Funny thing about doing something on the public stage, isn’t it? Sometimes, whatever you initially think is good gets a lot of applause and love. At first, everything seems to be going well, as we saw recently with that so-called "Royal tour" to Colombia involving Harry, which allegedly cost the government over there more than a million in security expenses. With all the police presence and the activities, many in the Colombian media are now asking, “What was the point?” That’s the bigger question everyone is pondering. The purpose of the visit? To discover that a three-year-old had found their voice, apparently. But there are bigger issues brewing back home—not necessarily in Meghan's kitchen, but more with the threadbare deal they still have with the streaming giant, Netflix. Let me explain.
Good to see you today. How are you? It’s getting a bit windy here, and it’s starting to look autumnal. I can’t believe we’re already at our final bank holiday, which many people consider the end of summer. I like to stretch summer out until at least mid-October, though. You know how it is—you don’t want to say goodbye to all the beautiful flowers or start dealing with cumbersome coats, bags, gloves, and scarves every time you go out. Are you with me? And I know some of you in Australia are probably laughing because your weather is starting to turn around, and you’re thinking, “Oh yes, Neil, it’s all coming back our way now.”
But as George Formby famously said, “It’s turned out nice again,” and it will for us by next March. Everything comes in its time, doesn’t it? A bit like Meghan Markle’s big claim that, despite her husband enjoying work in the entertainment industry and having seven ongoing projects, even the other two they were hoping to get off the ground—the polo show and the cooking show—have now stalled for some reason or another. There’s some talk about issues with patents and registrations, but I’m not buying that nonsense. I think Netflix has realized that these ideas are just duds and that they need to move on to something else.
What happened in Colombia has now made things very difficult for Harry and Meghan, and here’s why. Put yourself in Netflix’s shoes. They look at the situation and think, “Well, we did ‘Heart of Invictus’ as you requested, and it wasn’t a success. Then there was the business show, which everyone seems to have forgotten about, where Harry and Meghan were executive producers. And let’s not forget the odd situation with ‘Meet Me at the Lake’ by Carley Fortune—what happened to that?” Another idea just floating in the air.
Netflix's interest piqued when the Vice President of Colombia expressed how thrilled she was and that she learned about Harry and Meghan through their Netflix docuseries, *Harry & Meghan*. In that series, they trashed everyone, including, some might say, themselves and their reputations. Now, Netflix bosses have responded to Harry and Meghan by saying, “Yes, it was a success. People love you doing that sort of thing. Guess what? We’d like more.”
This is where it gets tricky because, while Meghan isn’t one to shy away from a microphone or camera, Netflix knows they need something juicy—dirt, gossip, and the latest scandal. Perhaps they want details about what happened when Harry came over for the coronation—all of that inside information. This is what makes the deal with Harry and Meghan worth the money, and now the Sussexes are faced with the same dilemma time and again. Their content is running thin, Netflix knows it, and the audience knows what they want. The audience has no interest in a cooking show from a former cable TV actress who is going to tell them how to be friendly, love their garden, and make friends—especially when no one has ever seen her garden, her cooking, or, more importantly, her friends.
You can understand Netflix’s rather pushy dilemma. The only question is: will the Sussexes finally crumble? The show must go on, even in the heart of London.
