Meghan Markle‘s new lifestyle show on Netflix was defended by a PR expert following the backlash it sparked after its premiere.
With Love, Meghan was released on Tuesday morning in the UK on the streaming giant and showed the Duchess of Sussex prepping various dishes and sharing hosting tips with her Hollywood friends.
Meghan’s new show has received mixed reviews from fans and has so far been blasted by critics.
One review in The Guardian described it as a “gormless lifestyle filler” and “so pointless it might be the Sussexes’ last TV show”, while The Telegraph gave it two stars and branded it “insane” and an “exercise in narcissism”.
But a PR expert defended the show and said it will “deliver” on its original goals which are in line with the narrative the duchess is trying to promote.
Renae Smith, founder and director of PR agency The Atticism, said that the new show is “completely in line with Meghan’s carefully curated image”.
She told the Express: “From a PR and brand perspective, the show is exactly what I expected: glossy, polished, and completely in line with Meghan’s carefully curated image.
“It leans heavily into her aspirational lifestyle branding – it’s warm, wholesome, completely over-acted (the smiles… they never end) and steeped in an almost storybook-like domesticity.”
Ms Smith delved into whether the series feels “authentic”, saying: “I guess I have a unique standpoint on this, having written my own TV show (aired in Asia/Australia), which I also co-hosted.
“What ended up on screen was nowhere near what I had envisioned. Meghan, on the other hand, seems to be exactly what we expect she is. There’s no real disparity between her social media and her show.”
She explained: “The hyper-produced, opportunistic, aspirational aesthetic is the same across the board, which means that—love it or hate it – I would bet my life on the fact that this isn’t an act OR a brand decision. It’s her authentic brand, through and through.
“That’s why the criticism of it being “fake” is interesting—because, as I have mentioned before, I think she’s finally actually being consistent.”
Regarding the backlash the duchess has so far received, the PR expert said it is not “surprising” as people are always going to “either love it or tear it apart”.
She said: “The show was never designed to convert skeptics—it was created to solidify her existing brand and appeal to the aspirational audience who already resonate with her.”
Ms Smith said that while With Love Meghan may not change people’s minds about her, it will “probably deliver on its goals”.
She concluded: “This is Meghan, staying firmly in her comfort zone, doing what she does best – being a fully fledged aspirational domestic goddess influencer—whether that’s well-received or not depends entirely on who’s watching.”