They may not have set the world on fire with their podcast, but network execs are still hopeful when it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s TV career. Unfortunately, with their stock currently at an all-time low amidst accusations that, ’there isn’t much more to say’, insiders say the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now having to consider how low they’re willing to go. Which could mean opening the doors of their home to cameras, for a fly-on-the-wall reality show…

‘Harry and Meghan have been frantically brainstorming ways to make cash in Hollywood,’ says an insider close to the pair, who recently promised to stop ‘royal bashing’ after blasting their relations in TV interviews, podcasts, their docu-series, Harry & Meghan and in Harry’s memoir, Spare. ‘TV bosses are really hoping they’ll consider the reality market as they know everyone would love a window into their private world. Meghan and Harry are still highly bankable celebrities and everyone would be so excited for a fly-on-the-wall series. They’d be opening up their day-to-day lives in Montecito to the world, just like the Kardashian family did. And there’s no denying how much money it’s made them…’

A run of recent disasters have left the Sussexes – who moved to California in 2020 after quitting royal duties in the UK – without many other options. After releasing only 12 episodes of Meghan’s podcast, Archetypes, Spotify recently confirmed they were parting ways with the couple – and taking much of that $20million payday with them. It came amidst accusations that the Suits actress had ‘faked interviews’ with her guests, with other sources on the show claiming Meghan hadn’t met the expected ‘productivity benchmark’. Despite insisting in a statement that they’d ‘mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together’, Spotify’s head of podcast innovation, Bill Simmonds, quickly slammed the couple, publicly saying, ‘I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation. ‘The Fucking Grifters’ – that’s the podcast we should have launched with them.’ While Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek hinted that he regretted the deal, telling financial analysts, ‘You’re right in calling out the overpaying and over-investing. We’re going to be very diligent in how we invest in future content deals.’ Adding fuel to the fire, last week trendsetters, Rolling Stone magazine declared Harry and Meghan have entered their ‘flop era’, adding that the public’s appetite for them is ‘waning’. The US outlet went on, ‘Part of the issue the Sussexes are currently facing is that they have made their brand about their beef with the Royal Family. Now, their feud has reached a stalemate it feels like there isn’t much more to say.’

But, as critics wondered whether a similar fate was on its way for Meghan and Harry’s $100million Netflix contract, the streaming giant rushed to hit back. In a statement last week, they insisted they ‘deeply value’ their relationship with the royal couple, adding, ‘Our exciting journey with them isn’t ending anytime soon. We’re currently collaborating on numerous projects, including the much-anticipated documentary series Heart of Invictus.’ They also pointed to the huge success of Harry & Meghan, which came out in December, quickly becoming the most watched Netflix premiere of the year. More than 28 million households were said to have watched the three-part show, totalling 81.6 million hours of viewing in its first four days of release. Netflix called it their ‘most spectacular documentary debut to date’, and sources say they’re hoping for more of the same from their cash cows.

‘Of course the bosses over at Netflix were very happy with those ratings,’ says our insider. ‘They also loved the sheer volume of attention that series brought to the network. Yes, it was an expensive price to pay and there was plenty of backlash amongst certain corners, who accused bosses of spending silly money on Harry and Meghan at a time when the company was dealing with financial constraints. But overall, the series was considered a thumping success. The network has made it very plain to Harry and Meghan that they’re enthusiastic about working together on future projects. Everyone’s aware that other rival networks would sign up the Sussexes in a heartbeat, because – for all their controversy – they’re still a big box office draw. So now they just need to find the right show for them.’

But insiders say Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, are not convinced reality is the right route for them – particularly after complaining so publicly about their lack of privacy. As Closer previously told you, they were left humiliated by a recent episode of South Park, which mocked a ginger prince and his actress wife for going on a Worldwide Privacy Tour, holding banners and placards that demanded no one look at them. Harry has also spent weeks in the High Court recently, suing Mirror Group Newspapers, over articles about him, painting him as ’the thicko, the cheat, the underage drinker, the irresponsible drug taker.’ And the couple – who are parents to Archie, four, and two-year-old Lilibet – have told friends a reality show would leave them nowhere to hide. ‘Letting in the cameras for this – even if it was all heavily edited – does go totally against their principles,’ says our source. ‘They both know it would make them look like the biggest hypocrites ever, and they could never again demand privacy. For now, Harry and Meghan have said they’re not really on board with the idea and are still hoping to launch Brand Sussex. They want to make that work without resorting to scraping the Kardashian barrel.’

It’s been widely reported that Meghan is keen to relaunch her lifestyle blog, The Tig, with experts suggesting it could rival Gwyneth Paltrow’s £200million website, Goop. Reports suggest, the mum-of-two could make as much as $135million from her social media, potentially earning as much as $30k per post if the site proves a success. But we’re told Meghan’s also hoping to lean into her charitable ambitions. ‘Meghan wants brand to focus on philanthropy and good causes, as well as her passion projects like The Tig,’ says the source. ‘She’s been saying a reality show would be a step back, but the feeling in Hollywood is that everyone has their price. Harry and Meghan could no doubt get a fortune for this, while also negotiating full sign off and editing control. Yes, they’d get a huge amount of stick from the public, and it would give their haters a huge stick to beat them with, but if it’s the difference between getting filthy rich and going flat broke, it could eventually be their only option!’