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Meghan Markle must take advice from unlikely ITV star if she wants As Ever to thrive
Reach Daily Express | April 8, 2026 5:39 AM CST

Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand, As Ever, is set to expand Down Under before she starts selling any of her products on her husband's home turf in the UK. And honestly? I'm not sure it will do her any favours. But there is one familiar face who could offer some much-needed words of wisdom to help her business thrive.

You'd be hard pushed to find a Brit who hasn't heard of Stacey Solomon. The mum-of-five is dominating the airwaves this month following the return of her BBC makeover show, Sort Your Life Out. But that's not her own business venture.

The former X Factor star is also a partner in the thriving hair company, Rehab, which has gone from strength to strength since she joined the small business back in 2023. Fans can now find the eco-conscious haircare brand in several major UK retailers, including Boots, Sainsbury's and Selfridges.

The reality TV star has slowly but surely built a cult following by sharing regular updates about the company and her life behind the scenes. This allows fans to learn about the down-to-earth businesswoman behind the brand and keeps them coming back for more, which is key to a company's success.

Since the launch of As Ever in 2025, Meghan has attempted to follow in her footsteps by sharing small tidbits of their life in California online, but it appears to be limited to national holidays or around her business campaigns. By shutting out your target audience, you are indirectly killing your business.

Meghan needs to decide whether to let fans in or change tact completely by leaving the socials to another team entirely. If she decides to let her fans in, she can address and take ownership of the wild news stories circulating about her and her family and build a loyal online following at the same time.

Another way Stacey connects with her audience through her haircare company is by sharing giveaways and competitions, something that would immediately inject a bit of interest into As Ever. Last month, reports claimed that the website saw a 36 per cent growth since October, according to data from SimilarWeb, gathered by Newsweek.

So it's not like they're short of money, and would be well worth investing in a few giveaways to bring in more customers moving forward. Finally, another strength the doting mum could learn from Stacey is through her meet-and-greets at store openings.

The TV personality is always warm and bubbly across all of her social media platforms, and she appears to be exactly the same in person. By taking the time to meet some of her biggest supporters, she is building a fiercely loyal support system that will help her thrive in many ways throughout her career, something the duchess desperately needs.

The closest Meghan has come to this isher upcoming visit to Australia later this month, but, to no one's surprise, it won't include any meet-and-greets. Instead, the elusive royal is set to conduct "private, business or philanthropic engagements" across the Sussexes' three-day trip.

This has already sparked backlash online, with reports claiming that Australian taxpayers could be funding the visit. It didn't take long before the advocacy group, Beyond Australia, urged the nation's government not to fund the royal couple's security, which has garnered more than 32,000 signatures to date. The group also called for the Sussexes to fund their own logistics and other requirements for the trip.

So it's clear that Harry and Meghan are already on a rocky footing with the Australian public, leaving their business efforts questionable at best and delusional at worst. Really, the pair need to go about things as any normal company would and foot the bill for security and expenses themselves.

It comes after the Duchess announced she had ended her business venture with Netflix, despite the streamer having invested heavily in the company last year. It's understood she thought the streaming giant was a bad fit for her website and was being too cautious with its expansion.

Honestly, this whole business stinks of entitlement and greed in a tasteless way to win over the general public. I'm sure the world doesn't need another company selling homemade jam, sickly sweet candles and rose wine anyway. Either make some big business changes, cut your losses, or take a leaf out of Stacey's branding rulebook, because you're not going to win anyone over with this as it stands.


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