Does Prince Harry have a future in British TV? Top producer Richard Osman pitches new show for returning royal as wife Meghan Markle's role in The Gentlemen is 'withdrawn'

Prince Harry could have a bright future on British TV when he makes his return to the UK.

Whilst his wife Meghan Markle is already sparking speculation, which was then quickly dashed, that she has landed a part on Guy Ritchie's Netflix hit The Gentlemen, top producer Richard Osman has mused Harry could have some screen success himself.

Osman has an impressive TV pedigree, with a 20-year career behind the scenes as an executive producer and creative director at Endemol UK, where he created shows including Pointless and produced eight Out of ten Cats and Deal or No Deal. 

He recently stepped back from his TV work to focus on his soaring career as an author after penning the wildly successful Thursday Murder Club series but has put his producer hat back on to advise Harry.

'I think you could build a fairly nice media career for Harry where he just appears on television every now and again and is very happy doing that,' Osman told his co-presenter Marina Hyde on the latest episode of their podcast The Rest is Entertainment.

'If I was his advisor and I can exclusively reveal that I'm not, but if I was his advisor, I'd have him meeting people.'

Osman said Harry would be a perfect addition on comedy entertainment shows like The Wheel with Michael McIntyre.

'Michael would look after him. It's not too high pressure. He'd look good if he got something right. He'd look self depreciating if he got something wrong,' Richard pointed out. 'Honestly I just I just think one appearance on the Taskmaster Christmas special and all this? Forgiven.'

Osman then revealed he had put together a new show concept for Harry 'because I think one thing that really works for him is the whole the Invictus Games and, and his work with veterans'.

'I've got a show called Harry's Special Forces. It's like DIY SOS meets Challenge Anneka. And it is exactly that thing of something needs rebuilding, a house needs rebuilding, community centre needs rebuilding but he does it with a bunch of army veterans.'

'People have been injured in in the line of conflict and they build something and put something together. At the same time, he's showing these veterans and they're putting their skills out there for employers as well.'

Osman insisted that there is still a market for both Harry and Meghan in the UK. '8% of people have a definite opinion on Harry and Meghan already, right?'

'One way or the other. 4% one way, 4% the other way. You've still got 92% of people who are like, "oh, yeah, well, if he's doing something interesting, I'll watch it if she's in something."'  

Meghan's return to acting though has reportedly been 'cancelled' amid criticism over plans to cast her in the third season of the Guy Ritchie-directed series.

Over the weekend, it was claimed that Meghan had been offered a role in the third instalment of the show.

But just as quickly as the news was released, it was then claimed the offer had been withdrawn after the reaction in Britain became too 'intense', according to royal author Tina Brown.

Ms Brown said: 'I learned that the casting of Meghan Markle has been withdrawn. The backlash was so intense it became untenable to go forward.'

In her 'Fresh Hell' Substack newsletter, the author wrote: 'This does not bode well for Meghan's acting comeback.'

Just four years ago, Meghan insisted she had no plans to return to acting. In 2022, she told Variety magazine: 'I'm done. I guess never say never but my intention is to absolutely not.'

Now, however, her return to the screen has been touted by sources 'close to the duchess' as one of the reasons she and Prince Harry are returning to Britain.

Commentators have suggested that any acting role for Meghan and a subsequent return to the spotlight could be problematic both for the Sussexes and the Royal Family in general.

Baroness Wheatcroft, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, said: 'The first thing any actress wants is publicity and Meghan may be a good actress. She is certainly going to be offered roles but she has to be very careful when the inevitable interviews come along not to embarrass the royals.'

Osman though disagrees, pointing out that Meghan is first and foremost an actor. 'Do your acting. I really, really think if you're something, just do that. Do the thing that you're good at.'

'When you do something that that you don't do, when you're a square peg trying to fit in a round hole, people will always be cynical of that. You can't ever quite be yourself.

'If you do the thing you train to do and that you are good at, you can just be yourself and people will judge you in that way. So for me, Meghan joining The Gentlemen would be perfect for her.'

Before marrying Harry, Meghan enjoyed a successful seven-season run as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits. She reportedly earned around $40,000 per episode by the time her final episode aired in April 2018 – just one month before she walked down the aisle at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

Meghan has a small cameo in the upcoming film Close Personal Friends, starring Brie Larson and Lily Collins. But a source connected with the project described the appearance to The Mail on Sunday as little more than fleeting. A role in Ritchie's The Gentlemen would have marked a far more significant return to acting.

Netflix declined to comment while a spokesman for the duchess refused to confirm or deny that the offer had been withdrawn.