Meghan Markle finally dropped her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, today (March 4) and you’d be forgiven for thinking it looks a little familiar.
With Love, Meghan features the Duchess of Sussex in a gorgeous country kitchen, filming aspirational cooking segments alongside a host of famous faces. Husband Prince Harry even has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo.
Scenes from the eight-part series also show Meghan in the sun-soaked garden, chatting with friends, carrying wicker baskets of fruit and veg and dancing with joy.
However, those who’ve already tuned into Pamela Anderson’s lifestyle show, Cooking With Love, have noticed that Pammy’s series also features all of the above…
So, with fans calling out the Duchess of Sussex for copying the Baywatch legend, will the ladies be paying attention to the noise, or revelling in the increased publicity?
Nick Ede, brand and culture expert, exclusive told ED! that the women are “too classy” to become embroiled in a feud over the series. However, he did admit that Meghan “creates a circus” with everything that she does…
With Love, Meghan premieres on Netflix to backlash
The Netflix series was quickly branded a “virtual rip-off” of Pamela’s Cooking With Love. It premiered last week and also sees the actress cooking and dancing around a country kitchen.
“So similar it’s freaky,” said one. “Eerily similar,” said another. Others called Meghan’s “inauthentic” and “copycat”.
However, Nick told us that, while the “aesthetic is very similar” to Pamela’s show, it’s “sweet and harmless” and he doesn’t think the Baywatch babe will mind too much.
“I think that it’s a lovely slice of Americana and gives an insight into Meghan’s new life. The aesthetic is very similar to Pamela Anderson’s and so is the construct of the show. Both are about entertaining and bringing people together. But Meghan’s series is sweet and harmless and plays into her authenticity well,” he said.
Meghan’s ‘circus’
Asked if Pammy – who looked unrecognisable at the BAFTAs last month – will be annoyed at Meghan stealing the limelight, Nick added: “Meghan’s fame is a global phenomenon in itself. It will attract eyeballs from fans and those who don’t like her because whatever she does creates a circus .
I don’t think they will have any beef between them – pardon the pun!
“Pamela’s show is about her lifestyle being a vegan and will play into that narrative and will find its own fan base. If anything, the two piggybacking off each other will increase the eyeballs on them.”
‘They won’t want a war of words’
Ruling out a feud developing between the ladies, Nick shut down the suggestion they’ll hash it out in public.
He added: “I think they are very different and both pretty classy. They won’t want a war of words. The thing about cookery shows is that many of them are very similar in production and narrative, so I don’t think they will have any beef between them – pardon the pun!”
He concluded: “I think they both are being their authentic selves. Both have lived in California and Canada, so are bringing their slice of reality to the screens.
“People will take what they want from that and hopefully enjoy them and the takeaway tips both shows offer.”
With Love, Meghan is on Netflix now.
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