Getty/Instagram
It was the news no one expected. An announcement that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was headed to Australia for an event organised by the brand co-founded by Jackie O.
To much fanfare it was revealed on March 11 that Prince Harry’s headline-making wife will appear as a guest speaker at a three-day Her Best Life Retreat held at Coogee’s recently refurbished InterContinental Hotel in April.
The $3000-a-ticket schmoozing session – organised by Besties, the company founded by Jackie and her long-term “bestie” Gemma O’Neill – is spruiked as an opportunity for “powerful conversations, relaxation, laughter and unforgettable experiences” – that’s if you’re one of the lucky 300 who manage to get in.
And boy did the announcement make an impact – not least because Jackie has for weeks been embroiled in a fascinating furore surrounding her future at radio network ARN.
We don’t need to recap all the details, as we all know it started with a spat between Jackie and her Kyle and Jackie O Show co-host Kyle Sandilands over star charts, and ended with ARN announcing that the services agreement under which Jackie presented the show had been “terminated”.
But on March 6, Jackie issued a strongly worded statement that she did not “quit or resign” from her role.
“At this stage, I am unable to say anything further, as I am addressing this through the appropriate legal avenues,” she shared.
Fast forward a mere five days and Jackie found herself making headlines once again – thanks to the bombshell revelation that Meghan was coming to speak to a room full of Besties.
“This is an example of Meghan’s ‘soft power’ entry points,” a source told Woman’s Day. “Jackie’s pivot into podcasting and lifestyle content is very aligned to Meghan’s brand.”
However, Jackie’s “bestie” and manager Gemma quickly revealed that it was she – and not Jackie – who was set to interview the royal on stage.
“I keep having to pinch myself that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is coming to sit down with me,” the media executive and talent manager told News.com.au.
“I’m just a mum from Sydney with a podcast that started as a passion for those trying to live their best lives.
“It’s surreal, but I think the whole weekend is going to be pretty special and I’m incredibly excited for our Her Best Life community,” she continued.
Indeed, while Gemma recognised she’s “not a journalist”, she explained she was a “very curious person by nature” and would be “leaning into an authentic woman-to-woman conversation”.
That said, Jackie’s manager also admitted there was a period when she almost refused the gig, revealing she “begged” Jackie to do the interview instead.
“She was adamant, ‘you need to do this yourself, and this is meant to be you’,” Gemma told the outlet of her friend.
So did Jackie have anything to do with Meghan’s decision to pick the Australian podcast host as a perfect conversation partner?
Gemma revealed that she herself had managed to land the interview because she has a close mate who is friends with the Duchess of Sussex.
That said, an insider told Woman’s Day that Meghan agreed to the gig after a “recommendation” from Gwyneth Paltrow.
The Hollywood star was memorably interviewed on stage by Jackie for a Besties event in 2023. She subsequently posed happily for photos alongside both Jackie and Gemma.
“Meghan loves rejecting a major network interview for a more focused and fun chat with someone ‘boutique’ who could use a break,” the source continues, adding that a “thrilled” Jackie still feels the coup for her friend is a “huge win”.
“Of course Meghan’s getting paid a speaker’s fee, but because Jackie and Gemma’s projects are so boutique and niche, it’s likely she dropped her minimum $500k fee for this,” the insider adds. “It would give her leverage over what can and can’t be discussed as well.”
