A former briefcase girl on Deal or No Deal has responded after Meghan Markle spoke out on her stint on the NBC show.
In the sixth episode of her podcast Archetypes, the 41-year-old mother-of-two and her guest Paris Hilton discussed the popular "bimbo" trope. Markle - who appeared on the game show between 2006 and 2007 as a briefcase model - admitted to feeling "objectified" during her 34-episode run.
In the episode, titled 'Breaking Down the Bimbo', Markle insisted that she was grateful for the opportunity but said she did not like "how it made me feel, which was not smart".
Per The Independent, she said: “I want our daughter to aspire to be slightly higher. Yeah, I want my Lili to want to be educated and want to be smart and to pride herself on those things.”
Markle went on: “I ended up quitting the show. I was so much more than what was being objectified on the stage. I didn't like feeling forced to be all looks. And little substance. And that's how it felt for me at the time being reduced to this specific archetype the word bimbo.”
Speaking on the "objectification" she says she experienced on the show, the Duchess of Sussex said: “There were different stations for having your lashes, put on, or your extensions, put in, or the padding in your bra.
"We were even given spray-tan vouchers each week because there was a very cookie-cutter idea, of precisely what we should look like. It was solely about beauty and not necessarily about brains.”
Hot on the heels of Markle's comments, Real Housewives of Atlanta star Claudia Jordan took to her Instagram Stories to share a lengthy response, which saw her defend the show against the idea that the briefcase models were chosen merely for their looks.
Jordan, who was on the show between 2005 and 2009, wrote: "For clarity - yes getting a modelling gig on a game show isn't necessarily about your intellect but for every show the executive producers picked five models with the most outgoing and fun personalities to place mics on who they knew would engage with the contestants.
"And Deal or No Deal never treated us like bimbos. We got so many opportunities because of that show, Fremantle and NBC."
She continued: "That's the kind of opportunity that is what you make it. If you just show up and don't engage - then you'll just get your check and not get much out of it - but if you show up and seize your moments then there are no limits to what you can do with the opportunity."
The reality star made sure to point out: "This isn't an attack on Meghan 'cause Lord knows I've been defending this woman in the media for years and I still will but I just didn't want any misunderstanding about the climate and environment on the Deal or No Deal set.
"And I am especially protective of [Deal or No Deal host] Howie Mandel, who was nothing but kind and respectful to all 26 of us."
