Just weeks after the release of their much-hyped Netflix special, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been named the top two most annoying celebrities of 2022 in a recent survey by Ranker.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who made headlines in 2020 when they announced their split from the royal family, were heavily criticized in the documentary for their comments regarding the monarchy.
Rounding out this year’s top ten, Oprah Winfrey, Amber Heard, James Corden, Kim Kardashian, and other polarizing personalities were included, alongside those whose reputations were questioned such as Kanye West and Ellen DeGeneres.
However, the most prominently featured were the Sussexes.
Meghan Markle, the 41-year-old star of Suits, was the clear winner in Ranker’s online vote with 24,201 votes out of 416,000 cast. Voting closed on Saturday, and the results were tabulated in real time.
Prince Harry came in second with 21,492 votes, forming a total of 5% of the near half million votes.
The results of a recent survey across the globe show that the public has grown weary of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple has managed to stay in the spotlight since relocating to the US, with a number of TV spots and even participating in productions such as Meghan at 40: The Climb to Power and Harry & Meghan, released on December 15.
This follows their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March of last year, in which Meghan claimed her sister-in-law Kate Middleton left her in tears over a disagreement about bridesmaids. The couple’s claims were met with comments from a host of journalists and aristocrats.
Markle revealed to Oprah Winfrey that she was “silenced” by the palace when she spoke up about her worries, which ultimately led to her and Prince Harry’s decision to leave.
Julie Montagu, an Illinois native who has resided in the UK for 16 years after marrying the 11th Earl of Sandwich’s son, suggested that Meghan’s difficulties with her in-laws arose from an inability to “let go” of her aspirations as a celebrity.
You can’t really be anything you want to be or do anything you want to do or say anything you want to say,’ Viscountess Hinchingbrooke explained.
‘Your duty is to the Queen and that’s very difficult for someone like Meghan.
‘To switch off that American dream off and accept “now you have to do what we say” is difficult.’
Hundreds of thousands of Ranker voters have had enough of the highly-publicized couple and the platform they receive from media personalities such as Oprah Winfrey, who has not been on the air for over a decade.
The list shows that the public would like to see less of the couple and their supporters.
Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was enough to propel the 68-year-old media mogul to the third spot on the list of the most admired women of 2021, according to a recent poll.
Fellow-Brit James Corden, who has also interviewed the couple multiple times on his late-night show, earned the fifth position.
Montecito neighbor Ellen DeGeneres, who said goodbye to her daytime show in May, also made the top ten in sixth place. Ricky Gervais, however, has faced criticism this year for allegedly grifting material from other comics.
Aquaman star Amber Heard made it to the list of the 10 most disliked celebrities of 2021, following her largely failed defamation battle against ex-husband Johnny Depp. Chrissy Teigen and Kanye West, alongside his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, also made it into the top ten.
West was subject to criticism after a series of rants disparaging Jewish people, while Heard faced ire in the wake of the libel trial which ran over their marriage.
Hilaria Baldwin, wife of actor Alec Baldwin, rounded out the list, following news of the latter’s involvement in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of his Western film ‘Rust’ in 2021.