and met Prince Harry if she wasn’t on ‘Deal or No Deal’

The former game show briefcase girl called Meghan’s criticism of the Deal or No Deal gig “insulting” and pointed out that Meghan might not have had the same trajectory if she didn’t appear on the show.

“She was a struggling actress and I think if it wasn’t for Deal Or No Deal she probably wouldn’t be where she is now,” Gleave said. “She might not have met Harry, she might not have been cast on Suits.”

The former Deal or No Deal model admitted the show “revolved around beautiful women” but said “nobody treated us like bimbos.”

In response to Meghan’s criticism about spray tans and bra padding, Gleave said she wasn’t bothered. “It was almost like a uniform that we had to wear, but it’s showbiz — you have to have glitz and glamour,” she explained.

She noted, “I’m sure Meghan wasn’t the only one told to suck her stomach in. We were all told at one point or another. The dresses we wore were tight and tailored to our bodies so we couldn’t slouch or over-eat.”

Gleave added, “I wasn’t offended by any of it. It was business — a job that most of us did gladly.”