The Next Binge

With Love, Meghan – the Duchess of Sussex’s long-awaited cookery and homemaking series on Netflix – launches on Wednesday (Jan. 15).

The series with her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard was first teased last March and shows Markle cooking in the Montecito kitchen of two good friends, Tom and Sherrie Cipolla, who split their time between their five-acre property in our rarefied enclave and their estate in Rancho Palos Verdes.

The kitchen used in the eight-part series features a $20,000 Thermador range and a great deal of highly priced Le Creuset cookware, clearly setting the tone for the target demographic.

The Riven Rock resident is seen working in the garden and talking with famous friends such as restaurateur Alice Waters and chef Roy Choi while listening to The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe in Magic,” with husband Prince Harry even making a cameo.

“I hope you love the show as much I loved making it,” she gushes.

Sharing some of her favorite tips and tricks for cooking, gardening, crafting and more, Meghan reveals how even last-minute details can help add beauty to our lives, and, most importantly “bring people together.”

“This is about connecting with friends,” added Meghan “We’re not in pursuit of perfection. We’re in pursuit of joy.”

The tony twosome’s dogs – a rescue beagle Guy and labrador Pula – also get screen time.

As this is the last project of the couple’s $100 million deal with Netflix, it is seen as a make-or-break project particularly after the failure of Harry’s project on the sport of polo, which was demolished by critics.

Echo Press

I see the New York Post lost no time in picking up my story about my contretemps with the Duchess of York when – at a Manhattan lunch to celebrate her new multi-million dollar contract with Wedgwood, the fine china maker, and Waterford, the makers of fine crystal – I had the temerity to ask if she would at last be moving out of Royal Lodge, the late Queen Mother’s former Windsor home; which prompted her to walk out of the event. 

Surfs Up, Post Down

Prince Harry is teaching his son Prince Archie, 5, how to surf.

A photograph of the dynamic duo riding the waves was posted on social media and just as quickly deleted, presumably in the interests of privacy.

The pic was uploaded on a post of an Instagram reel by Tahitian pro surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer and taken at surfing star Kelly Slater’s surf ranch in Lemoore, 70 miles from Fresno.

But the image was later taken down with the surf coach captioning: “Don’t hate, but be happy!”

Harry and Meghan have rarely exposed their children, Archie and Lilibet, to the limelight, although a friend whose son is in the same school class as Archie tells me he is a delightful little boy.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Montecito actor Billy Baldwin, 61, and wife Chynna Phillips are living back together again.

Singer Chynna, 56, is now deleting the message declaring they were living in separate homes and cities because they had an “allergy” to one another.

She set the record straight in a video published to her YouTube site on December 29.

“I am retracting that comment, and I am now saying that it is a very foolish, very unwise, very destructive, stupid decision because that’s not going to solve our problem with the allergy.”

The pair married in 1995 and will celebrate their 30th anniversary in September.

New Year Message

Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry and British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom welcomed in the New Year in a very Zen way.

Katy, 40, who revealed she dresses up as The Grinch and goes caroling at her neighbors’ houses in our rarefied enclave on Christmas Eve, shared highlights of her New Year’s Day on her website.

It showed her enjoying some inner peace in a yoga session with Bloom, 47, in Japan.

The tony twosome sat back-to-back in their hotel suite overlooking the Tokyo skyline.

“Sending love to all this year!” she told her 205 million followers. “The year is always a chance for transformation… We put the OK in TOKyo for the New Year celebration.”

Take a Number

Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow has become quite an advocate of numerology, the ancient art of numbers and their supposed energetic influences in our lives.

The Goop founder, 52, says she underwent a numerology reading which helped her deal with the death of her German shepherd Nero and the impact of her children Apple, 20, and Moses, 18, moving out.

The treatment involved using a “life part number” and detecting your “dating number” by using your full name.

The Oscar winner says the bizarre technique led her to discover 2024 had been “a year of goodbyes” and helped her “contextualize” emotional events.

“I’ve learned to loosen my grip on my thoughts and learn to let go,” says Gwyneth. “And also to understand that everything with change is for the greatest good, even if it’s super uncomfortable.”

Remembering Aaron Brown

On a personal note, I mark the move to more heavenly pastures of Aaron Brown, a former anchor on CNN and ABC, who has died aged 76.

I was a regular guest on his CNN show until he got poached by ABC.

Interestingly, his first day of broadcasting for ABC was the day the World Trade Center was attacked and Aaron broadcast for 17 hours straight, a heroic effort that won him the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award.

He was always quite cynical of the need for the British Royal Family in this day and age, but his interviews were always quite courteous and insightful.

Sightings

Katy Perry and fiancé Orlando Bloom at the 55th birthday bash for Lauren Sánchez, partner of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos, in Miami… Singer-dancer Paula Abdul and friends at Olio Pizzeria… Maria Shriver at Pierre Lafond.

Pip! Pip!