Rewritten Title:
"EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy Criticizes Meghan Markle’s New Show"

This version retains the core details (Natalie Cassidy, her critique, and the subject of Meghan Markle’s show) while avoiding sensationalized language like "savage dig" and streamlining the phrasing.

Natalie Cassidy Criticizes Meghan Markle’s Cooking Show: “Beginner-Ish” Skills and Fashion Faux Pas

EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy, 41, didn’t hold back while discussing Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series With Love, Meghan on her podcast Off the Telly. The actress took aim at the Duchess of Sussex’s cooking skills and wardrobe choices, calling her pasta-making scene “bamboozling.”

“You don’t cook pasta in a cream linen suit,” Natalie quipped, joined by Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page. She criticized Meghan’s “beginner-ish” vegetable-chopping skills and questioned the practicality of wearing white while cooking tomato-based dishes. Despite clarifying she wasn’t “here to have a go” at Meghan or Prince Harry, Natalie mocked the show’s simplicity: “She was showing us how to put vegetables on a plate and added flowers. Who can’t do that?”

Natalie Cassidy (pictured in June 2024) called Meghan’s cooking skills “beginner-ish.”

The series, which blends hosting tips and recipes with celebrity guests like Mindy Kaling, has faced widespread criticism. TV reviews branded it a “gormless lifestyle filler” (The Guardian) and an “exercise in narcissism” (The Telegraph). Even Meghan’s rainbow fruit platter and outfits drew flak, with podcaster Vogue Williams joking one look was “disgusting.”

Meghan’s cooking segment, featuring a white linen dress, sparked disbelief.

Natalie’s critique follows similar remarks from Bake Off judge Prue Leith, who admitted she’s “not a Meghan fan,” and comedian Katherine Ryan, who accused the Duchess of performative humility. Meanwhile, Prince Harry’s brief cameo in the finale—joining Meghan, her mother Doria, and friends for brunch—did little to salvage the show’s reception.

Despite the backlash, Netflix confirmed a second season is already filmed and set for release this fall. The Sussexes’ $100M deal with the platform has previously produced the controversial docuseries Harry & Meghan and the polo show Heart of Invictus.

Meghan films with Mindy Kaling for the show, dubbed “glossy but easy” by critics.

Gwyneth Paltrow, asked about her Montecito neighbor, offered a diplomatic take: “I don’t know Meghan… but she seems lovely. Everyone deserves a chance to try what they want.”

As With Love, Meghan stirs debate, it remains to be seen whether Season 2 can win over skeptics—or if the Sussexes’ Netflix era is nearing its end.

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