Reports of Meghan Markle’s return to acting in the U.K. prompted numerous quips and memes over the weekend that the Duchess of Sussex was planning to make an appearance on long-running BBC soap “EastEnders.”
Now it seems “EastEnders” producers have gotten in on the joke, as BBC Studios have put out a casting call for a new series regular called “Meghan” who they describe as “confident, gorgeous and ready to cause chaos.”
A member of the newly-arrived Hawkins family, “Meghan” will work as a “senior member of the team behind a bar” – presumably the show’s iconic pub, The Old Vic, whose indomitable landladies have included Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) and Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement).
The casting call, which is looking for a female aged around 30 years old, describes the character’s arrival into Albert Square akin to “an Essex bombshell walking into the ‘Love Island’ villa” and describes her as “funny, fearless and fiercely loyal.”
“Quick-witted and impossible to intimidate, Meghan never backs down from a confrontation, she has spent her whole life proving she can handle whatever is thrown at her,” the breakdown reads.
“Meghan knows what she wants in life and has never relied on anyone else to get by. She’s worked every job imaginable over the years, grafting hard to build a life for herself and earning every penny she’s made… a trait that has made her family very proud of her.”
While “Meghan” can be “warm, charismatic, effortlessly charming,” those who cross her beware, because she’s “equally capable of throwing someone out on their ear if they cross a line.”
Meghan will be part of the Hawkins family, the majority of whom arrived on Albert Square last week. Introduced as the estranged family of Nicola Mitchell, they include Gemma (Patricia Potter), husband Ned (Jamie Bamber) and son Ryder (Felix Uff). Meghan is Gemma’s daughter.
Meghan’s isn’t the first royal presence on the long-running BBC soap, albeit in a fictional form. Her father-in-law King Charles and Queen Camilla made a surprise cameo on the show in 2022, interacting with residents during a Platinum Jubilee street party. King Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II also visited the set in 2001, although she did not cameo in an episode.
For actors interested in throwing their hat in the ring, the casting call closes Sept. 1.