Meghan Markle is on a media tour to promote her new Netflix lifestyle show. With Love, Meghan premiered on the streaming platform on March 4 but it hasn’t received too many glowing reviews.
Most critics on both sides of the pond seem to have a problem with the series not having an “authentic” and “natural feel” to it even though it was marketed as Meghan “going back to her roots.” The series has also gotten a dismal score on Rotten Tomatoes with the majority of users giving it a rating of one star or just half a star and calling it “unwatchable.”
But for anyone who hasn’t seen it or is wondering if they should take the time to watch With Love, Meghan the duchess has been encouraging people to do so via her Instagram account and now with an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. The only problem with that is now everyone is talking about Meghan’s awkward interaction with the host rather than her new show.
Here’s what a couple of body experts noticed about how uncomfortable and shocked Meghan was with how Barrymore acted.
Expert noticed that Meghan appeared uncomfortable with Barrymore’s clinginess
Judi James is a body language and behavioral expert who has authored dozens of books on the topics including The Body Language Bible: The Hidden Meaning Behind People’s Gestures and Expressions. After watching Meghan’s appearance on the show, she spoke to the Daily Mail about how the former Suits star looked when Barrymore hugged her, opining that Meghan finally “met her match.”
According to James’ observation, “This is a rare pose from Meghan who is normally the first one to move in with the hugs to register the warm, spontaneously tactile side that was apparently met with a tsunami of ice water from the royal firm back in the U.K. She has clearly met her match in Drew, whose tactile behaviors on her chat show are a signature part of the brand. But it seems from this pose that what you get when you put two famously hugging women together is that one will bow out, namely Meghan in this case. Meghan adopts a straight, polite, more regal-looking pose here.”
James added that Harry’s wife kept her hand in her pocket when Barrymore hugged her so she wasn’t “reciprocating the display of affection … Drew clings relentlessly though, curling her arms around Meghan’s waist in a partial koala embrace and tilting her head to nestle against Meghan’s locks.
“Her rounded cheek, pursed lip smile signals a sense of warm friendship and affection while Meghan looks rather more distanced emotionally and keener to communicate with the camera than with her host here.”
Another expert agreed the women ‘weren’t on the same page’ and with ‘awkward hug’
Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and TV as a consultant and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.”
Stanton also analyzed the Duchess of Sussex’s appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show and noted that Meghan was taken aback by how touchy-feely the host was.
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Stanton said: “In the first shot where Drew is hugging her, Drew is leaning in towards Meghan and Meghan is very rigid. Drew appears to wrap herself around Meghan, who has her hands by her side. It is a pretty awkward hug.
“They were clearly not on the same page and didn’t show any reciprocation of gestures … Meghan was likely not expecting the interaction to be so tactile, which is why there was a sense of awkwardness. She seems shocked by the intensity of the interaction.”
Stanton elaborated: “Following the hug, the top half of Meghan’s face is smiling but the top half isn’t engaged with it, there are slight signs of shock — which is what we call a masking smile, a kind of default reaction. Her eyes have tightened, almost as though someone has made her jump. With a big surprise our eyes will widen, but often if something slightly unexpected happens our bodies will tighten and you can see that in her eyes.
“There is a very genuine smile from Drew, with crow’s feet and smile lines, but it’s clear Meghan wasn’t expecting her to be so open and tactile. I do think it took Meghan a little time to fully settle into the interview, but as their conversation continued, it was clear she became more comfortable. Meghan has a lot of passion when it comes to promoting her new project, and she truly seems happy to talk about it.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
