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A TV insider has claimed the Sussexes’ exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey last week included plugs that were part of a brand deal for an upcoming Apple TV+ documentary.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with the interviewing giant close to their home in LA for an exclusive which premiered on Sunday, March 7 in the US.
Harry has also been working with Oprah on an upcoming docuseries, which will air on Apple TV's streaming service.
The source told The Daily Mail that as part of Harry’s agreement as "co-partner, co-creator and executive producer" of the new series, he would conduct promotional work around it, calling it a “clear plug”.
Oprah gave it a shout out during the prime-time special.
She also plugged the couple’s Archewell Spotify podcast. The first episode, released in December, featured Archie’s first ever publicly spoken words.
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But the new Apple TV+ series, a collaboration between Prince Harry and Oprah with RadicalMedia as creative and production partner, will focus on mental health.
Both the Sussexes and Oprah insist the couple received no money for the interview, which premiered on CBS and was watched live by 17.1million people.
However, an LA consultant said that although the claims are technically true, Harry’s deal with Apple includes promotional work.
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This could include the plug in the Oprah interview, in which Meghan Markle opened up about her personal mental health struggles.
The Duchess of Sussex admitted she “just didn’t want to be alive any more".
She continued: “You have no idea what’s going on for someone behind closed doors […] Even the people that smile the biggest smiles and shine the brightest lights, it seems.”
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In response, Oprah brought up their upcoming docuseries: “You know, Harry and I are working on this mental health series for Apple, and yeah we hear a lot of these stories".
According to The Daily Mail, the insider claimed the “brand endorsements and recognition was significant… Subtle but significant.
“It is a very subtle mention, but given Oprah and her company Harpo Productions had editorial control over the show content, the fact that it stayed in there spoke volumes.”
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Oprah says she hopes the upcoming show will help to “erase the stigma” around mental health.
Harry added: “Our hope is that this series will be positive, enlightening and inclusive – sharing global stories of unparalleled human spirit fighting back from the darkest places […] I am incredibly proud to be working alongside Oprah on this vital series.”
The show has been delayed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but will air on Apple TV+ sometime in the next few months.
Daily Star has contacted a rep for Prince Harry for comment
- Meghan Markle
- Oprah Winfrey
- Prince Harry
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