Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Podcast ‘Archetypes’ Won’t Be Renewed by Spotify
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archetypes podcast and Spotify will end their partnership after just one season, ET has confirmed. A source close to the situation tells ET it's expected that the two will officially part ways in the coming days.
"Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together," Spotify and Archewell Audio said in a joint statement to ET.
The podcast -- which premiered last August amid much fanfare after the couple inked a reported $20 million deal in December 2020 -- will not see a second season on the giant streaming platform. The Wall Street Journal was first to break the news.
A source tells ET, "The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify. Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform."
Archetypes was the first podcast series made in collaboration with Archewell Audio -- the audio-first production company founded by Harry and Meghan -- as a part of the couple's multi-year partnership with Spotify. Launched last August, Archetypes sought to "investigate the labels that try to hold women back."
Season 1 of Archetypes produced 12 episodes and included high-profile guests like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Mindy Kaling, among others.
"This is how we talk about women: the words that raise our girls, and how the media reflects women back to us," Markle said in a teaser released in 2022, addressing the common stereotypes that have historically generalized women through the lens of popular culture and media. "But where do these stereotypes come from? And how do they keep showing up and defining our lives?"
The podcast was also billed as an outlet where fans could get to know an "unfiltered" Meghan.
"People should expect the real me in this, and probably the me that they've never gotten to know," she said. "Certainly not in the past few years, where everything is through the lens of the media. As opposed to, 'Hey, it's me.' I'm just excited to be myself, and talk and be unfiltered and ... yeah, it's fun."
It was in the premiere episode when Meghan opened up about one of her most humanizing motherhood moments while on a royal tour with Harry in 2019. While chatting with her good friend and tennis great Serena Williams, Meghan shared a gut-wrenching story involving her then-four-month-old son, Archie.
"When we went on our tour to South Africa, we landed with Archie," Meghan recalled. "Archie was what, four and a half months old. And the moment we landed, we had to drop him off at this housing unit that they had us staying in."
While Archie was left with his nanny to have a nap, Meghan and Prince Harry immediately embarked on an official engagement in Nyanga, where Meghan would deliver a speech to a group of women and girls.
"We finish the engagement, we get in the car and they say, 'There's been a fire at the residence,'" she said. ''What? 'There's been a fire in the baby's room.' What?!"
The new parents raced back to find their "amazing nanny," Lauren, "in floods of tears."
Harry and Meghan previously released a Holiday Special on Spotify with guests Stacey Abrams, José Andrés, James Corden, Elton John, Naomi Osaka and Tyler Perry. But, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the low output compared to other exclusive Spotify deals is the driving force behind the sides parting ways.
RELATED CONTENT:
Meghan Markle Makes Royal Confessions With Mariah Carey on 'Archetypes' Podcast
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Not Invited to Trooping the Colour
'Suits' Will Be Streaming on Netflix Same Day as King Charles' Parade
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle React to Their Son's Sweet Birthday Gift
