Meghan Markle and Prince Harry weren’t in ‘great shape’ mentally—reveals Tom Bradby, who interviewed them on Africa tour

Harry & Meghan: An African Journey aired in 2019

DUBBO, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 17: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit a local farming family, the Woodleys, on October 17, 2018 in Dubbo, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. (Photo by Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images)

The ITV presenter who interviewed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in their 2019 Africa documentary reveals he could tell that the royal couple weren't in 'great shape' mentally during the filming of the documentary. 

·    Tom Bradby was referencing the documentary in 2019 when Meghan Markle told him she was struggling.

·    The ITV presenter also talked about his struggles with his mental health - in the newspaper interview.

·    In other royal newsthe Duchess of Cambridge stuns in red as she steps out in London to promote photography book launch.


When Meghan Markle broke down on the Harry & Meghan: An African Journey ITV documentary we were all shocked, but presenter Tom Badby said he could see that the royal couple were struggling.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex embarked on their royal tour of Africa in September 2019, visiting Cape Town, Botswana and Malawi. Meghan had just become a new mother and had even taken five-month-old Archie along on the trip.

The pictures showed the couple meeting locals and smiling as they went about their royal duties, but the ITV documentary captured another side of the couple, with a clearly emotional Meghan revealing that yes, she was struggling with being a royal and a new mum.

Now in a Times interview, Tom Bradby says that his own mental health issues affected how he approached interviewing the couple for the documentary.


More from woman&home:

·    The best running shoes to help you get your best PB

·    A selection of the best pillows - for the best nights sleep

·    The best fitness trackers - to help you stay on track 


The ITV newsreader said I “was clearly influenced by my own experience and I didn’t think they were in great shape, and so I altered the way I was planning to do the documentary”.

“I don’t regret doing that. There may be other times in the future in a whole range of subjects that I will alter my approach if I sense something similar.”  

While he went on to say that with Meghan  “I felt like there was an untold story there. And I decided to try to bring that side out."

The interview was the first sign that Meghan and Harry were struggling, with the couple then moving to the US the following year. Their recent Oprah interview revealed the bigger picture of Meghan's mental health struggles.

The couple recently released a new picture of their son Archie to celebrate his 2nd birthday - a cute picture of him holding a balloon. 

Sarah Finley

Sarah is a freelance journalist - writing about the royals and celebrities for Woman & Home, fitness and beauty for the Evening Standard and how the world of work has changed due to the pandemic for the BBC. 

 

She also covers a variety of other subjects and loves interviewing leaders and innovators in the beauty, travel and wellness worlds for numerous UK and overseas publications. 

 

As a journalist, she has written thousands of profile pieces - interviewing CEOs, real-life case studies and celebrities - interviewing everyone from Emma Bunton to the founder of Headspace.