The hate campaign against the Duchess of Sussex and her Netflix show With Love, Meghan did not work. A second season of WLM has already been ordered and filmed, and Netflix is looking very smart for coming on Meghan’s partner in her As Ever line. WLM is a hit show across dozens of countries and Meghan is probably going to single-handedly bring back my favorite kind of cooking show – the kind where a woman in a lovely kitchen cooks good food and there are no bells or judges or frenetic competitions. Well, the hate campaign will eventually find another “thing,” and if past is prologue, I think we all know what their next thing will be: sure, WLM is a hit, but Meghan probably bullied the crew! Someone is going to say that their cousin’s neighbor’s hairstylist heard a rumor that Meghan hissed as a crew member. Thankfully, this cycle has been happening for so long, Meghan knows how to head it off at the pass. Behold, a People Magazine exclusive about how the WLM crew loves Meghan and she was a great boss who shared food with everyone.
Director Michael Steed: Michael Steed, who previously worked on the Emmy-winning series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, tells PEOPLE of his role on the show: “It was unexpected, but I embraced it…it was a lot of fun. I was always going to be the point of conversation, so she had someone to talk to at all times and make it more conversational and comfortable. But it certainly evolved to where the cameras turned towards me. Her cooking is pretty spot-on. She’s not a chef, and it’s definitely not meant to make it seem like she is, but there’s just a love of cooking that is palpable.”
Steed liked that everything wasn’t perfect: And while everything may have looked flawless on screen, Steed says the team wasn’t aiming for perfection. “For me, imperfection is a wonderful thing. It was fun watching her trying to get used to the kitchen, because it’s not her place, so we didn’t hide that fact, and she’s kind of walking and looking for things. I really wanted to embrace and celebrate all of the mistakes and mess and all that good stuff.” When it came to Meghan’s presence on set, Steed describes her as “friendly” and approachable, creating a “comfortable environment” for everyone involved. “Meghan as a person is totally L.A., California, through and through,” he says.
Meghan was tight with the crew, Steed says: “Her relationship with the crew became really tight fairly quickly. She has an understanding of what it means to be on set and she connected with the crew more than anyone.” Despite the high pressure of shooting, Steed notes that the atmosphere was still “chill” and “fun.” “Everyone was a pro all the way through. She’s a pro,” he says. In between scenes, Meghan would often play music, but Steed’s job was to keep things moving along. “I was always the one who had to turn the music off — that as my role to keep everything on track. She’d call me the ‘Brooklyn Bummer,’” he says with a laugh. “Everyone has their own version of her, but she’s just someone who’s constantly hustling and working. I really wanted to create an environment where she could relax, especially given the pressures she faces daily. I’m glad we could create moments where she could tap into a different side of herself.”
Steed on the key to Meghan: “I know it sounds corny, but I really think the core of Meghan’s being is her generosity. She wants to do the extra thing, and I think that’s something everyone should take to heart.”
A crew member on the vibe: “Most of the time, we’re expected to fade into the background, to be invisible,” a crew member tells PEOPLE about the collaborative atmosphere on set. “But in this show, we were part of it. We were included. It was a very unique and refreshing experience.” He adds that Meghan was incredibly “warm,” “approachable” and “genuine.” “She made sure everyone felt included, from Netflix executives to our director to every PA on set. No one was left out. During a break in filming, Meghan asked everyone about their favorite cocktails. I shared that I gave up drinking when I became a father, so I’ve been sober for almost 14 years,” the crew member says. Days later, while adjusting her microphone, Meghan surprised him when she mentioned how much she respected the commitment he’d made to his family. “Meghan made us feel seen,” he shares.
Each week, Meghan did something thoughtful for the crew. “Whether it was a coffee cart in the morning or there was one day where the forecast called for it to be particularly hot, and she had a shaved ice truck for us at lunch,” he says. “One day, she had a bespoke ice cream cart with local homemade ice cream. She had an acai truck for us, too. Every week, she did something like that for us. It was really lovely.”
Everyone got a taste: He notes that Meghan was also open to learning throughout the process. “She didn’t seem too married to any one idea. If something didn’t go perfectly, she was fine with it and moved on to the next thing,” he says. The crew member recalls that Meghan always made sure everyone got a taste of what was made. “She was a great hostess. Between takes, if something was ready to eat, she’d cut it into bite-sized pieces and serve it to us.” At the end of filming, Meghan gave the crew a wrap gift. “She gave us a pan from Our Place, a sauté-style fry pan. And a personally monogrammed spoon with her handwriting that says, ‘Thank You, Crew.’”
Meghan’s family visited: He also reflects on the visits from Prince Harry, Archie and Lilibet: “Whenever Harry visited set, he was always super polite and friendly. But it was clear he wanted this to be Meghan’s moment to shine.” As for the couple’s kids, the crew member adds: “She was super attentive and doting on them. We would give them headphones so they could listen to audio.”
They did shoot at the Sussexes’ property, all exteriors: “Man, they have carved themselves out a nice little slice of paradise there,” the crew member says. “We were by the chicken coop, the garden and the beehive. All of it is so peaceful and so serene. She’s got a lovely life there, and it was nice to just have a little glimpse of it.”
People also had quotes from Roy Choi, Alice Waters and Daniel Martin, all of whom were guests on the show, and all of them had lovely things to say about Meghan. Choi was especially happy that Meghan was showcasing what it means to be an Angeleno, and how the mesh of cultures in LA were formative for Meghan. It’s great that the on-camera talent praised Meghan, but it feels more notable that the director and crew members are speaking out and getting ahead of the inevitable “Meghan is a mean boss” storyline, which is absolutely coming. I can’t believe People Mag didn’t find a crew member who felt bullied and ended up crying in one of Meghan’s eleventy billion bathrooms. “Meghan looked at me near Archie’s Chick Inn and I felt harassed!”
Photos courtesy of Netflix.
