The Duchess of Sussex has announced season two of her lifestyle series is on the way – after With Love, Meghan hit Netflix this week and was savaged by critics. The show launched on the streaming platform on Tuesday after being delayed from January because of the Los Angeles wildfires. Just hours later, Meghan officially launched her As Ever brand, with her updated website revealing her first products were her raspberry jam and the flower sprinkles she repeatedly promotes throughout the show.
But the eight-part series, which sees the former Suits actress give hosting tips and cook with her celebrity friends, has been heavily criticized. One review in The Guardian described it as a “gormless lifestyle filler” and “so pointless it might be the Sussexes’ last TV show,” while The Telegraph gave it two stars, branding it ‘insane’ and an “exercise in narcissism.” Despite the backlash, Netflix has confirmed that the second season is coming in the autumn and has already finished filming.
Meghan shared the news on her Instagram stories on Friday with a video of her wearing a hat with the words “lettuce romaine calm” written on it. Grinning, she turned and put her hands in the air, with the caption: “Lettuce romaine calm… or not (!) because I’m thrilled to share that Season 2 of With Love, Meghan is coming!” Shortly after, she posted a reel featuring clips of her cooking, captioned: “Oh, how I love ASMR! If you’re loving Season 1, just wait until you see the fun we cooked up on Season 2! Thanks for joining the party, and an endless thanks to the amazing team and crew who helped bring it all to life! @netflix.”
The Duke of Sussex makes just one appearance at the end of the first season’s final episode, joining Meghan, her mother Doria Ragland, and friends for an outdoor celebratory brunch. In what is likely to be seen as a nod to the restrictions she felt within the royal family, Meghan raises a toast, saying: “This feels like a new chapter that I’m so excited that I get to share and I’ve been able to learn from all of you. So I just thank you for all the love and support. And here we go, there’s a business. All of that is just part of that creativity that I’ve missed so much, so thank you for loving me so much and celebrating with me.”
The show is being viewed as a make-or-break moment for the Sussexes, who signed a multimillion-pound deal with Netflix in 2020. Their most successful output remains their controversial Harry & Meghan documentary, which included accusations against the royal family. Meanwhile, Meghan has rebranded her lifestyle brand As Ever, switching from the original name American Riviera Orchard just weeks before the launch after facing trademarking setbacks, with Netflix now a new partner in her business.
As Ever trademark applications include a vast range of products, from shower gels, incense, and pet shampoo to gardening trowels, cutlery, stationery, diaries, paper party decorations, wrapping paper, ornamental non-precious stones, birdhouses, honey stirrers, jams, marmalades, and tea sets. Before marrying Harry, Meghan had previously run a lifestyle website called The Tig, which she shut down before joining the royal family.