Meghan Markle has reflected on her time as a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal, revealing the unusual ritual she and Chrissy Teigen shared while working on the US game show nearly 20 years ago.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, spoke to Teigen on the second episode of her Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, which was released on Tuesday.
The pair first met in 2006 while appearing on Deal or No Deal, long before Markle’s breakthrough role in Suits.
“I was thinking about how many moons ago we crossed paths and that was past life, that was good old Deal or No Deal,” Markle told Teigen as they crafted pressed-flower jewellery.
Sharing memories, Markle then recalled: “I remember us all having to stand in line to get our lashes put in.”
Teigen added that after filming, the models were required to hand their false eyelashes back “in a Ziploc bag”.
Markle admitted that at the time she was simply “so happy to have health insurance” from the job, while Teigen, who described that period as “a really important, funny one,” soon found fame as a model.
She went on to recall how Teigen, who described herself as a “backup girl” on the show, rose to fame soon after.
“I mean, I left the show, and then like a year or so later, you got famous,' she told Teigen. “I was like, "Oh my god, she's on the cover of Sports Illustrated, she was just sitting back there on the little chair, waiting...’”.
To which the mother-of-four, who described herself as a “back up girl” replied: “Not competitive at all, literally was fascinated by all of you and just so happy to be in the world of Hollywood.”
They then said in unison: “How far we've come.”
The conversation formed part of the second instalment of Markle’s eight-part Netflix series, which sees her welcome high-profile guests to a rented California mansion.
Other appearances this season include Queer Eye’s Tan France and celebrity chefs Samin Nosrat and David Chang.
The series blends cooking, crafts and conversation, with Markle also sharing personal insights into her family life, from her early dates with Prince Harry to her children Archie and Lilibet’s favourite foods and colours.
The show’s return comes two weeks after the couple announced a watered-down deal with Netflix.
They have signed a “multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects”, in contrast to their reported 100 million dollar (£74 million) contract five years ago.
Season two of With Love, Meghan is now streaming on Netflix
