London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 03, 2026

Oprah's Team Denied Reports That She's Planning A "Tell-All Interview" With Meghan Markle And Prince Harry

Major UK news outlets reported Monday that the royal couple would "threaten" the Queen with a "no-holds-barred" interview to get her to allow them to step down as senior members of the royal family.

Oprah Winfrey's spokesperson on Monday denied to BuzzFeed News that the media executive's team is setting up an interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (aka Prince Harry and Meghan Markle), following reports that the royal couple planned to "threaten" the Queen with the promise of a tell-all interview.

In an email Monday, Winfrey's chief spokesperson and executive vice president of communications and strategy at the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), Nicole Nichols, told BuzzFeed News that there are no discussions for an interview with Meghan and Harry.

"No, not in discussion for an interview," she said in an email.

Members of the royal family met today to talk logistics about the duke and duchess's plan to "step down" as senior members, a decision that would allow them to split their time between Canada and the UK and live without taxpayer funding.

On Sunday, the day before the "summit," reports began to circulate that Meghan and Harry had been in communication with Winfrey and several major US television networks and planned to use the threat of a no-holds-barred interview to influence the Queen into allowing them to step down under favorable terms.

BuzzFeed News has reached out to the Sun, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.


According to UK tabloid the Sun, which featured the story on its front page, a "royal source" said that the Sussexes' team was reaching out to Winfrey and major US media networks to "explore the possibilities of a sit-down warts-and-all interview" to use as leverage for exit discussions.

“Perhaps Harry and Meghan will use this as a negotiating tactic as there is no way the royals want their dirty laundry out in the open. Maybe they will get more money if they agree not to talk,” the paper reported.

The story was picked up and cited by the Daily Mail, the Express, the New York Post, and a number of other international media outlets.

When the Queen released a statement agreeing to the Sussexes' plan — with the caveat that there are "complex matters for [the] family to resolve" within the next few days — a number of people on Twitter cited the story as the reason, concluding that the Queen would only have made such a decision under threat.

"Personally, I couldn't give a shit what Harry and Meghan do, but to blackmail your 93-year-old grandma would be the lowest of the low," said one person, linking to the Sun story.

Earlier Monday, Prince William and Prince Harry issued a rare joint statement condemning an “offensive and harmful” newspaper report about their relationship.

Winfrey's denial of interview discussions with Sussexes comes three days after CBS News shut down widespread reports that Winfrey's friend Gayle King was planning to "grill" the couple in an exclusive interview of her own.

"Gayle says she has had absolutely no conversations with Meghan & Harry (or their representatives) about doing an interview with them," the network said in a statement.

This is the second time since Harry and Meghan's announcement that Winfrey -who was a guest at the Sussexes wedding in May 2018 -has spoken out against reports linking her to the royal couple's actions.

On Friday, following stories claiming that the TV legend had "encouraged" the couple to consider living in America and build their own brand in an attempt to become independent, Winfrey issued a statement denying any involvement in the Sussexes' decision.

"Meghan and Harry do not need my help figuring out what's best for them," Oprah told BuzzFeed News. "I care about them both and support whatever decisions they make for their family."

And last week, former US president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama denied widespread reports that they were advising the royal couple on how to find "huge commercial success without actually looking like they are getting their hands dirty, to put it bluntly, and retaining their popularity."

"There's no truth to it," an Obama spokesperson told People magazine Friday. "Rumors of them having anything to do with this are totally false. The former president and first lady are not advising the couple and have not been in contact with them."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
Ceuta Border Surge Recasts Europe’s Migration Debate
Burnham Promises a Harder Channel Response as Crossings Test His New Government
Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games End With Organisers Defending Smaller Format as Sustainable Model
Reform UK Faces Labour Criticism Over Nigel Farage Leadership Return Discussions
Environment Agency Restricts River Thames Navigation as Low Water Levels Raise Concerns
UK Government Launches Free Bus Travel Scheme for Children During Summer Holidays
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Confirms October Budget Date and Plans Wider Regional Funding Shift
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Promises Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings Amid European Migration Pressure
UK Economic Growth Forecast Raised Slightly as Inflation Expected to Remain Above Target Until 2029
National Farmers Union Warns of Food Shortage Risks as Drought and Heatwaves Damage UK Crops
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
Sainsbury Agrees to Sell Argos in £120 Million Deal to Private Consortium
High Court Clears Way for Construction of Chinese Embassy at Royal Mint Court
UK Fuel Prices Climb to Multi-Month Highs as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Disrupt Oil Supplies
Severe Summer Drought and Record Heat Put UK Harvests at Risk
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Faces Labour Backbench Opposition Over Potential Support for New North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
Bank of England Warns Inflation Will Stay Above 3% as Middle East Energy Shock Prolongs Cost-of-Living Pressures
Andy Burnham has Announces Plans to Redistribute Income Tax Revenue to English Mayors
Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise
Police Phone Checks Followed Report on Murder of MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin
Archbishop of Canterbury Reaffirms £100 Million Reparative Justice Fund During Ghana Visit
Charities Allege French Police Used Tear Gas Against Channel Migrants
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Iran-Linked Murder Plot in Britain
Christian Organisations File Charity Complaints Against Amnesty International UK
Ofgem Tightens Grid Connection Rules for New Data Centres
FTSE 100 Reaches Record High Despite Global Technology Sell-Off
Millions of UK Households Urged to Check Eligibility for Winter Energy Discount
Labour Restores Parliamentary Whips to Diane Abbott and Joani Reid
UK Supreme Court to Hear Challenge Over Palestine Action Ban
UK Commits More Than £8.4 Billion to Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine Programme
England Declares Severe Drought as Wildfire Burns Near Sizewell Nuclear Site
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Tensions Fuel Inflation Risks
Drought Status Extended Across All of Wales as Heat and Dry Weather Deepen Environmental Strain
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
UK Business Confidence Climbs to Four-Month High
Greater Manchester Gains Expanded Powers Under Regional Funding Reforms
UK Supreme Court to Hear Appeal Over Palestine Action Terror Ban
Shell's Quarterly Profit Doubles to Nearly $10 Billion on Higher Energy Prices
UK Government Removes VAT From Household Electricity Bills
Exceptional Drought Grips Half of England as Wildfire Threatens Sizewell
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Risks Persist
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The chief executive of the popular gaming company laid off many employees and his pay rose to 38 million dollars
UK Employment Holds Steady as Wage Growth Remains Moderate
England to Introduce Artificial Intelligence into Secondary School Curriculum
Wales Launches £1.2 Billion Industrial Regeneration Programme
High Court Upholds UK Digital Surveillance Framework
×