Prince Harry's venture into the world of television has not resonated well with British viewers. Despite leaving the royal family in January 2020 to pursue a new life in the United States, where he and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, began creating TV shows and podcasts, their efforts haven't garnered much support in the UK. Instead, the British audience has shown a preference for Piers Morgan, a former antagonist of Meghan.
The series "Harry and Meghan" produced for Netflix didn't even make it to the long list for this year's National Television Awards. Harry was in contention for the TV interview category due to his solo interview with journalist Tom Bradby, titled "Harry: The Interview."
However, this 95-minute special for ITV did not make the shortlist. Instead, viewers chose programs like "The Graham Norton Show," "Louis Theroux Interviews," "The Chris and Rosie Ramsey Show," all from the BBC, and Piers Morgan's "Piers Morgan Uncensored." Piers Morgan has previously received accolades for his interviews, including the one with Cristiano Ronaldo, which had significant consequences for the athlete's career.
This setback for Harry and Meghan follows other recent disappointments, including their decision to cut ties with Spotify after just one podcast series, which was worth an £18 million contract. Their exit from Spotify was marked by strong words from Bill Simmons, an executive at the platform, who referred to them as "effing grifters."
The National Television Awards voting process begins with a long list based on TV ratings from BARB viewers. Subsequently, viewers participate in the voting process to determine who makes it to the shortlist and ultimately wins the awards.
Prior to these developments, a poll conducted by Delta Poll revealed that over half of the population would support Prince Harry being removed from the line of succession to prevent him from ever becoming King. The poll showed that 52 percent supported this move, especially considering Harry's position as 15th in line to the throne, behind his brother, the Prince of Wales, and his nephews and niece, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
Furthermore, 51 percent of those polled believed that Harry and his family should have their titles revoked. Currently, Prince Harry and Meghan retain their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, while their children, Archie and Lilibet, can use their titles as prince and princess, being the grandchildren of the reigning monarch. The poll also inquired about the public's perception of Prince Harry since the passing of the Queen.
About 45 percent felt that their opinion of Harry had worsened in the past year, while only 12 percent reported an improvement. On the other hand, Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, received more favorable ratings, with 76 percent believing they were performing well in their new roles. Most respondents also considered Prince William the senior royal best suited to secure the future of the Commonwealth.
