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Meghan Markle wants daughter Lili to ‘aspire higher’ than ‘Deal or No Deal’ days

Duchess opens up about feeling objectified on US gameshow

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Meghan Markle has revealed she wants her young daughter Lili to ‘aspire higher’ in her latest Archetypes podcast.

The Duchess of Sussex reflected on her stint as a Deal or No Deal extra when she was an actress.

Prince Harry‘s wife was a ‘briefcase girl’ on the US version of the gameshow, joining the series in 2006.

However, in her new pod, Meghan indicates she felt her role was “reduced to” that of a “bimbo”.

And as she spoke with celebrity socialite Paris Hilton, she added she hopes little Lilibet will be valued for her mind.

Meghan Markle appears on Deal or No Deal
The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle appears on Deal or No Deal (Credit: Inside Edition YouTube)

Meghan Markle opens up on her podcast

Meghan told Spotify listeners she departed the ‘glamorous assistant’ role after 34 episodes as she was compelled to undergo spray tans and wear a padded bra.

She was appreciative of the work – but her appearances between 2006 and 2007 came to an end as she wasn’t happy with “how it made me feel, which was not smart”.

Meghan noted during her Breaking Down the Bimbo episode: “I ended up quitting the show. I was so much more than what was being objectified on the stage. I didn’t like feeling forced to be all looks. And little substance.

“And that’s how it felt for me at the time being reduced to this specific archetype, the word ‘bimbo’.”

Paris Hilton poses at a party in 2008
Paris Hilton, pictured here in 2008, was Meghan’s latest podcast guest (Credit: Splashnews.com)

Meghan Markle hopes for daughter Lilibet

Meghan also admitted she hopes her daughter – affectionately referred to as ‘Lili’ – will be regarded for her intelligence, rather than her appearance.

I want my Lili to want to be educated, and want to be smart.

She added: “I want our daughters to aspire to be slightly higher. I want my Lili to want to be educated, and want to be smart and to pride herself on those things.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for pictures
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are parents to Archie, three, as well as Lilibet, one (Credit: Splashnews.com)

Meghan’s podcast

Elsewhere in the podcast, Meghan recalled how the gig meant she could pay her way while looking for other work.

“I was really grateful as an auditioning actress to have a job, that I could pay my bills,” she said.

“I had income, I was part of the Union. And I had health insurance, it was great.”

However, holding a briefcase on the gameshow left her looking back on another job where attending to eyelashes, extensions and bra padding wasn’t as much as a professional priority.

Meghan said: “There were times when I was on set at Deal or No Deal and thinking back to my time working as an intern at the US Embassy in Argentina, Buenos Aires, and being in the motorcade with the secretary of treasury at the time and being valued specifically for my brain.”

She added about her gameshow experience: “We were even given spray tan vouchers each week. Because there was a very cookie cutter idea of precisely what we should look like.

“It was solely about beauty and not necessarily about brains.”

Read more: Queen’s ‘hurt’ over Harry and Meghan and ‘regret’ at not seeing more of Archie and Lilibet

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Robert Leigh
Freelance writer