Meghan Markle’s highly anticipated return to podcasting has encountered a rocky start, with early data revealing a mixed response to her new series, Confessions of a Female Founder.
Despite landing in the top five on Apple Podcasts during its launch week, the series failed to make it into Spotify’s top 100, raising eyebrows about its reception on the streaming platform. The disparity in performance has led some to speculate about lingering tensions between Markle and Spotify, especially after the fallout from her previous deal with the platform.
In 2020, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, signed a lucrative multi-million-dollar deal with Spotify. However, the partnership quickly soured after the couple released only one series, Archetypes, before the deal ultimately fell apart in 2023. Following the split, Spotify executive Bill Simmons made his frustrations clear, calling the Sussexes “f****** grifters” during a podcast rant.
Now, two years after the deal ended, it seems that the tension may still be affecting Meghan’s new project. Confessions of a Female Founder kicked off with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd as its first guest. The two discussed a wide range of topics, including the challenges of entrepreneurship, motherhood, and their shared experience with postpartum preeclampsia. Meghan also took the opportunity to talk about her new brand, As Ever, and life as a mother to Archie and Lilibet.
Despite the uneven performance, Meghan remains committed to her podcast venture, with new episodes of Confessions of a Female Founder set to drop every Tuesday.
As Meghan navigates her comeback, listeners are waiting to see whether the series will gain traction or continue to struggle with the shadow of her past streaming deal.
