The Gentlemen denies using Meghan rumour to boost ratings

The makers of Netflix's The Gentlemen say they never needed Meghan, Duchess of Sussex for a ratings boost.

A source close to production told The Times: "This is not a show in need of stunt casting." The wording matters. It answers a claim from the Duchess's camp that rumours about her joining the show were leaked to drive publicity.

The row centres on unconfirmed casting talk from August. Reports said the Duchess was in advanced discussions to join Guy Ritchie's crime series, which follows an aristocrat pulled into a cannabis empire. A day later, the deal was said to be off the table.

That 24-hour whiplash set the tone. The stars of the show largely laughed off the reports when asked about them, according to Hello Magazine.

The story reignited on 17 October 2026. A friend of the Duchess told The Telegraph that people around her felt she had been used to promote the second series. The friend claimed the series needed the help because the second run was not as strong as the first, even though a third series had already been commissioned.

The same friend said Netflix had secured huge viewing figures for season two and a lot of publicity from the casting reports, as covered by Page Six on 18 October. That account rests entirely on an unnamed friend, and it remains a claim rather than an established fact.

The production side gives a flat denial. A source denied to The Times on 18 October that any rumoured participation by the Duchess was leaked to generate publicity.

For fans, this means a simple split. One side sees a brief rumour used for promotion. The other says a hit show had no reason to plant it. Neither side has produced paperwork to settle it.

No casting has been confirmed. The rumour stays a rumour, with claim and denial sitting side by side.