“Is Meghan’s California Dream Show on the Brink? Experts Debate Timing During LA Wildfire Crisis”

Public relations specialists have raised concerns about the timing of Meghan Markle’s Netflix cooking series, suggesting it ought to be delayed due to the wildfires in Los Angeles.

The eagerly anticipated lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, is set to debut on Wednesday, January 15.

The initial trailer featured Meghan, 43, preparing dishes in a kitchen in Montecito, harvesting vegetables from her garden, and conversing with her well-known friends.

This new series is part of the Sussexes’ $100 million (£80 million) agreement with the streaming platform, yet it emerges against the dire backdrop of the fierce fires ravaging LA.

To date, 16 individuals have perished, with US President Joe Biden making the alarming prediction that the number of casualties may increase in the infernos he has compared to a ‘war zone.’

Harry, 40, and Meghan were spotted this week in the city distributing food packages to survivors after traveling 90 miles from their $29 million Montecito residence.

However, despite their commendable efforts in providing donations to the cause through their Archewell Foundation and opening their opulent home to displaced friends and family, multiple experts argue that Netflix should postpone the release of Meghan’s show.

The Duchess of Sussex’s long-awaited lifestyle series With Love, Meghan is scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, January 15

The Duchess, 43, bills the series as creating ‘wonder in every moment’ as she shares her tips and tricks on living well

With Love, Meghan is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Wednesday at 8am UK time

Meghan Markle was spotted comforting victims and first responders at an evacuation centre on Friday amid the ongoing fires in LA

Flames engulf a structure as the Eaton Fire burns in Pasadena on January 7

They argue that airing it now could be perceived as ‘insensitive’ and ‘tone deaf’ and provoke a significant backlash against the royal couple.

UK branding and culture authority Nick Ede highlighted the choice to cancel or postpone numerous Hollywood premieres and award ceremonies.

He stated to MailOnline: ‘I believe Netflix executives will face crucial decisions regarding whether to air With Love, Meghan in the upcoming week.’

‘Considering the show’s strong connection to California living, Los Angeles, and Montecito, offering a view into aspirational and inspiring lifestyles, I have a hunch it will be withdrawn from its current schedule and delayed for at least a couple of months.’

The PR expert remarked that it would be a ‘constructive decision’ for both Meghan and Netflix as ‘to broadcast it during such a tragic and challenging period would be perceived as insensitive and tone deaf.’

‘A program like Meghan’s isn’t time-specific, so it can be shown later. We recognize how vital the community is to both Meghan and Harry, and the last thing they would desire would be a backlash due to the show airing while they strive hard to assist those in need at this moment,’ he added.

Phil Dampier, the author of Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan In Their Own Words, concurred with Mr. Ede’s caution, stating ‘the timing of Meghan’s Netflix series could not be worse as hundreds of individuals have lost their homes in the disastrous fires.’

He expressed to MailOnline: ‘The last thing anyone is concerned about is a show centered on hosting friends for canapés or arranging flowers while the city is ablaze and individuals have lost everything.’

With Love, Meghan, set to land on Netflix on January 15, promises to ‘elevate the ordinary’ and invites viewers to ‘create wonder in every moment’

Meghan Markle converses with Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, center, and Doug Goodwin, whose home was ravaged by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena

Flames close to Mandeville Canyon on January 11

‘Harry and Meghan made the appropriate choice by offering to assist friends and allowing them to stay in their own home, but the dilemma is that they can’t completely succeed. Some will claim they are merely doing this as a publicity stunt.

‘I believe it would be prudent for Netflix to halt the show and reintroduce it during the summer when conditions may improve a bit, but the destruction is so severe that rebuilding some communities will take years, if not decades.

‘Harry and Meghan will be residing in close proximity to the devastation for quite a while, and the recovery process will necessitate communal effort for many years.

‘It’s obviously not Meghan’s fault, but I cannot foresee this show thriving given the current circumstances.

‘Certain critics had already criticized it, and it now appears entirely misplaced. She had invested a lot in it and had been strategizing for months, if not a couple of years, so this is truly unfortunate for her.

‘For Netflix, it was the last chance saloon, and should it fail, I doubt they would seek more productions from them. She has faced misfortune, but her issues are minuscule compared to those who have suffered due to the fires.’

Mr. Dampier believes Netflix ‘will likely wish to proceed with the show, but Meghan would be wise to suggest they delay it.’

‘Continuing now appears so inappropriate for her, and very few will be tuning in from LA,’ he remarked.

Royal analyst Richard Fitzwilliams stated the series ‘must be postponed’ or it risks portraying the Sussexes as ‘disconnected from reality’.

Meghan and Harry with other volunteers after aiding LA wildfire victims

One of the Duchess’s initial guests is a long-time friend (and recipient of American Riviera Orchard jam) Mindy Kaling

He remarked: ‘To continue at this juncture would be foolish as the atmosphere has soured. These catastrophic fires rank among the most severe natural disasters in the United States.

‘Should the series move forward, it would depict the Sussexes as entirely out of touch. Clearly, they had no foresight of these events, but it’s vital for their image to dodge such dreadful optics.

‘Five days after [the series launches] Donald Trump ascends to the presidency. No one is more contentious, marking a significant political comeback in American history.

‘The sentiment among the Sussexes’ supporters will be somber, and I doubt many would find the light-hearted fare of her offering as she prepares for the elite appealing during this period either.’

Mr. Fitzwilliams noted that substantial stakes are resting on the success of Meghan’s new program following the couple’s recent series Polo, which underperformed.

However, despite his assertions that their agreement with Netflix may be uncertain, ‘it truly necessitates Netflix to promptly decide to delay.’

‘Given the circumstances are evident, it should be arranged immediately, allowing Meghan to articulate a message regarding the reasons, which everyone would accept,’ he stated.

‘It is easy to fathom the repercussions for their standing in the United States and the truly dreadful optics if they do not.’

Former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole, who now heads his own PR agency, emphasized that timing is essential, stating ‘this is decidedly the wrong moment for Meghan to be unveiling her new cooking show.’

The Duchess of Sussex featured in the trailer for her lifestyle cooking show

Prince Harry was also seen conversing with Mayor of Pasadena Victor Gordo, who described the couple as ‘wonderful individuals’ with ‘magnificent characters’

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry situated alongside the troubled California governor’s wife as they served meals to wildfire survivors in Los Angeles

He informed MailOnline: ‘Just down the road from the multi-million dollar residence where the show has been recorded,

there are countless individuals lacking a kitchen or the residence where it used to be the center of their lives.

‘The most significant catastrophe to strike Los Angeles, second only to an earthquake along the notoriously unpredictable San Andreas Fault, has rattled the city much more than the usual quakes that accompany life in Southern California.

‘Regardless of personal involvement, every Angeleno is experiencing the repercussions of the calamity and will not be drawn to yet another celebrity cooking show, even one showcasing the culinary talent, creativity, and overall charm of a royal duchess.’

Mr. Cole mentions that Meghan and Harry aiding the wildfire victims was ‘a commendable action’ and he believes they were ‘driven by a sense of shared humanity, genuinely wishing to contribute, even if it only involves offering compassion and support.’

‘An even more impactful gesture would be to declare, in view of the disaster that has stripped so many of their valued possessions, that the debut of the cooking program would be delayed so that the attention of California and the nation should be entirely on providing assistance and renewed optimism, because it is not merely the wealthy and famous who have suffered loss,’ he stated.

‘If the premiere proceeds as scheduled, it will expose Meghan to accusations of insensitivity at the very least, a charge she has faced in the past, not always with success.

‘The Sussexes have had no shortage of public relations consultants since moving to California, and I am confident they will have been advising Meghan to postpone.’

MailOnline has reached out to representatives of Harry and Meghan for a statement.

Netflix chose not to comment when contacted by MailOnline.