Meghan’s Netflix show settles for familiar faces instead

Meghan Markle’s much-hyped second season of With Love, Meghan is already facing criticism over what insiders are calling an “underwhelming” guestlist.

The Duchess struggled to secure big-name stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, or even a Kardashian, and has instead leaned on familiar faces from her personal circle including her make up artist and Pilates instructor.

Netflix, keen to keep the project afloat, reportedly padded out the line-up with talent already tied to the streamer, most of them TV chefs, while the majority of guests also have links to WME, the Hollywood agency representing Meghan.

A British entertainment insider didn’t hold back, telling the Daily Mail, “It’s very underwhelming. 

Where are the heavyweights? Oprah, Michelle Obama, a Kardashian, even? Instead it feels like a random collection of people she happens to know.”

The first trailer for the new eight-episode season has pulled in 380,000 YouTube views, but audience reception is far from glowing with more than 32,000 dislikes compared to just 2,900 likes. 

Fans have also questioned the choice of filming in a rented property near her Montecito mansion, which sources say was used for “privacy reasons.”

The Duchess of Sussex managed to line up a mix of friendly faces and Netflix talent, but critics say the guestlist is a far cry from the A-list heavyweights many expected. 

Teigen joins Queer Eye favorite Tan France a vocal Sussex supporter who appears to be Netflix’s way of keeping him in the spotlight following the end of Queer Eye.

The culinary contingent is stacked with chefs Samin Nosrat, Christina Tosi, José Andrés, David Chang, and Clare Smyth, who famously cooked at Meghan and Harry’s 2018 wedding.

But some in Hollywood aren’t impressed. “Chrissy Teigen isn’t popular anymore. Jay Shetty and his wife are known, but not superstars. 

The rest are niche,” one insider told MailOnline, adding that Netflix may have padded the line-up. 

“The closest thing to a celebrity this season is Tan France and even that feels like a Netflix move rather than Meghan’s pull.”

Despite the glossy production, the numbers tell another story. With Love, Meghan failed to break into Netflix’s top 300 most-watched shows for the first half of 2025 even trailing multiple seasons of Suits. Streaming insiders bluntly described viewership as “dismal.”

Still, Meghan remains upbeat, closing her teaser with: “I love these moments of discovery and beauty. So let’s be curious together.”