The reason Meghan Markle was forced to turn down a Strictly Come Dancing audition

Meghan Markle nearly auditioned for a spot on Strictly, claims a new tell-all book

Meghan Markle Strictly Come Dancing - Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends a reception for friends and family of competitors of the Invictus Games at Nations Home at Zuiderpark on April 15, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands.
(Image credit: Getty Images / Samir Hussein/WireImage)

It’s been reported that Meghan Markle nearly auditioned for Strictly Come Dancing but was forced to turn it down due to her role in Suits. 


Meghan Markle could have become UK television royalty before she even met Prince Harry, a new book claims, as the Duchess of Sussex once almost made the Strictly Come Dancing lineup.

According to the explosive new book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, author Tom Bower alleges that Meghan almost auditioned for the iconic dancing competition. 

He claims that the opportunity arose in 2013 after Meghan hired a new British talent agent, Jonathan Shalit.

Meghan Markle Strictly Come Dancing - Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends day two of the Invictus Games 2020 at Zuiderpark on April 17, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands.

(Image credit: Getty Images / Samir Hussein/WireImage)

She reportedly hoped to gain ‘publicity, work and an English boyfriend’ after finding success in the hit US show suits. 

The 2013 lineup featured the likes of Susanna Reid, Dave Myers and Sophie Ellis-Baxtor but sadly Meghan could not join the list.

In an extract printed in the Sun, Bower alleged that Shalit arranged a Strictly audition for her - but sadly she was forced to decline. He added that she was, “tied to a Suits contract for nine months in the year, the timing clashed with filming in Britain. Disappointed, Shalit bid her farewell. She returned to Toronto without either new work or a new man.”

This did not spell the end of her UK journey though as she met Prince Harry just three years later and tied the knot in St George’s Chapel in 2018 before the pair stepped back as senior royals and moved to LA.

Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace on November 27, 2017 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images / Chris Jackson)

Now Meghan has taken on a number of new business ventures, including writing her own children’s book and landing a docu-series deal with Netflix. It’s reported that Meghan hopes to dive back into the acting world, with she and Harry having a ‘bright future’ as the next Hollywood ‘power couple.’

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Lifestyle team and has recently earned her Gold Standard Diploma in Journalism from the NCTJ. She has a background in design, having studied Illustration at Plymouth University but has taken a leap into the world of journalism after always having a passion for writing. She currently writes pieces on beauty, fashion, and entertainment for Goodto.com and My Imperfect Life.