The “Deal or No Deal” controversy surrounding Meghan Markle’s previous comments is hitting headlines again.
In a recent interview with Variety, Lucas Green — who is entertainment company Banijay’s chief content officer — said of whether he agreed with Markle’s comments about her time as a “briefcase girl” making her feel “objectified”: “No, but we are constantly evolving the format so that it isn’t the same show it was 15+ years ago.
“A lot of work goes into modernizing our formats to ensure they represent our values as a company and wider society.
“The U.K. version for example, will continue to use members of the public from all walks of life to open the boxes [instead of models].”
Markle appeared on the U.S. version of the game show from 2006 to 2007 before quitting because she said working on it made her feel “not smart.”
The Duchess of Sussex also said she was told to “suck it in” before filming started, and suggested the girls had to pad their bras, wear lashes and were given spray-tan vouchers each week so they could look a certain way.
Other “briefcase girls” have since come forward to deny their experience was the same as Markle’s.
Markle had said on her “Archetypes” podcast back in October: “I was surrounded by smart women on that stage with me, but that wasn’t the focus of why we were there and I would end up leaving with this pit in my stomach knowing that I was so much more than what was being objectified on the stage.
“I didn’t like feeling forced to be all looks and little substance. And that’s how it felt for me at the time being reduced to this specific archetype,” before sharing a clip defining the word “bimbo.”
