EXCLUSIVE: Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex is staying in the podcast business.
The Duchess, otherwise known as Meghan Markle, has signed a new podcast deal with Lemonada Media, the company behind Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
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The move will see her launch a new podcast series and Lemonada will also distribute her previous Spotify series Archetypes to all podcast platforms.
It comes after her and her husband Prince Harry parted ways with Spotify last year.
There are no details of the show yet, but Meghan will host the as yet untitled series.
Archetypes, which was previously a Spotify exclusive, will be rolled out to all audio platforms with Lemonada distributing. The series has recorded over 10M downloads, around a million listens per episode and debuted as Spotify’s No.1 podcast in 47 countries around the world when it launched in August 2022.
The series explored the labels that try to hold women back. Mariah Carey spoke about the definition of being a diva; Mindy Kaling celebrated the choice to be single; Pamela Adlon lifted the lid on the pressure to be a wife and a mother; Issa Rae and Ziwe Fumudoh unpacked the loaded misconception that often comes with being a woman of color; and Jameela Jamil and Shohreh Agdashloo spoke about the courage that it takes to step up and speak out, even when it puts everything on the line.
Other guests included Serena Williams, Margaret Cho, Lisa Ling, Deepika Padukone, Jenny Slate, Constance Wu, Paris Hilton, Iliza Shlesinger, Sophia Gregoire Trudeau, Sam Jay, Mellody Hobson, Victoria Jackson, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Candance Bushnell, Trevor Noah, Andy Cohen and Judd Apatow.
The series, which is produced by her and Prince Harry’s Archewell Productions, won a People’s Choice Award for The Pop Podcast of 2022 and Markle won best entertainment podcast host at the Gracie Awards.
The deal is a coup for Lemonada Media, which was founded in 2019 by Jessica Cordova Kramer, a former executive producer at Pod Save America producer Crooke Media, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs, cofounder of theater company Rec Room Arts.
In addition to Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which was named Apple’s 2023 Show of the Year, it is behind Hard Feelings with Jennette McCurdy, Funny Cuz It’s True with Elyse Myers, Last Day, Believe Her and Choice Words with Samantha Bee.
“I’m proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting,” said Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. “Being able to support a female founded company with a roster of thought provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024. Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.”
“We are beyond honored that Meghan has trusted us to help democratize access to Archetypes, and that so many more people around the world will have access to the series soon. Meghan’s talent as host, creator and conversationalist is unparalleled and we are thrilled to co-create a new series with her that fosters her approach to creating art that matters,” added Lemonada’s CEO Jessica Cordova Kramer.
“As we’ve started development with The Duchess of Sussex, we are blown away by her collaborative spirit and clear vision, along with her deep desire to build compassion and community through this work. The Lemonada team felt immediate kinship with Meghan and the Archewell Productions team, and we are delighted to be working together,” added Lemonada’s Chief Creative Officer Stephanie Wittels Wachs.
Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Archewell Productions are represented by WME.
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Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
