Meghan Markle's Hollywood Agent Walks Away as Locals Complain and Sussex Backlash Explodes

0:03 Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I am your host, Mark Francis. Meghan is being booked for television and reality projects, according to Hollywood executive Ari Emanuel, although he says he is no longer personally involved in managing her career. Speaking to Meghan Kelly, Emanuel confirmed that he chose to step away from representing the Duchess of Sussex last year, while other agents at William Morris Endeavour continued to work with her. He did not name any upcoming projects, but pushed back when Kelly suggested that Megan's career was struggling. I think she's actually getting booked, and there's reality stuff and TV stuff, they're doing stuff, I don't know about it. The interview followed a comment Emmanuel made to the Sunday Times while promoting his memoir, Roll the Coals. Asked where he thought Megan's career was heading, he replied, Here's the great thing, I don't have to think about that anymore. Kelly asked him to explain that remark, Listen, I got a busy life.

1:03 She is finding her voice. I am happy for her. The great thing I hope as a parent of starting William Morris Endeavor is there's people here that they can handle stuff and handle clients. And for me, I just had a lot on my plate. Well, I've started a new company. I run TKO. I have clients. And it was better to let them deal with her and execute against her needs and desires. And I'm happy that everybody's doing it for me. I didn't want it occupying my brain. And when I'm involved in somebody constantly, When I wake up in the morning, clients occupy my brain. That's what happens. And I just didn't want to do that anymore. Having nothing about her, I just needed to move on to other things I was doing. Kelly, who has frequently criticized the Sussexes, pressed him on whether there was a big appetite for her services. Well, I mean, you know, I think there's a bunch of things that our people are doing for her now, so that's a good thing. I'm just not involved. I'm not involved. And not in a bad way. I just have a lot on my plate, and I have to be rangeful in all those things.

1:56 I can't, you know, on her behalf, I can't be rangeful. When asked whether ending the personal working relationship had been his decision, Emmanuel said, Yeah, I just had to shift my focus to other things that were a priority for me. Megan's visit to Soho Farmhouse have prompted complaints in a local WhatsApp group, according to journalist Daisy McAndrew. Claims, although she acknowledges that some of the stories are fourth or fifth hand. Speaking on the At Home with Vanessa podcast, McAndrew said she has a rental property in a nearby village and belongs to its messaging group. I happen to be in a WhatsApp group of the village that is next to Soho, so I have a house that we rent out there and I can tell you that the WhatsApp group has been absolutely alive and buzzing with complaints.

2:42 Now some of them are just, you know, I heard fourth hand, fifth hand, a lot of those people do spend an awful lot of time there. It's walking distance to Soho Farmhouse and there has been stories about special treatment. On the other hand, you can imagine that her security would not want her going down the front gate. They might want her going into the back gate, and all that sort of fuss would irritate the locals considerably. So yes, there's definitely been grumblings and complaints going on. In the Express, Emily Wright suggests, If the Sussexes are serious about a fresh start in Britain, the remedy must match the scale of the injury. Their apology needs to be every bit as public as their grievances were. There are two ways they could achieve this. Firstly, a clear, unvarnished public statement, a formal admission acknowledging the hurt caused by their media campaign released directly to the public and press. The other option, a grilling on primetime television, sitting down with a tough, unsparing interviewer who will ask the probing questions Oprah avoided, allowing the public to see them face true accountability. Naturally, stepping back into the broadcast arena carries huge risks. One only has to look back to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's disastrous 2019 Newsnight encounter with Emily Maitlis, an interview intended to clear the air that instead ended his life as a working royal. Yes, that level of exposure is precisely what true accountability demands.

4:02 A genuine apology requires vulnerability and the willingness to face uncomfortable truths in the full view of the world, not just behind the high walls of a private estate. Dickie Arbiter and Jeremy Kyle have sharply criticised the Sussexes during a discussion about Meghan's $ 148 divorce advent calendar and the online abuse directed at two British clergymen. Speaking on talk, Kyle called Megan tone-deaf over the luxury product, then questioned the reaction to a priest recommending a cheaper calendar that supports charity. This PR machine is quite vile, isn't it? Kyle asked. Arbiter replied, the Sussexes are vile. The problem is that soon as you go on X and criticize the Sussexes, the Sussex squad comes out in force. Meanwhile, a journalist says she received days of personal abuse after writing a light-hearted article about Meghan Markle's version of country life.

4:53 Antonia Hoyle, writing in the iPaper, says she compared Meghan's Instagram scenes of an open fire, pristine clothes and a well-behaved dog with her own rather muddier experience in rural Lincolnshire. Hoyle says she intended a humorous piece similar to the one she had previously written about David Beckham's gardening and beekeeping. This time the responses included insults about her appearance, character and private life. Hoyle says the messages began while she was cooking dinner and continued into the following week. Her account follows the online backlash against two clergymen who questioned the price of Meghan's as-ever advent calendar and promoted a cheaper charitable alternative. PR consultant Sophie Atwood suggests algorithms do tend to reward outrage, so the angriest replies are the ones that get seen. and a few hundred very loud accounts can very quickly look like a national mood. It also removes any sense of proportion. I think Megan's supporters often feel they are defending something bigger, whether that's fairness, race, mental health, or standing up to an institution. More palace in just a moment. Many of you over the years have told me that someone in your family has started a podcast, a grandson, a niece, a friend from a book club, And if that's you, I have something they might like. My team here at Calaroga, which is just John and I, built a podcast studio called Linit. It lets you write, record, edit, and publish a show all in one place right inside your web browser. And it's what we've learned from making this program every day put

6:25 into one tool. And there's some AI tools in there too to help you. And it's the tool I use right here to record and publish and edit this show. It's free to try while we're testing it through November. So if there's a podcaster in your life, pass it along. It's called Linnet, and you can find it at linnetmedia.com. That's L-I-N-N-E-T media dot com. Thank you for your support. A Bentley used by Queen Elizabeth II was up for auction this week, but the new owner will have to find somewhere else to put their handbag. According to Forbes, the 2016 Bentley Mulsane extended wheelbase was fitted with a special tray for the Queen's Launa handbag, replacing front center armrests.

7:07 When the car retired from royal service, the royal muse requested that the tray be removed, along with a royal coat of arms inlaid in the walnut trim. The armrests were then put back. The rest of the cabin retains much of its royal specification, including rear privacy curtains, cream and green leather, walnut veneer and lambswool carpeting. The exterior is finished in Barnato green, with a six and three quarter litre twin turbocharged V8 under the bonnet. Forbes reports that it was only one of two Mulsanne V8s extended wheelbase cars prepared for the Queen by Bentley's specialist department, and the only one of that pair to enter private ownership. Bentley retained the other for its heritage collection. Megan's $ 100 charity sweatshirt sold out on its launch day, according to The Times, with the organization behind it now accepting further orders and warning customers to expect a wait. Mums offering more, known as Mums, launched the limited edition crew neck on October 11th for International Day of the Girl. Customers are being advised to allow up to four weeks for delivery because of demand. An online argument involving Meghan's advent calendar has brought an unexpected boost for a charity supported by Princess Diana with the leprosy mission reporting a surge in sales of its own much less expensive Christmas calendar. A kerfuffle had began when Anglican vicar, the Reverend Daniel French, suggested an alternative to Meghan's premium calendar, French pointed people toward the real advent calendar made by the Meaningful Chocolate Company and sold through the leprosy mission, among other outlets.

8:40 It costs £ 5. 99, contains fair trade chocolate, and comes with a booklet telling the Christmas story. Purchases through the charity help support its work with people affected by leprosy. French's comments attracted hostile responses from some online Sussex supporters, with fellow priest Father Chris Phillips coming to his defence. Amanda Norman, chief executive of the Leprosy Mission shop, said, We know the Sussexes are very charity-minded and have supported our work. The late Diana, Princess of Wales, was patron of the Leprosy Mission until her untimely death in 1997, and my Leprosy Mission colleagues have spoken with Prince Harry about our work, for which he has been most supportive. We are grateful to Reverend Daniel for raising the plight of people affected by leprosy at a time when it can be easy to focus on luxury and celebrity. Behind every real Advent calendar is a reminder of the people who are too often marginalized and of the Christmas message that caused us to reach out to them. And there you have it.

9:37 If you'd like to email us, our address is thepalacentric at gmail.com. If you're on Spotify, leave us a comment. We read them all. If you're on Apple, hit that button up there that says, listen uninterrupted and get the show commercial free for five bucks a month. And if you have a podcast or a social creator in your family and would like them to be a better creator, Get them to check out Linnet. You can find it at linnetmedia.com. And it's made by your friends here at Calaroga. I'm Mark Francis. My thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue. Good times.