From Hollywood fantasy to third-world reality, Meghan finds her voice

Even as a struggling actress, the Duchess of Sussex would draw attention to the things that mattered to her. In part two of his series, Sean Smith finds a celebrity who prefers the African bush to the Baftas

The real deal: Meghan visiting the Hubb Community Kitchen, frequented by Grenfell fire survivors (Getty)

On the dusty road back to the Rwandan capital of Kigali, Meghan faced a dilemma. She had seen for herself the hardship in the Gihembe Refugee Camp and now, tired and hot in the back of a van, she read an email from her management company saying she had received an invitation to the 2015 Baftas. Normally, she would have punched the air, but not this time.

She had always wanted to attend one of the great nights of cinema but here she was completing a mission to the small east African country. For seven days she had seen for herself the effect female empowerment might have on a struggling nation. She had meetings and long discussions with the leading female members of parliament. Rwanda was the first country in the world where women held a majority in government.

She travelled the 50 miles to Gihembre to meet local leaders battling to improve living conditions for many thousands of Congolese refugees who had fled the dreadful conflicts and genocide that had blighted the region in previous years. It was a sobering experience and a million miles away from the champagne and congratulations of an awards night.