London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 17, 2026

UK's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sign exclusive podcast deal with Spotify, prompting glee & eyerolls

UK's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sign exclusive podcast deal with Spotify, prompting glee & eyerolls

The UK’s Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, have become the latest celebrities to sign an exclusive multi-year podcast deal with Spotify.

Their new venture Archewell Audio will undergo a full launch next year, with the couple first presenting a ‘holiday special’ later this month, closer to Christmas.

In a statement on Tuesday, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex claimed they “love” podcasting because it allows people “to connect to one another without distraction.”

“With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are,” the pair added.

Spotify’s Chief Content Officer Dawn Ostroff heaped praise on the couple in her own statement, calling the California residents “citizens of the world” who are “seeking to elevate underrepresented voices” as part of their show.

Archewell Audio already has a page ready on the Spotify platform, with a two-minute trailer which gives listeners a taste of what to expect from the production company.

In the trailer, after the two briefly discussed who should speak before the other – with Harry proposing “ladies first” – the Duchess of Sussex says they will be talking to “some amazing people."

Prince Harry then declares that, though “so many people have been through so much pain this year, experiencing loss” and uncertainty, “2020 has connected us in ways we could never imagined through endless acts of compassion and kindness.”

Spotify’s new venture from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – who also signed a high-value Netflix deal this year – is just the latest in a long list of high-profile podcast acquisitions during 2020, including Joe Rogan’s ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, former US First Lady Michelle Obama’s ‘The Michelle Obama Podcast’, and a “criminal-justice podcast” from reality television star Kim Kardashian.

The announcement prompted mixed reactions on social media, as some expressed glee at the news, while others rolled their eyes.


“I think my blood pressure can’t take this much excitement in two days...I love them,” commented one person, while another called the royal couple “much-needed positive & uplifting voices.”



Others expressed less excitement for the new venture, threatening to cancel their Spotify subscriptions and claiming they would rather watch paint dry.



Another simply mused that while Markle is “ok,” Prince Harry “talks funny.”


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
×