Lorraine Kelly says Meghan and Harry 'have brought abuse on themselves a couple of times'

‘Maybe it’s best that they take a step back and go and live in Africa,’ says TV host

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Lorraine Kelly has said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have occasionally brought criticism on themselves.

Speaking to The Times Magazine, the daytime TV host compared the criticisms against the couple to social media trolling faced by politicians, describing the abuse experienced by Meghan Markle in particular as “absolutely shocking”.

But, Kelly argued, the vitriol is not entirely unprompted.

“I mean, a couple of times they have brought it on themselves, to be fair,” the 59-year-old broadcaster said.

“It’s that kind of ‘do as I say, not as I do’ thing that you have to be careful about. But they really do have the best intentions.”

Kelly’s comments come after an ITV documentary about the couple’s royal tour to southern Africa revealed they are both buckling under pressure in light of the scrutiny they’ve faced in the media.

In the film, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, Meghan confessed that she isn’t “okay” while Harry alluded to a rift with his brother, the Duke of Cambridge.

The documentary aired shortly after it was revealed that Meghan would be suing The Mail on Sunday after the newspaper published a letter she’d sent to her estranged father. Harry, meanwhile, then issued a statement attacking the British tabloids in which he compared their treatment of Meghan to that of his late mother, Princess Diana.

In light of recent events, Kelly went on to suggest that Harry and Meghan should step down from royal life and start an entirely different life together.

“It makes me think, ‘Maybe just duck out?’,” she said.

In the ITV documentary, Harry expressed a desire to leave the UK entirely and pontificated about the possibility of moving to Africa. “I don’t know where we could live in Africa at the moment," he said. "We’ve just come from Cape Town. That would be an amazing place for us to be able to base ourselves.”

Kelly went on to say that leaving the UK might not be such a bad idea for the couple. “They obviously adore each other. Maybe it’s best that they take a step back and go and live in Africa.”