Prince Harry’s ex to launch rival Meghan Markle podcast days before Duchess’ new series – with VERY A-list guests
PRINCE Harry’s ex-girlfriend is launching a new podcast just days before his wife Meghan Markle.
Actress Cressida Bonas, 36 – who dated Prince Harry, 40, between 2012 and 2014 – is releasing her Lessons From Our Mothers podcast on Mother’s Day on March 30.
This comes just before Meghan’s Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, which is to air on April 8.
Confessions Of A Female Founder will be Meghan’s second attempt at entering the podcast sphere after the launch of Archetypes.
The show was about female stereotypes and ran for just one series before the Sussexes’ Spotify deal was axed.
Cressida’s show is co-hosted by half sister, Isabella Branson, who is married to filmmaker Sam Branson, son of businessman Sir Richard Branson.
They will welcome a series of A-lister guests for “a series of conversations that celebrate motherhood and mothering in all its forms.”
Set to star on the show are the likes of Kate Winslet, Giovanna Fletcher and Mary Berry.
Euge deal
Cressida’s close pal Princess Eugenie, 34, who set her up with Prince Harry, is set to star on the show.
In a sneak peek, Eugenie opened up about her relationship with her mum, Sarah Ferguson, who got a divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996.
When Cressida asks her what is the most “valuable” thing she’s learned from Fergie, Eugenie says: “I think for me, it’s the fire inside, you know, the strength inside of you, and how to bring that out, and to pull it in when you most need it.”
Cressida took to Instagram, where she has 77,000 followers, to announce the news of the podcast.
She wrote: “We are excited to share something that we’ve been working on for a while…our new podcast, Lessons From Our Mothers, launching on Mothering Sunday 2025!
“Have you ever stopped to think about the maternal figures in your life and how they have shaped who you are today?
“Have you ever asked them about their own experiences, or thought about the lessons that you have learned from them?”
Cressida said the inspiration behind the new podcast was her own mother, British socialite Lady Mary-Gaye, who fell ill last year.
She said: “Lessons From Our Mothers is a series of conversations that celebrate motherhood and mothering in all its forms.
“When our own mum fell ill last year, we set out to ask her all the questions that we had never thought to ask – and now, we’re on a sisterly mission to find out the stories of some special guests (and their mothers) through this podcast.
“There’s been some laughter, some tears and a lot of wisdom…and cake with Mary Berry, of course.”
Mum’s the word
Both Cressida and Isabella are mums themselves, with Harry’s ex announcing in January 2025 that she is expecting her second child with her property investor husband, Harry Wentworth-Stanley, using a frozen embryo.
They are already parents to son Wilbur James Wentworth-Stanley, who was born in 2022.
Meanwhile, Isabella and Sam have two children, Bluey and Eva.
Prince Harry and Meghan also share two kids, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.
Previously Cressida hosted the Fear Itself podcast, which launched in 2020, which featured guests such as Sir Richard Branson and unpacked people’s fears.
She did 37 episodes until 2021, featuring stars such as Matt Haig, Elizabeth Day, and Jamie Laing.
Meghan’s podcast
The Duchess of Sussex signed a deal with Lemonada Media in February 2024 after her Spotify contract ended in 2023 after one series of her first podcast Archetypes.
It comes after Meghan, 43, announced her newly-named lifestyle brand, As Ever, to followers last month.
And Meghan’s new cooking show With Love, Meghan – which was released on Netflix – has also been renewed for a second season.
The eight-part series showed the duchess preparing food and home treats with celeb pals, including Mindy Kaling and make-up artist Daniel Martin.
With Love, Meghan is the second Netflix collaboration for the Sussexes, who signed their lucrative deal with the streaming giant back in 2020.
It has been met with a mixed response from fans.
Throughout the series, Meghan shared a variety of recipes, including a cooked breakfast, skillet spaghetti and a honey and lemon cake.
She also demonstrated her method for making tea by steeping bags in cold water under the sun for two to three hours, using “nice silk bags, lots of leaf tea, and just let it steep with the warmth of the sun.”
What do we know about Meghan Markle's new cooking show, With Love, Meghan?
MEGHAN Markle's new Netflix documentary trailer shows her cooking with Hollywood pals.
The Duchess of Sussex gave fans an insight into her show, With Love, Meghan, which airs soon.
There will be eight 33 minute episodes featuring a host of Meg’s various Hollywood friends trying her simple, yet “elevated”, food.
A montage of various clips in the nearly two-minute video showed Meghan walking through vegetable patches and fields.
She was also filmed browsing florists, hand-selecting beautiful flowers for table arrangements, showing off her creative side.
The Duchess even tried her hand at beekeeping, fully suited up, as she collected honey.
In the exciting new trailer, Meghan shared: “I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it.
“Surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking of them.
“I’m going to share some little tips and tricks. I see what colour I gravitate to, and everything goes from there. And how you incorporate these practices every day.
“This is about connecting with friends… I love that we’re doing this together for the first time. Making new friends… and just learning.
“We’re not in the pursuit of perfection. We’re in the pursuit of joy. I have to get it totally wrong, to get it totally right.”
The trailer showcased many “candid” moments, from Meghan accidentally squeezing some lemon juice in her eye, to knocking freshly baked goodies off a plate.
Prince Harry featured at the end of the video, embracing his wife in a warm hug.
