Since its debut, With Love, Meghan has polarised viewers and critics alike — and ahead of a confirmed second series the debate shows no sign of cooling. A column in the Daily Mail highlighted how some British viewers greeted the duchess’s glossy lifestyle show with mockery, and quoted a friend of the duke, Alex Rayner, arguing that the series may be pitched more to American tastes than to a traditionally sceptical UK audience. Rayner told the Daily Mail he felt British viewers were "a little bit more cynical" and that the programme’s polished domestic tableau was likelier to appeal across the Atlantic.

That split is reflected in the critical reaction. Some reviewers have been blunt: in The Guardian Chitra Ramaswamy described the series as "toe‑curlingly unlovable TV", calling it tone‑deaf, overly curated and more of a publicity exercise than substantive viewing. Online commentary amplified that view, with many viewers ridiculing the show’s carefully staged segments — beekeeping, jam‑making and artisanal entertaining — as detached from wider social concerns. At the same time, other commentators and former acquaintances cited in the press have defended the show as honest homemaking and creative curation, pointing to the appetite for any glimpse into the couple’s post‑royal life.

Streaming platforms and the production partners have clearly read the mixed response and moved ahead regardless: Netflix has confirmed the series has been renewed and is set for a return in the autumn, with Tudum’s coverage saying filming is complete and teasing more of the same blend of how‑to segments, candid conversations and celebrity guests. CNN’s reporting emphasised Meghan’s role as an executive producer and placed the renewal in the context of the pair’s wider creative partnership with Netflix, noting that the show functions both as entertainment and as a platform for the duchess’s design and hosting sensibility.

Commercial extensions of the series are already in place, and here editorial distance is particularly important. A PR Newswire release announced As ever, a gourmet and lifestyle brand tied to the show, describing an inaugural collection of food and entertaining products developed in tandem with the programme. The statement outlined items such as fruit spreads, baking mixes and limited‑edition honey and positioned the label as an extension of the duchess’s on‑screen entertaining ethos; those claims come from the promotional material supporting the launch rather than independent appraisal of the products’ culinary merits.

The show’s mise‑en‑scène — and the location where it was filmed — feed much of the reaction. Press coverage has repeatedly pointed to the Montecito home the couple occupy, listing amenities that underline the private, high‑end context for the series. Reports have variably described the property’s size and features, and noted different figures for its value: one profile recalled the couple’s substantial estate and its array of facilities, while local property coverage from earlier reporting placed the purchase price in the region of $14.65 million and outlined nine bedrooms, multiple bathrooms and extensive leisure spaces. Those differing emphases — lifestyle portrait versus property dossier — help explain why reactions run from admiration to derision.

Ultimately, the story of With Love, Meghan is as much about cultural perception as it is about television. Producers and streaming executives appear content to continue, banking on an international audience and commercial tie‑ins even as UK critics and social media lampoon the show’s polished intimacy. As Netflix positions the programme for another season and the As ever range is rolled out, the debate over whether the series is sincere domestic storytelling or a finely engineered PR vehicle looks set to continue.

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Source: Noah Wire Services