RICHARD EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Meghan’s new podcast hits a snag before it even begins

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were damningly described as “f*****g grifters” by a Spotify executive hours after the parting of the ways was announced between them and the audio giant last year.

So I’m sorry to hear that Meghan’s new deal with a much smaller podcast firm is struggling to get off the starting blocks.

Prince Harry’s wife announced amid great fanfare in February that she had signed a deal with Lemonada Media, a female-founded company that wants to “make life suck less”.

The Duchess, who produced only one series of her podcast Archetypes for Spotify before splitting with the company, had signed with Lemonada to develop and host a new series.

But there is not expected to be any work broadcast this year.

“The relaunch of Meghan’s Archetypes podcast got pushed back to 2025,” a California-based source tells me.

It is understood that Lemonada did not want the podcast’s launch to be overshadowed by the former actress’s television series, which she began filming at a rented house in Montecito last week.

Netflix said the show would “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining and friendship”.

Lemonada is said to be concerned that there would also be “scheduling conflicts” between the podcast launch and that of her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

A spokesman for Meghan declined to comment, but sources claim she had a list of “very high-profile guests” scheduled for the podcast.

Guests on her series for Spotify included Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and pop star Mariah Carey.

Bill Simmons, Spotify’s head of podcast innovation and monetisation, blasted the Duke and Duchess as “f****** grifters” just hours after their reported £15 million deal was axed last summer.

The damning putdown is an American term for people “who engage in petty or smallscale swindling”.

He ranted: “I’ve 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.”

Meghan said in February that she was “overjoyed” to be joining Lemonada.

She added: “Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast, are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon.”

Just not that soon . . .