Have you ever taken a bite of something that looked scrumptious but ended up tasting like cardboard? That’s the vibe viewers are getting from With Love, Meghan on Netflix. The show’s premise promises to take viewers inside the life of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, showcasing her kitchen escapades, her love for beekeeping, and her sparkling social circles.
But after the first few episodes, it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t the refreshing treat fans were expecting—it was more like a sugar-coated version of reality, a polished image with little substance underneath.
From forced smiles to awkward celebrity moments, the show’s carefully curated content leaves you wondering if it’s meant to entertain or just flaunt Meghan Markle’s image. The reality of the show never feels grounded, and the charm that was hoped for in such a personal project is nowhere to be found.
If you’re contemplating whether With Love, Meghan is worth a watch, let us walk you through five key reasons why this show is more difficult to stomach than you might think.
5. Beekeeping blunder and the forced charm
Right from the start, With Love, Meghan gives off a whiff of phoniness, and it’s all thanks to a beekeeping blunder. Yes, beekeeping. Meghan Markle introduces us to the hobby fans were eager to see, but they didn’t expect a beekeeping fiasco that has everyone buzzing for all the wrong reasons.
Now, we’re no beekeepers, but if we claimed to have been at it for a year, you bet we’d know the basics—like, say, the lifespan of a bee. Yet, Markle, just moments into the segment, asks a beekeeper the very question. And that’s when the cracks start to show. Fans on Reddit and X didn’t hold back, slamming the moment as “the fakest stuff ever”.
It’s like watching a chef ask, “What’s a knife?” after a year in the kitchen. Does anyone buy it?
Markle also promised an inside look into her post-royal journey with heartwarming moments like cooking and bonding with friends. But this beekeeping blunder feels more like a set-up than a genuine endeavor. Fans instantly spotted the inconsistency, and it’s hard to blame them. They’ve seen enough reality TV to know when something doesn’t quite add up, and this moment was a glaring red flag.
4. Celebrity fawning and empty praise
In a bid to showcase her world, Meghan Markle brings in celebrity friends, including her makeup artist, Daniel Martin, who seems more interested in fawning over her than actually interacting with her. It’s a trainwreck of forced admiration. We mean, at one point, he cuts his finger while handling a knife, and Markle delivers the line, “He’s an artist. These hands can’t be hurt.”
The problem is that it doesn’t feel authentic!
Moreover, the constant “I love everything you do” responses from Martin and the over-the-top reactions make it uncomfortable to watch. It’s hard to take any of it seriously when the show’s primary purpose seems less about presenting a true reflection of Markle’s life and more about creating a staged narrative where everyone exists to validate her.
3. A Fairy-tale life, not a relatable one
Meghan Markle’s latest Netflix endeavor, With Love, Meghan, has received scathing reviews, with many calling it an “embarrassment”. One of the key criticisms that has been levied against the show is its disconnection from reality. The series presents a glamorous, unattainable lifestyle—huge kitchens that no one can afford, ridiculously expensive outfits, and surreal social gatherings.
It’s the kind of lifestyle that most viewers can only dream of, and it’s clear the show isn’t interested in making it relatable to anyone who doesn’t live in a mansion in Montecito. Markle’s casual references to her wardrobe (Zara bottoms and a Loro Piana top) only highlight how out of touch she is with reality. If you’re watching this show and you’re not part of the one percent, it’s impossible not to feel alienated. The entire vibe is as if the show is designed to reinforce just how much more special Markle’s life is compared to yours.
It’s about as relatable as a Gucci bag for a toddler!
2. Missed opportunities for real conversations
We expected With Love, Meghan to delve deeper into Meghan Markle’s personal experiences—perhaps talking about her life as a duchess, her humanitarian work, or even her time with the royal family. Instead, the show serves up more superficial fluff.
There’s no vulnerability, no deeper dive into her life or her thoughts on the challenges she’s faced. Instead, we get moments of staged laughter, cloying exchanges with celebrity friends, and elaborate cooking sessions that don’t offer much beyond the basics.
What could have been an insightful exploration of her life turns into a carefully produced show, where each moment feels like it’s trying too hard to impress. The lack of realness makes it hard to connect with Meghan Markle, and instead, we get a show that feels more like a polished commercial for her image than a genuine lifestyle series.
1. The Parallel with Pamela Anderson’s show
While With Love, Meghan has certainly received its fair share of negative reviews, one interesting observation is how similar it is to Pamela Anderson’s new cooking show, Pamela’s Cooking With Love. In both series, the hosts invite celebrity guests into their homes to create meals, showcasing their culinary skills in a luxurious setting. But the similarity doesn’t end there.
Both seem to be indulging in similar formats, from the celebrity praise to the casual yet undeniably extravagant backdrops.
However, With Love, Meghan feels like a slightly more polished version of Pamela’s Cooking With Love—as if someone took the same general concept but made it just a little more… unapproachable. It’s clear that both shows are riding on the star power of their hosts, but the main difference lies in the execution.
While Anderson’s show feels like a celebration of warmth and vulnerability (despite being a tad kitschy at times), Markle’s show leans heavily into luxury and image.
Our take on Netflix’s With Love, Meghan
With Love, Meghan promises a peek into the life of one of the most famous women in the world, but what it delivers is a curated, flawless image of a life few of us can relate to. The show feels like a missed opportunity to create a no-holds-barred look into Meghan Markle’s life—one that could have resonated with a broader audience if it had leaned into authenticity rather than trying to maintain a curated, ‘perfect’ image.
If you’re hoping for a genuine, down-to-earth lifestyle show, this is not it. Unless you’re a die-hard Meghan Markle fan, we’d say give it a pass.
Still curious? Give it a go—With Love, Meghan is streaming on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
