Pamela Anderson has addressed viral accusations that Meghan Markle “ripped off” her cooking show with the Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
Fans of the Baywatch icon, 58, were left outraged earlier this year when the Duchess of Sussex, 44, debuted her own food and lifestyle programme, which many noted bore striking similarities to Anderson’s Pamela’s Cooking with Love, released on Prime Video.
Appearing on Sunday’s Watch What Happens Live! alongside co-star and new love interest Liam Neeson, Anderson was asked by host Andy Cohen: “On a scale from one to 10, how much of a rip-off did you feel like With Love, Meghan was of your show, Pamela’s Cooking with Love?”
The Naked Gun star replied: “One. I didn’t really look, but I mean, I didn’t invent cooking shows,” adding that Meghan “is just doing her thing.”
The drama began earlier this year when Prince Harry’s wife shared her top domestic tips to promote the launch of With Love, Meghan in March.
Among them was how to “elevate” a normal dinner. Citing Chinese as a go-to takeaway, Meghan said: “I like being able to do a hybrid, but even when I get a takeout, I will try to plate it beautifully.”
She also spoke about launching her new lifestyle brand As Ever, after failing to secure copyright branding for her original name, American Riviera Orchard.
“It’s a learning curve,” she said. “I appreciate everyone who gave me the grace to make mistakes and figure it out, and also be forgiving with myself through that.”
Anderson and Meghan both filmed themselves in brightly lit country kitchens, smiling and laughing with guests, while cooking aspirational meals alongside photogenic friends and celebrities.
In addition, both were filmed carrying wicker baskets filled with fruit and vegetables from their gardens, dancing joyfully, and high-fiving their guests. Each series also ran for eight episodes.
When Meghan’s show debuted, some viewers accused her of copying Anderson’s formula. “So similar it’s freaky,” said one reviewer. Others branded Meghan’s effort “inauthentic” and “copycat”.
However, other observers suggested the overlap was a coincidence, with both shows following a familiar format seen in other lifestyle and cooking programmes.
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Meghan filmed her series last summer, with the first teaser trailer launching in January, months after Anderson’s had already been in development.
Anderson’s Cooking with Love was commissioned in February 2023 by Canadian broadcaster Flavour Network, and its trailer has been online since October.
Last month, it was reported that hopes of a renewed Netflix deal for the Sussexes were “dead” after disappointing performances from their latest projects.
With Love, Meghan failed to break into Netflix’s top 300 shows for the first half of 2025 — and was outperformed by multiple seasons of Suits.
Meghan confirmed a second season of the show when season one launched in March, as part of the couple’s £100million deal with the streaming platform, which is set to expire later this year.