Meghan celebrates ‘success’ of cringey Netflix series despite backlash

Meghan Markle has thanked fans in the US for putting her show in Netflix’s Top 10, despite the avalanche of criticism the “embarrassing” show has received since its launch.

Meghan Markle is ignoring the haters and celebrating the success of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan despite it being mercilessly dragged by a slew of critics following its release earlier this week.

The Duchess of Sussex rushed to social media to share that the series had reached the streamer’s Top 10 list within 24 hours of its release.

The former working royal thanked fans around the globe for watching the eight-part series, which sees her share tips and tricks for hosting at home with appearances from several of her celebrity friends.

Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series has been widely panned. Picture: Netflix

“For more recipes, fun and reasons to ‘Mmmm’, check out the show — which in just 24 hours is already in the Top 10,” Markle wrote on her Instagram Story.

The show, which boasts eight episodes roughly 30 minutes long, sits in the 6th spot on the US Netflix chart as of Thursday morning.

Despite its streaming success, the show has received largely disappointing reviews so far, with IMDB giving it just 2.7 out of 10.

The negative feedback was then echoed by a slew of critics from both US and UK publications, with The Guardian‘s TV writer Stuart Heritage calling the series “pointless,” adding that it should be the couple’s “last TV show.”

Meghan Markle has thanked fans for “tuning in” after her show went into Netflix US's top 10. Picture: Supplied

The Sussexes signed a A$157 million deal with the streamer in 2020. They came out with their five-part Harry & Meghan docuseries in 2022, while Prince Harry’s Polo documentary — which also got a scathing reception from critics — dropped in December 2024.

Heritage also called the former actress “thirsty” and her show “joyless.”

Elsewhere, Radio Times columnist Caroline Frost wrote that Meghan failed to “reimagine the genre of lifestyle programming” with her new series, while the Telegraph editor Anita Singh said the show is “an exercise in narcissism, filled with extravagant brunches, celebrity friends and business plugs.”

The negative reviews were echoed by The Independent‘s writer Katie Rosseinsky, who gave With Love, Meghan a one-star review and called the series “queasy and exhausting.”

The critic reviews appeared to reflect a lot of viewers’ feedback, as many flocked to social media to share their thoughts on the series.

Meghan Markle’s skills in the kitchen are questionable. Picture: Supplied

“With Love, Meghan is a masterclass in how to waste Netflix money. What do we get? Her pretending to be relatable, and trades banalities with B-list guests like Mindy Kaling. This isn’t a lifestyle show, it’s a 40-minute infomercial for her ego,” one social media user’s post read.

Another added, “The new Meghan show is boring! The desperation is palpable. I am not a Meghan fan but it’s sad.”

The Netflix series was also slammed by Meghan’s estranged half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, who took aim at the “malarkey stories” Meghan shares about her childhood.

MEGHAN’S CRINGY INTERVIEW WITH DREW

It comes as Drew Barrymore introduced Meghan as “Meghan Sussex” on her talk show, after the Duchess was filmed correcting her celebrity friend Mindy Kaling on her preferred family name in her new Netflix series.

In a preview of the show, Barrymore introduced Meghan with the surname “Sussex”, which her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet use as their surname.

During their interview, which was Meghan’s first daytime television talk show appearance in three years, the Duchess of Sussex gushed about her kids, saying they had picked up Prince Harry’s British accent.

“This is the Fast Five with Meghan Sussex,” Barrymore said, as the audience applauded.

Drew Barrymore and Meghan Markle in the kitchen on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Meghan then answered rapid-fire questions including one about the last time she was surprised, saying it was when Prince Harry and their children sent her a card during her trip to New York.

When asked what aspects of Prince Harry she sees in their children, she said it was their pronunciation of zebra with a “British accent”.

The appearance marked Meghan’s first time on a talk show in three years.

Meghan also revealed that her former TV show Suits was originally called A Legal Mind.

Opening up about her children, Meghan told Barrymore how she still incorporated bedtime stories into their routines when she was away for work, as she gave her brand a plug.

“I always make it a point when I’m travelling if I can’t do bedtime stories with my kids because Archie and Lily are just three and five, so I’ll always pack a really thin book and I’ll videotape myself reading it so whoever’s with them or Papa can say, ‘Here’s Mama reading your bedtime story,’” she said.

Meghan brought some of her famous jams as she cooked up some treats.

“You find ways to show up for each other and if that’s the one thing that I can convey through the show or through As Ever as a brand, I want people to know you can show up for each other because you know how good it feels when someone shows up for you,” Meghan added.

The surname “Sussex” was a topic of conversation in an episode of With Love, Meghan when the Duchess corrected Mindy Kaling after The Office actress called her Meghan Markle.

Meghan made the statement in the series as she and Kaling geared up for a garden party and talked about what food they ate as children.

Kaling said, “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box.”

“It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now,” Meghan said.

“You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children,’” she said. “I didn’t know how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much to go, this is our family name, our little family name.”

Meghan corrected her celebrity pal Mindy Kaling on her TV series.

Despite opting out of royal life, Meghan told People this week that the Sussex title bestowed upon her and Harry by Queen Elizabeth on their 2018 wedding day holds an even deeper meaning now that they have children.

Some royal fans slammed Meghan over her Sussex statement, with many reiterating that her children’s last name is Mountbatten-Windsor, which is what it says on their birth certificates.

Other critics have pointed out that Meghan has only visited the county of Sussex once.

However, the styling of using a title as a surname is a tradition within the royal family — Prince Harry and Prince William had the surname Wales while at school and in the army.

‘EMBARRASSING’: MEGHAN’S HALF-BROTHER SLAMS SERIES

Meghan Markle’s estranged half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr has delivered a scathing review of her new Netflix series, calling it “embarrassing”.

Not only did Thomas sum up the eight episodes of With Love, Meghan as “bland” and “generic”, but he also hit back at Meghan’s “malarkey stories” about her childhood.

Thomas claimed it “wasn’t the case” that Meghan, “grew up watching cooking shows and grew up cooking all the time.”

He clarified that while Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, “was a great cook,” the former actress “didn’t cook anything for anybody ever growing up”.

Meghan noted in her show that she grew up eating fast food, from American fast food outlets such as Jack in the Box and Taco Bell — which Thomas also hit back at.

He denied the former actress was “poor and underprivileged,” calling her life “the complete opposite”.

Thomas said, “We weren’t poor. She didn’t have to rub those two nickels together at Sizzler’s salad bar.”

He alleged Meghan ate at iconic Hollywood restaurant, Musso & Frank Grill, Hamburger Hamlet and “lots of restaurants in Hollywood”.

Thomas Markle Jr has slammed his estranged half-sister Meghan Markle's new Netflix series. Picture: Supplied

Prince Harry makes fleeting appearances in his wife’s new Netflix series. Picture: Netflix

Meghan Markle with her parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland. Picture: Thomas Markle: My Story

Thomas, who “felt sorry and embarrassed for” his estranged sibling, also joked about himself and his sister, Samantha Markle, changing their last names to Sussex to follow in Meghan’s footsteps.

He added that he does not “have a problem” with Meghan not going by Markle anymore so he and older sister Samantha can “redeem” themselves from the surname’s “stained, tarnished” image.

Thomas Jr., Samantha and their dad, Thomas Markle, have regularly made headlines for criticising Meghan over the years.

Thomas Jr. said that he did not have “enough heart medication” for his father to watch Meghan’s show and needed to fill the 80-year-old’s prescription first.

With Love, Meghan is available to stream now on Netflix.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post

Originally published as Meghan celebrates ‘success’ of cringey Netflix series despite backlash