“CBS Presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry” will air in the United States on Sunday, March 7, from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. In the United Kingdom, the interview will air on ITV on Monday, March 8, at 9 p.m.
How can I watch the interview?
Viewers in the United States can watch the interview on CBS broadcast stations or online at CBS.com.
Why is Oprah interviewing Harry and Meghan?
Oprah is friendly with the couple: She attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May 2018, and Winfrey helped the couple get settled in the community. She previously partnered with Harry on a mental health documentary for Apple TV+.
Oprah has longstanding business ties with CBS, but she maintained control of the interview all along via her production company, Harpo. Her company crafted the interview plan and brought it to CBS.
Harpo and CBS announced the US premiere, and then the global distribution arm of ViacomCBS Global lined up other international broadcasters from Australia to Switzerland.
Why is the interview taking place now?
The couple has mostly kept quiet about a sea of controversy surrounding their contentious relationship with the royal family, but they appear ready to speak out.
“(The Duchess) and the Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years,” Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson said in a statement last week.
Still, the interview has been years in the making: Although the CBS interview was announced on February 15, in a preview clip released Friday, Oprah said she spoke to Meghan about a potential interview three years ago in February or March 2018 — even before the royal wedding.
“I remember that conversation very well,” Meghan said. “I wasn’t even allowed to have that conversation with you personally, right.” She indicated that Buckingham Palace communications staff was present.
“I couldn’t have said yes to you then,” Meghan said. “That wasn’t my choice to make. So, as an adult who lived a really independent life — to then go into this construct that is… different than I think what people imagine it to be — it’s really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege in some ways to be able to say yes. I mean… I’m ready to talk.”
Why is this interview important?
There has been tension between the couple and the palace for years now, and the duo is expected to unveil some revealing details about their experiences.
In a preview clip, Meghan said, “I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.”
What does this interview mean for CBS?
— CNN Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter contributed to this report