Oprah Winfrey Shock: Host Slammed for Endorsing Meghan Markle's £33 Fruit Spreads

For holiday shoppers, Oprah Winfrey's annual 'Favourite Things' list is usually a bible of desirable, often pricey, gifts. But this year, the billionaire media titan is facing intense scrutiny after an inclusion on the 2025 guide sparked accusations of 'paid promotion.'

The item in question? A fruit spread set from Meghan Markle's fledgling, and reportedly 'struggling,'lifestyle brand, As Ever.

The move immediately set royal watchers and social media users aflame, accusing Winfrey, 71, of using her influence to save her neighbour and friend's business. The consensus among critics is sharp: 'That endorsement has to be transactional,' turning the festive gift list into a cynical business arrangement.

The controversy centres on the £33 (US $42) As Ever Signature Fruit Spread Gift Set, which Winfrey publicly promoted on Wednesday, 5 November. The former chat show host's description of the product drew on their personal connection as neighbours in Montecito, California.

"Before my neighbour, Meghan, started her business, she shared her homemade recipes with us," Winfrey wrote. She continued to praise the preserves: 'I love to drizzle it on an English muffin, or yogurt, or ice cream. I also love bringing a jam or preserves as a hostess gift, and with this pretty box set of orange marmalade and raspberry and strawberry spreads, just add a bow and you're ready to go.'

The Oprah Winfrey and Meghan Markle 'Paid Promotion' Scandal

Despite the glowing testimonial, the public reaction online suggested little trust in the endorsement. Critics quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to decry the connection as a desperate attempt to boost the 'flailing' As Ever brand.

One user huffed that the list is 'nothing more than paid promotion at this point,' adding, 'Putting Meghan's overpriced jam on it doesn't make it luxury, it makes it desperate.' Another joked the duchess was merely trying 'to get rid of all stock,' as 'nobody wants to buy Meg's spread anymore.'

The criticism was not just aimed at the product's quality, but at the perceived networking involved. A highly critical person scoffed, 'Everyone on the planet knows that these aren't really Oprah's anything. It's all PR and networking to get on the list. Your products don't have to be good; you just have to know the right people — another thing she bought her way into,' clearly referring to Markle.

This scrutiny is fuelled by the history of their close and complex relationship. The connection goes back to before Meghan's royal wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. The Color Purple star stunned fans by attending the ceremony, a surprise guest seated among the close friends and family in the Quire of Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel.

In their controversial interview with the CBS personality in 2021, Markle revealed that Winfrey had tried to arrange a meeting even before the wedding. Markle confessed she had to pass at the time because she 'wasn't even allowed to have that conversation' without a member of the royal staff present.

'You turned me down nicely and said perhaps there will be another time,' Winfrey recalled during the interview.

Analysing the State of Meghan's As Ever Brand

The March 2021 bombshell interview further cemented the bond between the two neighbours. The interview, which drew blockbuster ratings, saw Markle make sensational claims about alleged racism by the royal family and how they ignored her alleged suicidal thoughts. Though she also made the now-debunked claim that she and Harry married 'three days before their 'spectacle' of a wedding'.

The friendship has continued in tony Montecito, where the pair have 'shared stories' about duckling rescues and other encounters.

Markle officially launched As Ever in April with a range of products including fruit spreads, honey, crepe mix, and edible dried flowers. Despite initial reports of everything 'selling out' immediately—a claim met with scepticism—the brand has been consistently 'plagued with drama' over limited restocks and 'minimal expansion.'

The inclusion of the jam set on Winfrey's highly influential holiday list may be a last-ditch attempt to inject life and credibility into the struggling venture.