Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn’t attend the Golden Globes this year, they were still in the spotlight after the show’s host, Jo Koy, made a cheeky joke about Prince Harry during the comedian’s opening monologue.
While speaking to the audience about the nominees, Jo was full of praise for Imelda Staunton, who portrayed the late Queen in the final season of The Crown. He said: "How great was Imelda Staunton in The Crown, wasn’t she amazing? Her portrayal of the Queen was so good Prince Harry called her and asked her for money."
Acknowledging the brutal joke, he added: "Like I said, I didn’t write all of these! That one wasn’t mine!" He then continued: "Prince Harry and Meghan will still be paid millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing - and that’s just by Netflix!"
The couple released a documentary for Netflix back in 2023 which detailed their exit from the royal family and move to California as part of a deal thought to be worth US$100 million. Following reports that the collaboration had entered troubled waters in July last year, a Netflix spokesperson told ET: "The bond with Archewell Productions is one we deeply value. Harry & Meghan launched as Netflix’s most spectacular documentary debut to date.
"Our exciting journey with them isn't ending anytime soon. We're currently collaborating on numerous projects, including the much-anticipated documentary series Heart of Invictus."
Responding to the clip of the joke on X, formerly known as Twitter, one person wrote: "OMG the gloves are off," while another added: "He said that?!!" A third person pointed out: "Don’t forget about the comment about them making money for doing nothing. Paid by Netflix… but then it cut to someone (Netflix exec?) who just shook his head."
Meghan Markle was also noticeably absent from the Suits cast reunion, as several stars took to the stage together to present an award. Speaking about the Duchess missing out on the evening, one of the stars, Gina Torres, told a reporter: "We don’t have her number. We just don’t, so… She’ll see, she’ll watch. She’ll be happy that we’re here."
Discussing the Golden Globes, HELLO!’s Los Angeles correspondent Rebecca Lewis said: "Barbie was the big loser of the night; Billie Eilish picked up the Best Original Song award for What Was I Made For, while the films crew took home the brand new Cinematic Achievement award (thought to be Taylor Swift's only for the superstar to be pipped by another tall blonde who has taken over the world).
"But there was no acting, writing or directing gongs for the team, leaving them scrambling to get back into the race. Paul Giamatti's win for The Holdovers was a pleasant surprise and hints that the Best Actor competition now may be solely between him and Cillian Murphy who took home Best Actor- Drama. For the ladies, Emma Stone now appears to be a frontrunner after taking Best Actress - Comedy over Barbie's Margot Robbie, while KOTFM's Lily Gladstone's win gets her back into the conversation. One weekend down, and 11 more to go, we wouldn't rule out Barbie and Margot entirely, but after tonight it will be interesting to see where the Critics Choice Awards land next week."