Here’s something most people don’t know and probably never noticed. 

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s wife – a/k/a the Duchess of Sussex – was one of the “briefcase models” on the hit US TV show, “Deal Or No Deal.” 

Markle has finally revealed why she resigned from the show hosted by Howie Mandel. She said she quit because she hated the feeling of being objectified on stage and reduced to a “bimbo.”

Meghan talked about her experience on the popular game show in the latest episode of her Archetypes podcast. The episode, called “Breaking Down the Bimbo,” was graced by media personality and DJ Paris Hilton. The two were discussing the meaning of the labels ‘bimbo’ and ‘dumb blonde’ and the effects of stereotypes on people.

During her introduction to the podcast episode, Meghan shared that she was forced to take on the ‘bimbo’ label. She said she was reminded of the experience recently when she was watching TV, a rare occasion for a mother of two kids under five – Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1. 

Meghan said that she had graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Theater and International Studies. Like many women working as briefcase holders on the show, she actively pursued an acting career.

Even though “Deal or No Deal” was not an acting job, she was grateful for the job because it paid her bills, got her into a workers’ union, and gave her health insurance. Despite keeping her paid and all the benefits of the job, Meghan couldn’t help but feel she was not fulfilling her potential. She would often think back to her internship days at the US embassy in Bueno Aires and being in the company of important statesmen like the Secretary of Treasury, who valued her for her intelligence.

In contrast, Meghan’s job on the show consisted of 25 other women and Meghan holding briefcases with prize money signs on stage. She said that the job made her feel valued for something quite different from when she was in college and an intern. She described how important the appearance of the models on stage was.

Before the show’s taping, the women would go to different stations to get their eyelashes fixed, bras padded, or their hair extensions installed. She said that because of the show’s rigid idea of how the women should look, they were offered weekly spray tan vouchers.

Markle revealed one moment in the show that she would never forget, when a woman running the show, who often kept an eye on the briefcase holders backstage, yelled at her to suck in her stomach. She said that that kind of treatment led her to abruptly quit the show mid-season in 2006. 

Meghan said the job made her feel terrible about herself as if she was only appreciated for her looks. She would often leave work with a pit in her stomach because she knew she wanted more for herself and did not want to be objectified on stage and reduced to a certain archetype. 

The Duchess of Sussex added that she wanted her daughter Lilibet to be educated and smart and proud of that.