If you don’t succeed, try, try again! That’s the lesson Meghan Markle seems to be taking to heart, anyway, after announcing that she’s embarking on a second stab at a new enterprise — less than two years after her last attempt at it sunk hard and soured her relationship with a potentially lucrative partner.
Fresh off both the launch of her new wellness brand, As Ever, and the release of her latest Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram this Thursday to make yet another announcement. This time, Meghan confirmed that she’s returning to the podcasting sphere, but no one is surprised to hear that she’s not working with Spotify anymore. Instead she’s teamed up with Lemonada Media, who also support podcasts from the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jenette McCurdy.
“I’m so excited to share with you something else I’ve been working on: “Confessions of a Female Founder,” my new podcast with @lemonadamedia!” Meghan revealed. “I’ve been having candid conversations with amazing women who have turned dreams into realities, and scaled small ideas into massively successful businesses. They’re opening up, sharing their tips, tricks (and tumbles), and letting me pick their brains as I build out my own business, As ever. It has been absolutely eye-opening, inspiring…and fun! (Because what’s the point if we can’t have some fun on this wild adventure?).” She signed out her message by confirming the first episode of her new podcast will launch less than a month away, on April 12.
What happened to Meghan’s $20 million deal with Spotify?
It’s honestly surprising to learn that Meghan is having another go at podcasting, considering how things went the last time she tried it. After landing their $100 million partnership with Netflix, Meghan and Prince Harry snagged another hefty contract when they made a deal reportedly worth $20 million with Spotify in fall 2022. The pair looked set to become the platform’s hottest new stars.
All Spotify ultimately had to show for their money, though, were 12 episodes of Meghan’s podcast “Archetypes,” in which she interviewed female public and corporate figures about how they subvert stereotypes. Spotify ended the podcast after one season, which was claimed to be a mutual decision. However, given the similarity in premise between Meghan’s new podcast and her old one, it seems likely it was Spotify’s decision to end it. Similarly, Harry was never able to come up with a podcast idea he was passionate enough about.
The Wall Street Journal alleged at the time that the working relationship broke down between the two parties due to the Sussexes’ slow-moving pace and lack of commitment to their deal. Spotify exec Bill Simmons certainly didn’t hold back on his thoughts about the pair when discussing them on his own podcast. “‘The F****** Grifters.’ That’s the podcast we should have launched with them,” Simmons said in an uncensored rant. “I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories… F*** them.”
Let’s hope Meghan’s new podcast partnership is a lot more fruitful this time around.
Published: Mar 14, 2025 10:40 am