MEGHAN Markle has released the first episode of her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, but she has been criticised for offering NO substance.
The Duchess, 43, kicked off the series with an episode titled The Evolution of an Entrepreneur, featuring Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, 35.
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The mum-of-two sat down with her close friend Whitney to discuss the pressures of launching a business and what it’s like doing so in the public eye.
They briefly touched on the struggles faced by Bumble and spoke about Whitney’s decision to return as CEO of the company, as well as her plans for the future.
However, royal experts and commentators have questioned the purpose of Meghan’s podcast, accusing her of not putting much effort into it.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, writer and broadcaster Esther Krakue and Newsweek’s chief royal correspondent Jack Royston shared their thoughts on the podcast.
READ MORE ON MEGHAN MARKLE
Jack referenced a remark made by Whitney about Bumble’s share price hitting its lowest point, saying: “I looked up the share price for Bumble, and it looked like a cryptocurrency pump-and-dump scheme.
“It was trading at $75 a share in 2021, and it’s now $4 a share. So, in other words, if you invested $75,000, you would have $4,000 right now.
“So the fact that Meghan didn’t ask any follow-up questions, like what is that?”
He questioned why Meghan didn’t explore the topic further for her listeners, wondering if it could have been “a cautionary tale about how not to run a company.”
He also questioned whether there was a learning point for the listeners on if we should or shouldn’t be caring about share prices.
Jack continued: “There is so much to unpack from a business point of view.
“Your podcast is actually about their emotional friendship and relationship, and they don’t get into any of that – and that would’ve been fascinating to hear.”
He also criticised the podcast for having “nothing to do with how to build a business.”
“There’s a couple of small bits of advice, like when Whitney Wolfe said, ‘Don’t sweat anything that you’re not going to care about in five years’ time,’ so fine.
“But Meghan doesn’t want to pressure her guests at all. Probably because many of them are her friends.
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“She probably knew how Whitney felt about the disintegration of her share price, because she is Whitney’s friend, but we don’t know – and she doesn’t ask pressing, follow-up questions.
“If she wants to be genuinely interested, this podcast could’ve been way better. To some extent, it did have some interest and some intriguing parts.
“But it could’ve been way better if she’d gone more into interrogating the subject.
“The episode was called The Evolution of the Entrepreneur, and there is nothing in there about the evolution of the entrepreneur.”
Esther Krakue also weighed in, saying: “I don’t think she can press any of her guests, mainly because they are her friends, but also I don’t think there is much substance going on upstairs.
It comes as….
“I mean seriously, I don’t think there is.”
Esther continued: “Meghan and people like Whitney move in the same world, and you can see they are very similar.
“They have this very romanticised view of life, what a business owner is and what a female business owner is – as if you get extra brownie points.
“And yes, of course, I listened to the whole thing, and I didn’t learn a single business lesson.
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“There are loads of business podcasts out there that don’t teach you anything about business, or starting a business, or anything.
“I kid you not, at some point in the podcast, they talk about bottling up your essence and selling it. It sounds like selling vagina candles all over again.”
Meghan’s podcast dropped hours before Harry arrived at the High Court in London.
The Duke was in the UK for a two day trip to fight another court case in a bid for taxpayers to pay for armed guards.
During her first podcast, Meghan also opened up about her experiences of her postpartum preeclampsia.
Meghan Markle’s ventures after stepping down as a working royal
THE Duchess of Sussex has kept busy since stepping down as a senior working royal in 2020 and relocating to California. Here are some of her business ventures…
- Archewell Foundation – A nonprofit supporting charitable initiatives.
- Netflix Deal – Producing content like Harry & Meghan and With Love, Meghan.
- Archetypes Podcast – Former Spotify show on female stereotypes.
- Clevr Blends – Investment in a women-owned wellness latte brand.
- Cesta Collective – Minority stake in a handbag brand supporting Rwandan artisans.
- As Ever – Previously known as American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand selling jam.
- ShopMy Page – Online store featuring her curated fashion and beauty items.
- New Podcast – Confessions of a Female Founder focusing on entrepreneurship.