Holly Willoughby has defended Meghan Markle after both faced mixed reviews for their new lifestyle shows. The former This Morning presenter, who left the ITV programme in 2023 after 14 years, recently launched her own YouTube channel, Holly Willoughby Together, which has received negative reviews despite featuring guests like actor Stanley Tucci and comedian Katherine Ryan.
Comparison to Meghan's show
Holly's show has been compared to Meghan's Netflix lifestyle offering, With Love, Meghan, which also attracted criticism. In an interview with the Times, Holly, 45, addressed the negative reviews Meghan received, saying: "I know it got an absolute hammering, but I actually really enjoyed her show."
Holly also discussed the risk of her own venture, stating: "Of course it's a risk. It's not safe. I can't fall back on anything. You're relying on people coming to find you and staying with you because they want to watch you."
Critical reception
Holly's programme has received scathing reviews, with the Telegraph giving it one star out of five, describing it as "dire" and adding that it "makes Meghan look good". The Guardian called it an "aggressive audition" for whether Holly was "allowed to be famous again" before praising her for doing something they felt she was talented at.
Holly has previously spoken about life after leaving This Morning on Alan Carr and Lee Peart's Bottoms Up! podcast. The mother of three admitted she discovered she was "so lazy" once she stopped working, explaining: "For somebody who worked a lot and was really busy and people were like, 'don't know how you do it, how do you keep so many plates spinning?' - I was like, wow, I'm literally half woman-half mattress. I adapted like that."
Meghan's return to screens
Meghan has also returned to screens, appearing as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia. Contestants were asked to create a dish 'fit for a Duchess'. The episode, filmed in April when Prince Harry and Meghan visited Australia, drew around 1.5 million viewers despite mixed reviews.
During the programme, Meghan expressed her love for cooking, saying: "Food and cooking to me is really a love language. I think it's such a great way to connect. It's something that can feel sentimental and meaningful and it's how I show my nurturing and love for my friends, family, and my kids."
