From castles to podcasts for Harry and stream queen Meg
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a multi-year deal to host and produce podcasts with Spotify.
Harry and Meghan’s new audio production company, Archewell Audio, has gone into partnership with the streaming giant for an undisclosed sum – likely to be tens of millions.
‘What we love about podcasting is it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction,’ said the royal couple. ‘With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.’
The Queen’s grandson and his wife had previously signed a Netflix deal rumoured to be worth more than £100million. And on Monday, it emerged the duchess had invested in a start-up making instant oat milk lattes, which chat show star Oprah Winfrey promoted on Instagram.
Spotify has said they will host a ‘holiday special’ to be released in the coming weeks, in which the pair said they will ‘talk to some amazing people’ who ‘share their memories that have really helped shape this past year’.
In a trailer on Spotify’s website, Meghan said they wanted to ‘celebrate kindness and compassion’, explaining: ‘One of the things my husband and I have always talked about is our passion for meeting people and hearing their stories. And no matter what the story, they usually offer you an understanding of where someone else is coming from.’
Harry added: ‘And that’s what this project is all about, to bring forward different perspectives and voices that perhaps you haven’t heard before and find our common ground. When that happens, change really is possible.’
And on the holiday show, he said: ‘It feels worth acknowledging that 2020 has connected us in ways we could have never imagined.’