Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Podcast Canceled
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archetypes podcast has been canceled. In a joint statement Thursday, the Sussex's production company Archewell Audio and Spotify confirmed their multimillion-dollar deal has ended, sharing, per Deadline, "Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together."
The couple, who now reside in California with their two children, inked the deal with digital music service back in 2020 following their decision to step back as working royals. Under the $20 million multi-year partnership, the royal couple had a goal to "build community through shared experience, narratives and values." They launched just one series as part of the deal, Archetypes, a podcast launched in August 2022 and hosted by Markle that sought to "investigate, dissect, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back."
The podcast featured guests such as Trevor Noah, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling, and Serena Williams and launched at the top of Spotify's podcast charts, knocking The Joe Rogan Experience to second place. It also grabbed a People's Choice Award and was also No. 1 internationally when it debuted. With the end of their deal with Spotify, Archetypes will not return for a second season, a representative for Spotify confirmed to The Wall Street Journal. The representative said both companies had previously discussed a second season, but producers of the show have been told that a second will not move forward.
"We're working on other ways to keep the conversation going but just know that as we close out this season of Archetypes, that I thank you. Thank you for listening and learning with me. This has been liberating and healing, and it's been fun," Markle said during the final episode, which aired in November 2022, encouraging her listeners to "keep growing, and I'll see on the flip side."
A representative from WME, the talent agency that Markle signed with earlier this year, told the Journal, "The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify. Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform." Deadline also reported that the Sussexes "are rethinking their deals to find better homes and partnerships for content," and there is a chance Archetypes could move to a different platform. A Spotify spokesperson said the company's recent layoffs had "no relation" to the decision to end the deal.