There’s no love lost between Meghan Markle and her half-sister Samantha – with the latter taking any opportunity she can to slam the new Duchess of Sussex in the media.
But now Samantha has hinted she could be set to appear on the next series of UK reality show Celebrity Big Brother alongside an outrageous line-up of housemates, essentially giving her free rein to say what she likes live on screen.
Speaking to US TV show Inside Edition recently, the outspoken 53-year-old appeared to confirm she’d make an appearance on the TV show, due to air on August 17. It’s claimed this year’s theme will focus on housemates who have been caught up in media controversies, with the series named The Eye of the Storm.
“Life is about cashing in and you take opportunities as they arise… There’s nothing wrong with it,” Markle told the show. However, she insisted the purpose of her being on air would not be to discuss her half-sister.
Adding more fuel to the fire, Samantha appeared on UK TV show Good Morning Britain just hours later and admitted to “cashing in” on her royal connection – before pleading with Meghan to visit their father as he continues to battle health issues.
“I’ve worked in media most of my life and in broadcasting. So because my sister is suddenly royal isn’t grounds for me to stop doing all that,” she told the show.
“Let’s face it, we all have to survive, money makes the world go round, so if you want to call that cashing in, that’s fine. But no one in media would refuse a paycheck for talking about the royals.”
She later added: “For someone to say, ‘oh you shouldn’t take any money, you should turn down a pay check’, go tell your boss you don’t want a pay check for interviewing me because that’s cashing in.”
Samantha then used the platform to reach out to Meghan and plead with her to contact her father and mend a rift between the family, adding: “I felt as though if something were to happen to him, and he passed away, I don’t think any of us could live with the fact that he died unhappy and there was not closure. I believe in her heart that she would want that also.”
Pointing out that their father Thomas is now 74-years-old, Samantha added: “So given the circumstances over the last several months since the wedding, I think he really just wants to embrace her, and have some closure on the distance, and the misperception and really let her know that he loves her.
“He sincerely had a heart attack and I was very shocked that the world would mock that or make fun of it. He really had a difficult time.”
Channel 5 declined to comment on the Celebrity Big Brother rumours when contacted by Starts at 60.