Meghan Markle’s media career continues to evolve in surprising ways, with a new offer from Magic Radio that has turned heads. In a recent episode of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex revealed that one of the things she missed most about the UK was the popular radio station. It seems that Magic Radio was listening, as the station has now extended an invitation for Meghan to take on a DJing role if she ever wants to add “radio presenter” to her already impressive CV.
Paul Sylvester, the content director of Magic Radio, confirmed this offer during a RadioCentre conference, stating that discussions had been held with the Sussex team. He mentioned that if Meghan ever wanted to host a show, the opportunity was on the table. Magic Radio, known for playing music from the 1980s onward, is one of the UK’s most popular networks, with a weekly audience of 3.6 million listeners. The offer certainly opens up an interesting chapter for Meghan, though it’s not clear if she will take up the role.
While the specifics of the deal were not disclosed, it’s likely that the offer pales in comparison to the lucrative contracts Meghan has secured in the past. These include her multi-million-dollar Netflix deal, which was reportedly worth $100 million for a five-year contract, and her less successful but still sizable partnership with Spotify, which was valued at £15.5 million.
The offer from Magic Radio comes at an interesting time for Meghan, whose second season of With Love, Meghan failed to live up to the success of the first. Despite this, Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos recently praised Meghan for her “remarkable influence” and lauded the couple’s ability to sell out products featured in the show, like edible flowers and jams, linked to her online shop, As Ever. Sarandos also highlighted the success of their original biographical documentary, Harry & Meghan, which became one of the most-watched documentaries in Netflix history.
However, the second season of With Love, Meghan has not been as well-received. Critics branded the series as “staged, fake, and dull,” and its low ratings were reflected in its position on Netflix’s global charts, where it failed to crack the top spots. Still, Sarandos defended the project, asserting that the show and Meghan’s influence were successful in every measure, even if the numbers did not fully reflect it.
This new radio offer from Magic Radio presents an intriguing new opportunity for Meghan to expand her media footprint, perhaps in a less controversial and more accessible format. Whether she decides to take on this role or continue her ventures in the streaming world, it is clear that Meghan’s influence in the media remains strong, even as her television projects face mixed reactions.
In her Netflix show, Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex heaped praise on Magic Radio, claiming it was one of the things she missed most about the UK.
And it seems the radio show were listening.
The former Suits star has now been offered a DJing role on the radio station – if she ever wants it.
Paul Sylvester, content director of Magic, told a RadioCentre conference on Tuesday: ‘We had conversions with the Sussex team and if the Duchess would like to add radio presenter to her CV there is an offer on the table.’
Magic said it had ‘been in with her team and offered her a show, if she ever wanted one’, according to The Telegraph.
The exact sum she was offered for the role was not disclosed but is no doubt dwarfed by her other media contracts which include a $100million (£74million) five-year deal with Netflix and the less successful and rather short-lived deal with Spotify, which was said to be worth £15.5million.
Magic is owned by Bauer Media and focuses on music released from the 1980s onwards.
It is one of the UK’s most popular radio networks and boasts 3.6 million weekly listeners.
It comes after Netflix’s chief executive praised Meghan’s ‘remarkable influence’ and branded the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s documentary ‘successful in every measure’ – despite the couple’s ‘downgrade’ new TV deal with the streaming service.
Ted Sarandos applauded her on the second series of her cooking and lifestyle show With Love, Meghan, despite recent scathing reviews of the show.
The eight-part season, which was branded ‘staged, fake and dull’ by critics upon its release last month, failed to breach the top on Netflix globally, as well as in the UK and US.
Mr Sarandos’ comments, made on the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast, are the first he has made since Harry and Meghan signed their ‘first-look’ deal with Netflix – dubbed by experts as a ‘downgrade’ on their previous $100million contract.
The CEO praised the Duchess’ ability to sell out goods featured in her shows – such as edible flowers and jam – which is paired with her online shop As Ever.
‘One thing we learned early with Meghan… she has remarkable influence -remarkable,’ he said.
Mr Sarandos referred to the original biopic Harry and Meghan, which launched in two parts in December 2022.Ted Sarandos (pictured) has applauded Meghan on the second series of her cooking and lifestyle show With Love, Meghan – despite it receiving worse ratings that the first series
‘And by the way, the documentary itself,’ he added, ‘was also one of the most watched documentaries we’ve ever had.
‘So it was […] successful in every measure. Now I don’t think that you can have a consumer products business if you don’t have a great entertainment business. So that’s got to come first.’
Meghan’s new series of With Love, Meghan has been less successful in its numbers, however, reaching 136 in the Netflix chart just under two weeks after its release last month.
The show was hit with a number of mixed reviews, some of which branded the Duchess ‘needy’ and ‘narcissistic’ in her second attempt at small-screen stardom.
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