Meghan Markle Says She Felt 'Objectified' While Working On 'Deal Or No Deal'
Meghan Markle released her most recent podcast episode on Tuesday, "Breaking Down the Bimbo with Paris Hilton and Iliza Shlesinger." It is the sixth episode in Markle's Spotify podcast series, "Archetypes," which debuted in August.
The series describes itself as "a podcast where we investigate, dissect, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back." Previous episodes discuss similar female stereotypes such as the "diva" with Mariah Carey and the "singleton" with Mindy Kaling.
Before her courtship with Prince Harry, Markle starred in the show "Suits." She has since gained fame as the Duchess of Sussex, who split from the royal family alongside her husband and their two children in 2020.
Markle revealed she worked as a suitcase model on the hit early 2000s game show "Deal or No Deal."
Markle began the podcast by looking back on her experience on the game show, which she said made her feel "not smart." She described the process prior to going on stage when models would be provided with lashes, bra paddings, extensions, and even spray tan vouchers.
Although the job provided stable income and health insurance, Markle noted how the role made her feel one-dimensional and failed to fully showcase the potential of the other women on the show.
"I was surrounded by smart women on that stage with me, but that wasn't the focus of why we were there," Markle said. "And I would end up leaving with this pit in my stomach, knowing that I was so much more than what was being objectified on the stage. I didn't like feeling forced to be all looks and little substance, and that's how it felt for me at the time—being reduced to this specific archetype."
"Deal or No Deal" producers also made body image comments to Markle before she went on stage.
"When I look back at that time, I will never forget this one detail. Because moments before we'd get onstage, there was a woman who ran the show, and she would be there backstage, and I can still hear her. She couldn't properly pronounce my last name at the time, and I knew who she was talking to, because she would go, 'Mark-el, suck it in! Mark-el, suck it in!'" Markle recalled.
Later in the podcast, Markle discussed the similarities of her experience with Paris Hilton including the ways Hilton's starring role in the reality TV series, "The Simple Life," reinforced her role in the media as a "bimbo" and '"dumb blonde."
Archetypes experienced a brief hiatus following Queen Elizabeth's death in September but has since resumed releasing episodes weekly on Spotify.
The podcast ranked as Spotify's No. 1 spot at its release but has fallen to No. 6 this week right, trailing behind Kim Kardashian's new podcast "The System: The Case of Kevin Keith."
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