Meghan's £18 million Spotify deal FINALLY gets off the ground - Daily Mail

Meghan reveals her new Spotify podcast called 'Archetypes' that will 'dissect, explore, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back' as £18m deal finally gets off the ground

• Meghan will speak to historians, experts and woman about being typecast
• Duchess of Sussex vows to investigate 'labels that try to hold women back'
• Meghan and Harry signed lucrative deal with Spotify with £18m in late 2020
• They only released one show before today - a holiday special featuring Archie

By Jessica Green and Mark Duell for MailOnline

Published: 13:12 GMT, 24 March 2022 | Updated: 16:29 GMT, 24 March 2022

The Duchess of Sussex has unveiled her first Spotify series - a podcast about female stereotypes in which she vows to investigate 'labels that try to hold women back'.

'Archetypes' will launch this summer and is hosted by Meghan Markle who will speak to historians, experts and woman who have experienced being typecast.

A trailer of the Archewell Audio project was released today, as Prince Harry's brother Prince William and wife Kate Middleton continue their tour of the Caribbean.

In the new trailer, Meghan said: 'This is how we talk about women: the words that raise our girls, and how the media reflects women back to us. But where do these stereotypes come from? And how do they keep showing up and defining our lives?'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit a radio station in Brixton, South London, in January 2018

The duchess, previewing the type of guests who will feature, adds: 'This is Archetypes - the podcast where we dissect, explore and subvert the labels that try to hold women back.

'I'll have conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narratives.

What does Meghan say in the Spotify trailer?

'This is how we talk about women: the words that raise our girls, and how the media reflects women back to us... but where do these stereotypes come from? And how do they keep showing up and defining our lives?

'I'm Meghan and this is Archetypes - the podcast where we dissect, explore and subvert the labels that try to hold women back. I'll have conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narratives. And I'll talk to historians to understand how we even got here in the first place.

'Archetypes – coming soon. Listen only on Spotify.'

'And I'll talk to historians to understand how we even got here in the first place.'

The announcement of Archewell Audio's debut podcast series with Spotify comes after Meghan and the Duke of Sussex raised concerns about Covid-19 misinformation on the platform.

Meghan and Harry signed a lucrative deal with the audio streaming giant to host and produce podcasts, estimated to be worth around £18million, in late 2020.

But they had only released one show so far - a holiday special featuring their son Archie and celebrity guests.

Spotify and Archewell Audio said today: 'Spotify and Archewell Audio both value responsible stewardship of the audio landscape, and as explained recently, are committed to working closely to support transparency and strong principles of trust and safety.'

In January, Neil Young reportedly offered Spotify an ultimatum to remove either his work or The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which has been known to air vaccine-sceptical views.

When the singer later left the streaming platform, Joni Mitchell announced the same move 'in solidarity' with his decision.

At the time, the Sussexes' charitable foundation said they had been expressing concerns but the couple were committed to continuing their work with the organisation.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Global Citizen Live: New York on September 25, 2021

The announcement this afternoon marks Archewell Audio's debut podcast series with Spotify

Last week, a spokesman for Archewell Audio confirmed its first series would air in the summer and that they had been working closely with Spotify towards policies aimed at minimising the spread of misinformation.

'Archetype': What is the dictionary definition? 

• Cambridge: 'Typical of an original thing from which others are copied.'
• Oxford: 'The most typical or perfect example of a particular kind of person or thing.'
• Merriam-Webster: 'The original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies.'

Meghan has long been a campaigner on female empowerment.

Spotify and Archewell Audio described her conversations with typecast women as 'uncensored' and said the duchess would delve into the origins of stereotypes.

Former Suits actress Meghan is also an executive producer on the series, along with Ben Browning, Archewell's head of content, and Rebecca Sananes, Archewell's head of audio.

The podcast will be produced by Archewell Audio in partnership with Gimlet Media for Spotify.

Separately today, a High Court judge ruled that parts of some documents in Harry's claim against the Home Office will be kept secret, as he criticised the Duke's legal team for an 'entirely unacceptable' breach of court rules.

Harry is bringing a claim against the department after being told he would no longer be given the 'same degree' of personal protective security when visiting from the US, despite offering to pay for it himself.

The Duke wants to bring his children to visit from the US, but he and his family are 'unable to return to his home' because it is too dangerous, a representative previously said.

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