The final episode of Meghan Markle‘s Archetypes podcast has been released.
And for the first time during the show’s run, Meghan welcomed male guests: Andy Cohen, Trevor Noah and Judd Apatow.
But Meghan revealed that she was initially hesitant to have males as guests on her podcast.
Prince Harry suggested Meghan should have male guests on the final episode of her podcast, Archetypes.
(Image: Getty)“Now, if you’ve been listening to the past 11 episodes, you may have noticed that you haven’t heard many men’s voices. In fact, until now, outside a pop-in from my husband in the first episode, this show has featured exclusively women’s voices,” Meghan said.
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“And that’s by design. It was important to us that women have a space to share their authentic and complicated, complex and dynamic experiences. To be heard. And to be understood.”
Then Meghan disclosed that she decided to invite male guests onto Archetypes because of Prince Harry.
WATCH: Meghan Markle launches Archetypes podcast. Article continues after video.
“But through that process, it also occurred to me – and truth be told, at the suggestion of my husband – that if we really want to shift how we think about gender and the limiting labels that we separate people into, then we have to broaden the conversation… and we have to actively include men in that conversation and certainly in that effort.”
The Duchess of Sussex then went on to clarify the exact reasons as to why she chose to have Andy, Trevor and Judd, specifically, as guests.
“I have enlisted very some very thoughtful men in the effort, men who’ve been behind some of the most successful movies and TV shows, but also, who are part of cultural conversation in such an impactful way through their roles in media, and also, for some of them, their roles as husbands and dads.”
After discussing various different topics with Andy, Trevor and Judd, Meghan then reflected on her podcast – which ended up comprising 12 episodes – and ultimately said that she learnt so much from the experience and was grateful.
In the final episode of Archetypes, Meghan also reflected on the experience and said she learnt a lot.
(Image: Spotify)“I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but what’s come out of it for me has been illuminating. And also ironic. Because while this format is only audio and each week I use my voice, you can hear my thoughts without any visual, I feel seen,” Meghan began.
“I had never considered that in using my voice, that I would feel seen. But I do. And so much of the feedback throughout the season from women is that they feel seen as well. As we heard today, that men see our experience differently now, too. They see us. They see us more clearly.”
“The guests I’ve had join me have been so generous with their time and vulnerable in sharing their stories. And I found that in listening, really listening, I learned so much – about them, of course, but also about myself. Finding common ground and discovering that people that come from different worlds and have different life experiences still share so many of the same feelings,” Meghan continued.
WATCH: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s tribute to Elton John. Article continues after video.
“I learned how much more similar we are than different. So for example, I’m not Asian, but my goodness, did I connect to what I heard on the ‘dragon lady’ episode. And I don’t identify as ever wanting to dumb myself down. But in talking to Paris Hilton about the label ‘bimbo,’ I learned that she didn’t either,” Meghan said, referencing previous Archetypes episodes and guests.
“Mariah [Carey] taught me about her definition of being a diva. We celebrated the choice to be single with Mindy [Kaling], and we talked about business and the B-word, how our mental health is weaponized against us, the pressures we feel to be a wife and a mom. The loaded misconception that often comes with being a woman of colour and the courage that it takes to step out and speak up, even when it puts everything on the line. I learned so much. And I loved it.”
Meghan did not reveal whether the latest episode is the final Archetypes episode ever or if the show will return for a second season. Watch this space…
