Cringeworthy moment Harry jokes about Meghan’s cooking on Netflix show,
Prince Harry has finally got a speaking part on his wife Meghan’s Netflix show – as he was heard mocking the Duchess of Sussex’s cooking in her new festive episode.
The Duke was seen insulting what he called her ‘anti-salad’ in the newly broadcast seasonal special of Meghan’s With Love series, released in the UK from 8am today.
Harry has made only fleeting appearances in the past two seasons, staying silent – but made clear his thoughts on his wife’s food efforts in the latest edition, while praising her mother Doria Ragland.
The 56-minute one-off episode follows the first two critically-panned series of With Love, Meghan.
The Sussexes signed their new watered-down, first-look deal with the streaming giant in August following a $100million deal in 2020.
Harry is seen in the latest show tucking into a bowl provided by Meghan – as he hails his mother-in-law’s gumbo but criticises the alternative option of beetroot salad.
His response came as Meghan introduced the British tradition of pulling crackers to New York restaurateur Will Guidar and then explained to him how to make them.
In the programme titled With Love, Meghan – Holiday Celebration, she said it felt ‘really connected and sweet’ to pull a cracker with someone.
The ex-Suits actress, 44, filled crackers with dried flowers, confetti and chocolates – and even put a mini toy burger inside one for her six-year-old son Prince Archie.
In one for her husband Harry, she placed a love letter, a chocolate and a small hat – while four-year-old Princess Lilibet received a lavender roll-on scent in hers.
Meghan also added a handwritten decoration to a Christmas tree for her children, saying: ‘I love you because you are so kind. I love you because you’re so brave.’
And she joked about putting together a Christmas dish containing all the foods that her husband hates, as he described one creation as the ‘anti-salad’.
Another one of her guests, the TV chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio, told her about one of his family traditions at Christmas, created by his grandfather.
That was to make a beetroot salad with red onion, celery, artichoke hearts, cherry peppers, with fennel, black olives, anchovies, parsley and garlic.
His words prompted Meghan to laugh and reply: ‘Can I tell you why I’m chuckling? I’m so excited to eat this because you don’t cook the things as regularly that your partner doesn’t love to eat.
‘So if I gave you the top things that my husband hates to eat, beets – he would call them beetroot, as they say in England – black olives, fennel, and pickled vegetables. He hates all those flavours.
‘So I’ve not got to enjoy them certainly in a medley like that for a long time – so yummy.’
The pair were shown making the salad while cooking salt cod as an accompaniment, before Meghan served up one of her family favourites – gumbo with chicken thighs, andouille sausage and shrimps.
She said: ‘So my mom’s family is from Tennessee, like around Chattanooga. I love soul food. I know there’s different versions of gumbo – this is the one that I know.’
At that moment in the show, Harry made his first appearance – entering the room with the words: ‘Hi guys, I smelled gumbo.’
While gesturing to Mr Colicchio’s family salad, Meghan told Harry sarcastically: ‘This is literally your favourite salad of all time.’
And after his wife listed the ingredients, Harry elicited laughter from Meghan as he responded: ‘Oh, wow, that’s like the anti-salad – you must have known that I was coming.’
He then told Mr Colicchio: ‘Gumbo for me is one of my favourites, especially her mum’s, but before the fish goes in.’
As Meghan served Harry gumbo with rice, the Duchess added: ‘She always saves a little portion on the side.’
Having tasted the dish, Harry praised its spicy flavour before saying: ‘I can feel it puncturing through the top of my head right now.
‘It is delicious – I’m not sure it’s as good as your mum’s, but it’s certainly close.’
Meghan reacted by feigning outrage, exclaiming: ‘What? Oh, my gosh – my mom will love you for that. You know, what a good thing to say for your mother-in-law.’
Harry later added: ‘Me and the salad, we’re having like this sort of eye-off.
‘That is amazing how there’s not many things in the world that I don’t like. They’re all in one bowl. I don’t know what would happen to me.’
At the end of the segment, Meghan kissed Harry on the lips and put her arm around his neck as she told her husband: ‘Thank you for coming.’
The Duchess was also seen adding gifts to red-and-white Advent calendars personalised with ‘Archie’ and ‘Lili’ on them, for Archie and Lilibet.
She puts tiny gifts into Archie and Lili’s named fabric pocket calendars, saying: ‘I wanted to do it for my own kids. All it’s really about is having a surprise and delight every single day for 24 days until you get to Christmas.’
And she also added handwritten notes, which she referred to as ‘little findings’, saying: ‘I’m writing, “I love you because you are so kind’ and “I love you because you’re so brave”.’
Archie and Lilibet do not appear in the episode.
In a 66-second trailer for the episode released on November 19, Harry featured briefly when he and Meghan shared a kiss in a kitchen.
In a voiceover for the trailer, Meghan said: ‘I love the holiday season. It’s about finding time to connect with the people we love, embracing traditions, and making new ones.’
The show, which sees Meghan offer hosting tips while she cooks with celebrity friends, was savaged by critics following its release in March – but a second series was released in August.
The show’s launch in March coincided with the unveiling of Meghan’s As Ever brand, which sells products including raspberry jam and flower sprinkles, which she repeatedly promotes throughout the show.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex secured a lucrative contract with Netflix, thought to be worth more than $100million in 2020, after quitting as senior working royals.
Harry and Meghan announced they had signed a new ‘multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects’ with the streaming platform in August.
Meghan described the deal as ‘an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership’, despite rumours the streaming giant may be pivoting away from her and Harry.
At the end of the trailer, viewers were told to ‘discover more holiday cheer, shop As Ever’.
The new festive range was posted to the asever.com website.
Items featured include a 43g spiced cider mulling spice kit costing $16 and a three-pack of spreads in a gift box for $42.
With Love, Meghan – Holiday Celebration is now streaming on Netflix
