The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s multi-million-pound deal with Spotify has ended amid reports that the couple did not hit the streaming giant’s productivity targets.
Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton were among the guests who featured on the Archtypes podcast hosted by Meghan over 12 episodes from August 2022.
A joint statement from Spotify and Archewell Audio, the couple’s content creation label, confirmed that the podcast about discrimination and sexism faced by women would not be renewed for another series.
It said: “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”
It comes three years after the couple signed a lucrative deal to host and
produce podcasts said to be worth £18 million, though the Wall Street Journal said they would not collect the full amount as the show failed to hit internal targets.
Meghan wrote on the couple’s Archewell website at the time: “I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative.
“And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them.
“It has been such a labour of love.”
However, Spotify recently announced it would be laying off about 200 staff members — around two per cent of their workforce — who work within their podcast teams. It cited difficulties in making podcasts profitable, despite their popularity among listeners. It has been reported that Meghan is still planning to create more podcasts and find a new home for her series.
The move to Spotify came after the couple quit as senior working royals in 2020 in favour of more freedom and the ability to earn their own money in the US. As well as the Spotify deal, they also took part in a six-part Netflix series called Harry & Meghan, and the Duke released his best-selling memoir Spare.
The book caused headlines around the world with its revelations, including claims his brother Prince William physically attacked him and called his wife “difficult” and “abrasive”.
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Harry also branded Camilla a “villain” and spoke of bodies being “left in the street” during her image rehabilitation. He also described how he and William pleaded with their father not to wed Camilla, as well as speaking openly about his drug use.
The claims laid bare the rifts within the royal family though Harry’s presence at the coronation hinted at the possibility of reconciliation.
He attended the service before swiftly heading home to the US to be with Meghan and their children Archie and Lili for Archie’s birthday, which fell on the same day.
