Meghan Markle's highly anticipated Netflix lifestyle program, With Love, Meghan, has reportedly faced a challenging start, failing to break into the streaming giant's top 300 most-watched programmes for the first half of the year.
This news comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue their journey to build a significant media presence.
The Duchess of Sussex's show, which offers a glimpse into her cooking and gardening skills alongside guests including actress Mindy Kaling, premiered in March with considerable fanfare.
However, newly released figures from Netflix indicate that With Love, Meghan garnered 5.3 million views, placing it at number 383 on the platform's list of most-viewed shows.
© NetflixThis puts its viewership on par with the second series of the BBC hit Peaky Blinders, which originally aired in 2014, and season four of Suits, the legal drama from 2011 in which Meghan also starred.
While the series initially surged into Netflix's global top 10 within its first 24 hours, the latest figures suggest that audience engagement may have dropped off, reportedly amid a wave of negative reviews.
HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast host Andrea Caamano weighed in on the development, stating: "Meghan started the year with the launch of her new Instagram, which we soon realised was perfectly timed to support the debut of her cooking show. Although the release was delayed due to the devastating wildfires, the show eventually premiered and made it into the Top 10 in several countries.
© JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIX"Still, it's disappointing to see that it hasn't cracked Netflix's Top 300 most-watched shows so far - something Meghan herself is likely feeling too." However, there remains optimism for future ventures.
"But she has another shot later this year with Season 2. We already know Chef José Andrés is set to appear in an upcoming episode, so fingers crossed it connects more strongly with audiences next time around," Andrea added.
Series two of With Love, Meghan
Back in March, it was confirmed that the second season is due to air this autumn, with director Michael Steed returning to the project.
Further details about the show's return have yet to be revealed, but it has been confirmed that the series has already been filmed.
In a post on Instagram, Meghan posted a video of herself dancing and wearing a cap, which says 'lettuce romaine calm'.
She captioned the post: "Lettuce romaine calm… or not(!) because '’m thrilled to share that Season 2 of 'With Love, Meghan' is coming!"
With Love, Meghan followed the Duchess of Sussex and her celebrity friends as they took part in various activities, from cooking to beekeeping to hosting events.
The series features eight 30-minute episodes, with Meghan's husband, Prince Harry, making a cameo in the final episode.
