Who Will Score the First Joint Interview From Meghan Markle and Prince Harry?
Evidence is mounting that Meghan Markle will sit down with Ellen DeGeneres for her first interview following the decision to step back from senior royal duties. While Markle has neither confirmed nor denied the reports, several media outlets claim the meeting is going to happen, and that neither party will confirm the event until after it’s taken place. What remains unknown is when the event will happen, and if Prince Harry will also take part in the rumored meeting. Details of the couple’s first joint interview post-split remain up in the air, but there are a few options that are looking promising and one that doesn’t seem likely.
Oprah could sit down with both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Many believe that the couple will focus on finding a sympathetic ear when they finally agree to do a joint interview. No ear has been more sympathetic to their plight than Oprah Winfrey. Oprah has worked with Prince Harry and has been a champion for Markle. When TMZ caught up with the billionaire talk show host, she had plenty to say about the split.
Oprah noted that she was 1000% behind the couple, and suggested everyone should avoid judging them for the decisions they made to better their lives as a family. Since Oprah is so outspokenly behind the decision they made, she’d make an excellent choice, especially if they are looking to control the narrative and give an interview that spins the story in their direction.
Could streaming giants be clamoring for the first shot at the royal couple?
The Obamas managed to build a massive media empire for themselves following their time in the White House. A Netflix deal was at the center of their plan moving forward, and several experts think Markle and Prince Harry might be looking to follow the same playbook. A docuseries or interview with the couple could be precisely what one of the many streaming platforms needs to break away from the now crowded pack.
Netflix seems like the most obvious choice, considering the global reach of the brand. While Apple, Disney, and WarnerMedia would surely jump at the chance to broker a deal with the couple, they don’t have the name recognition that Netflix does, at least not yet. Vanity Fair suggests that a publishing deal could fetch Prince Harry more than $15 million, and a television contract would garner much, much more. Netflix seems interested in working with the couple, too.
Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix, told reporters that there is not a single entity that wouldn’t be interested in working with the royal couple. He didn’t, however, mention if he had been in touch with the pair since the split, or if a deal is already being drawn up.
The BBC probably won’t be sitting down with the royal couple
While the BBC would seem like an obvious choice for the couple’s first sit down following their split from the royal family, there are a couple of reasons its unlikely to happen. Both the prince and Markle have been burned by the British press in the past. In fact, the couple’s decision to leave royal life seems to have been influenced mainly by the way Markle, in particular, was treated after the birth of the couple’s first child, Archie. It’s unlikely that the couple would find much peace speaking with the BBC.
The BBC also scored a sitdown interview with Prince Andrew following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and the outcome was not good for the royal family, notes the New York Times. In fact, Prince Andrew was forced to step back from public life following the disastrous sit-down, and the queen canceled his birthday party amid backlash. While the troubling nature of the conversation wasn’t the BBC’s fault, the royal couple likely noticed just how poorly the entire thing went. Since they seem interested in controlling the narrative, they’ll probably steer clear of the BBC.
