Meghan’s ‘race revelations’ in Oprah interview... and nothing is off-limits
MEGHAN Markle will talk about her experience of race issues in Britain during her interview with Oprah Winfrey, it has been revealed.
There is a growing expectation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s talk with the US chat show queen will live up to its billing of having no subject ‘off-limits’.
It was claimed yesterday that the programme will be a ‘ horror show’ for the Royal Family. The journalist who broke the story that the Sussexes were doing the TV interview claimed Meghan’s comments about ‘the issue of race in Britain’ would be ‘what we will all be talking about’ the day after it is aired.
Chris Ship, the royal editor for ITV News, told Good Morning Britain yesterday: ‘I know that she’s going to mention things like mental health and the impact that being in the UK had on her mental health.
‘I know that she’s going to mention about the press intrusion... but also she’s going to raise the issue of race in Britain.’
Mr Ship suggested this would be the main thing viewers discuss after watching the interview, to be broadcast in the US on Sunday night.
Meghan’s mother Doria is African-American and her father Thomas is white.
ITV was facing growing criticism last night over plans to broadcast the interview with Miss Winfrey in Britain while the Duke of Edinburgh remains in hospital.
There is increasing unease about the ‘horrendous’ timing. There were warnings last night that the broadcast could be a ‘reputational mess’ for everyone, which could ‘herald terrible consequences’ for the royal pair.
There were calls last night for ITV to ‘ await events’ before screening the programme in the UK. One critic branded the broadcaster’s decision to buy up the rights as ‘ deplorable’. ITV, which is refusing to comment on the situation, is expected to broadcast it on Monday night at 8pm, about 24 hours after it has aired on CBS in America.
According to reports, ITV saw off competition from Sky for the rights and paid in the region of £1million. Talks were reportedly completed on Monday.
Producers in the US involved in making the programme say Harry, Meghan and their charitable foundation have received no payment for the interview.
Harry’s grandfather Philip, 99, was transferred to St Bartholomew’s Hospital on Monday for tests on a pre-existing heart condition and treatment for an infection. This comes after he spent nearly two weeks in the private King Edward VII’s Hospital.
Public relations and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski yesterday warned: ‘ The timing is just horrendous. Anybody who looks at this through the optics of a caring family, even a family who are estranged from one another, it’s very uncomfortable as you edge towards Sunday.’
The PR expert said that if Philip’s health declined, Harry and Meghan’s fate would be ‘in the lap of the gods’.
He added: ‘If you were strategically giving advice about mitigating reputational damage, you would show huge empathy by postponing.’
Any worsening of Philip’s health will raise issues for ITV. Experts say this could lead to major problems for advertisers airing commercials during the show.
One senior TV executive said: ‘The issue is whether ITV will take a big bath if advertisers don’t want to be in it and also there is the wider collateral damage. Also, ITV airs a lot of royal documentaries – will the Palace stop co-operating?’
In dramatic promotional clips released on Monday, Miss Winfrey is seen asking Meghan if she was ‘silent or silenced’, with the duchess’ answer not revealed.
In response to a comment by the duchess, the presenter says: ‘Almost unsurvivable. Sounds like there was a breaking point?’
At one point in the trailer, Miss Winfrey tells viewers: ‘ Just to make it clear to everybody, there is no subject that is off-limits,’ as Meghan nods in agreement.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, who was editor of International Who’s Who for 25 years, said that ITV’s decision to buy the rights to the ‘highly sensational’ interview was ‘deplorable’.
A 30-second advertising slot for the American broadcast is reportedly costing $ 200,000 (about £144,000).
‘The timing is just horrendous’