Harry and Meghan called ‘grifters’ by Spotify executive after podcast deal ends

Last week the company said it was parting ways with the couple – and now a top executive has hit out at them on his own podcast.

A Spotify executive has spoken out about the scrapping of Harry and Meghan’s $20m (£15m) deal with the streaming service, calling the royal couple “f****** grifters”.

Bill Simmons, who is head of podcast innovation and monetisation, criticised the pair after it was announcedthey were being dropped by Spotify for reportedly not creating enough content.

Meghan’s podcast Archetypes was described on Spotify as “a podcast where we investigate, dissect, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back”.

Guests on the show have included Paris Hilton, Mindy Kaling, Mariah Carey and Serena Williams.

But only 12 episodes have been made since the multi-million dollar deal was signed in 2020 and none have aired for more than nine months.

“Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform,” a spokeswoman for the couple’s Archewell media company told the Wall Street Journal.

Speaking on his own podcast, Mr Simmons said: “The f****** grifters. That’s the podcast we should have launched with them.”

He went on to say: “I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories… F*** them. The grifters.”

Along with Spotify, the couple also signed deals with Netflix, which released an eponymous  documentary series about them last year, and Penguin Random House, the publisher of Prince Harry’s controversial memoir, Spare.

The news comes after Spotify announced this month it will cut 200 jobs as it changes its approach to podcasts.