Meghan Markle faces backlash over promo for her upcoming Netflix series as she shares ‘unappetising’ recipe

The Duchess of Sussex has faced backlash after sharing an update regarding the second series of her Netflix show.

Taking to Instagram yesterday, Montecito-based Meghan Markle, 44, shared an image of some crisps frying in a pan with the caption, ‘New season of With Love, Meghan August 26 on @netflix.

The mother-of-two added, ‘Dare I say, ‘It’s all that… and a bag of chips’.’ The ’90s quote, which means something is cool, is associated with Will Smith, who delivered the line in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

However, following the post, some users took to X to comment on the appearance of the crisps, despite them still cooking.

One questioned, ‘Those are chips? Would never have guessed.’ A second said, ‘This isn’t new, exciting or inventive. I tried making chips with my kids 30 years ago.’

A third user added, ‘Beige. Not even healthy enough to be beige actually. Not appetising.’

Another wrote, ‘Ok I get it they’re still being cooked and not yet browned, but potato chips? I think we ALL can make potato chips. Is this & pasta the extent of her cooking skills? Thus far I’ve seen nothing she’s made that I’d want to try.’

During the first episodes of With Love, Meghan, which aired in March, the duchess’s culinary tips included how to plate up a takeaway and tie a bow around a bag of shop-bought pretzels. 

Both seasons were filmed at the same time. A ‘holiday’ special has been recorded too, for the Christmas period.

It comes after Meghan Markle shared another gushing post to promote her wine – as it still hasn’t sold out more than two weeks after it first launched. 

The Duchess of Sussex released her 2024 Napa Valley Rose on August 5 – but more than two weeks later, it is still available to buy on the website of her lifestyle brand, As ever.  

By contrast, Meghan’s 2023 rosé sold out within an hour when it launched last month.

On Tuesday, the team at As ever shared another clip of the wine, crediting it as being Meghan’s ‘favourite pour’ and stating it’s only ‘available for a limited time’. 

In what made for typically aesthetic viewing, they filmed pouring the vibrant wine into a glass, with Meghan’s wicker basket and hat in the background. 

‘Cheers to summer’s final sips,’ the caption read, adding: ‘Fill your glass with our founder’s favorite pour, available for a limited time.’

The post appears to be an attempt to boost sales after it failed to match the quick sell-out of the 2023 wine’s launch – and comes amid news of Meghan and Harry’s Netflix deal being ‘downgraded’ to a ‘first look’ deal when it expires later this year. 

Buyers must purchase a minimum of three bottles of wine, which retail for $30 each. Six bottles cost $159 (£119) including a 12 per cent discount, and 12 bottles are $300 (£225) including 17 per cent off.

Combined with the $20 shipping cost, plus taxes, anyone looking to buy the wine is faced with a minimum spend of more than $110. 

When the 2023 version came out on July 1, the wine went on sale at 4pm UK time, but the site was updated less than hour later to signal stocks were sold out. 

The 2024 wine is described as evoking the same ‘soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality and a lasting finish’ as the 2023 rosé – but it clearly packs less of a punch. 

Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a new ‘multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects’ with Netflix – a downgrade on their previous contract.

The couple’s new output will include a second season of the Duchess’s ‘With Love, Meghan’ lifestyle show later this month, as well as a Christmas special in December.

The new arrangement is a first-look deal, meaning Netflix can say yes or no to new film or TV projects before anyone else. 

The Sussexes are also working on ‘Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within’ – a documentary about orphaned children in Uganda, where the ‘shadows of the HIV/Aids crisis linger’.

There is also ‘active development’ on other projects with Netflix which ‘span a variety of content genres’, including an adaptation of romantic novel Meet Me At The Lake.

Netflix has already released the first series of With Love, Meghan as well as Polo, Heart of Invictus, Live to Lead and the couple’s bombshell documentary Harry & Meghan as well as being a business partner on Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As Ever. 

Five years ago, Harry and Meghan secured a lucrative contract thought to be worth $100million (£74million) with Netflix after quitting as senior working royals in 2020.

The renewed deal was described by the Sussexes – who made the announcement with Netflix – as ‘extending their creative partnership’ through Archewell Productions.

But the new terms are understood to be worth less for Harry and Meghan than their previous contract, according to a person familiar with the deal, and represent Netflix loosening its ties with the couple.

Leading publicist Mark Borkowski told the Daily Mail: ‘They have shot the golden goose of 2020 – more of a ‘we’ll call you’ than ‘here’s the chequebook’. It’s a first-look deal, which means Netflix gets first dibs but no obligation to bankroll every semi-royal whim. 

‘I reckon Netflix is trimming fat industry-wide, so this is less carte blanche, more curated cameo.

‘They’re still in business together – Meghan’s. As ever brand and seasonal specials keep them in the Netflix shop window but make no mistake, this is a slimmed-down sequel to the blockbuster original. So Harry and Meghan’s new Netflix chapter [is] less champagne budget, more Prosecco by the glass.’ 

Netflix said Harry & Meghan, which came out in December 2022, was a huge success with a total of 23.4million views, making it the most viewed documentary ever through its first four days and reaching the English Top 10 TV list in 85 countries. 

But With Love, Meghan failed to break into Netflix’s top ten programmes – or even the top 300, as it ranked at number 383 in 2025 so far for the streaming giant with just 5.3million viewers across the globe since it was first broadcast in March.

However, the Duchess said: ‘We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand.

‘My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.’

Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said: ‘Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere.

‘The response to their work speaks for itself – Harry & Meghan gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series.

‘More recently, fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As ever line consistently selling out in record time.

‘We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.’

Meanwhile a new trailer for the second season of With Love, Meghan was released  last week and showed Meghan hosting a fresh batch of celebrities and influencers at the rented California house close to her and Prince Harry’s Montecito mansion.  

With Love, Meghan was renewed for a second season just as season one was released in March. All the episodes were filmed at the same time, it is understood. 

As Ever is Meghan’s lifestyle brand – previously known as American Riviera Orchard – which launched in March and also sells cookie mix, tea, flower sprinkles and jams.

Guests on season two will include Chrissy Teigen and Jamie Kern Lima, the trailer revealed. 

In the one-minute, 27-second teaser, Meghan is seen eating cheese, prepping snacks and drinks with friends and even reveals the food her husband Prince Harry doesn’t like. 

‘Do you know who doesn’t like lobster? My husband,’ she says as she prepares the seafood. 

As the trailer comes to an end, Meghan reveals: ‘I love these moments of discovery and beauty. So let’s be curious together.’ 

Meghan’s As ever website describes her rosé wine as ‘thoughtfully curated by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’ and that it has been ‘made to be enjoyed with the ones you love’.

The pale pink wine, which comes in a clear bottle with a white, gold-rimmed label, has an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 13.5 per cent – 1 per cent lower than its predecessor. 

The Daily Mail revealed in June that the 2023 wine used grapes from the Fairwinds estate so Meghan could show her support after the winery was almost destroyed in a devastating wildfire in 2020 which caused $15million worth of damage. 

Napa Valley wine country is in northern California, around 50 miles from San Francisco.

The Duchess was shown drinking rosé during the last episode of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan earlier this year when she offered chef Alice Waters a glass of wine.

‘Would you like a glass of rosé while we’re cooking?’ the duchess said, pouring from a bottle which does not appear to be As Ever wine, having a different label.

Meghan added as she drank: ‘Might be the best sip of wine I’ve ever had.’

In a belated Instagram post following her birthday this month, Meghan said she was ‘blowing out the candles on a beautiful 24 hours’ and thanked her husband, friends and family for ‘making it so special’.

‘To those of you I don’t know, but who send love every day – thank you so much. Please know I feel it and appreciate it,’ she captioned the post alongside a heart emoji.

Meghan and the Duke of Sussex left the UK and moved to California five years ago for a new life after stepping down from the working monarchy.