A chef who has cooked for King Charles and Queen Camilla has shared his brutally honest views on a Meghan Markle spaghetti dish from her Netflix series With Love, Meghan
Francesco Mazzei weighed in on the Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle series(Image: Andrea Cremascoli, Getty Images)
A chef hired by King Charles has offered an honest assessment of Meghan Markle’s cooking skills after witnessing her prepare a specific dish on her Netflix programme. During an episode of the Talking Royals podcast (December 5), presenter Charlene White – who also appears as a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women – welcomed Italian chef Francesco Mazzei for a discussion.
A master of southern Italian cooking, Francesco has plied his trade in restaurants across the globe and, earlier this year, was privileged to cook for King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Royal residence of Highgrove.
In one section, Charlene shifted focus to the Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix lifestyle programme With Love, Meghan, which has recently returned with a festive special entitled With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration.
As they debated whether the programme was a cooking or “hosting” show, Chris Ship ITV News’s royal editor, playfully implied that distinguished chef Francesco was a fan.
Francesco has worked in restaurants all over the world(Image: Getty)
Chris remarked: “I’m sure Francesco watches all the episodes and learns many…”, while the chef confessed that he had actually viewed an episode of Meghan’s divisive series.
Francesco responded: “No, I actually did see one – one (where) she cooks spaghetti straight from the sauce.” When invited to share his opinion on the dish, he seemed uncertain about the method. He declared: “I don’t think so,” as Charlene burst into laughter.
In additional remarks, Francesco said: “I mean, I don’t cook spaghetti that way,” though he conceded that “maybe she did an amazing dish.” When it was suggested that it wasn’t his “style”, Francesco simply responded: “No.”
Despite these observations, Charlene admitted she was fond of the programme, describing how it’s “very LA” and makes you “feel warm and cosy inside.”
Meghan’s show has returned for a festive edition, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration(Image: Getty)
In With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, the Duchess presents “thoughtful, tasteful ways” to make the festive season “especially memorable and meaningful”, according to Netflix’s companion website, Tudum.
Regrettably, the programme seems to have left critics unimpressed, presently maintaining a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes (though with only six reviews) and a 16% Popcornmeter rating.
One reviewer branded the programme an “onslaught of Christmas naffness”, while another described it as “a little Stepford Wives” and “not informative, fun, enjoyable or even aspirational.”
A third critic even labelled the show “quite mad and a little bit sad.” Yet, when examining the audience feedback, the response becomes far more favourable, with numerous five-star ratings appearing.
One viewer mentioned that they’d “watched all episodes of her shows” and “really enjoy it.” Another praised the “Lovely, good vibes, good tips, good guests”, with their only complaint being that it wasn’t longer.
Another reviewer praised it as a “lovely, relaxing watch” and asserted that it was “perfect” for ushering in the “holiday spirit.”