Joe Marler Was ‘Nervous’ About Prince Harry — but His Unexpected Move Changed Everything
Marler spoke about Prince Harry for being generous with his time, open to humor, and adept at discussing serious topics.
Prince Harry made an impromptu podcast guest appearance while he was promoting the Invictus Games in the UK last month. He tried being his candid self while speaking to Joe Marler on Joe Marler Will See You Now. Harry was famously quoted as saying he is a "full-time dad, British Army veteran, Prince of England, and Duke." Now, Marler has revealed that his team had anticipated a backlash for featuring the ex-royal and had made some solid provisions to counter it. In an exclusive with Mirror UK, the former rugby union player reveals the behind-the-scenes of the Duke's interview.
Marler revealed that, although he was a big fan of Prince Harry, he was nervous to host the episode because of the Duke's chaotic media presence. "We put some prep in, but it crept up on us, and I was nervous, thinking about the whole thing and also the polarising public opinion of it," Marler explained. "Jake just said, ‘Calm down and think about what we want to achieve from having him as a guest.’ I knew I liked him. I was Team Harry, if there were teams or whatever."
He further disclosed that his team was taken aback by Harry's down-to-earth persona. He described the anticipated tense moment as turning out to be informal. Upon arrival, Harry greeted them casually with hugs, creating a comfortable atmosphere that encouraged them to interact normally. "I thought, let’s just treat him accordingly, and we did," the podcast host highlighted.
Marler went on to praise Prince Harry for being generous with his time, open to humor, and adept at discussing serious topics like grief and trauma, particularly in relation to JJ Chalmers and the Invictus Games. Then he reflected on the predicted outcome of the meeting: "I knew that there would be some level of backlash to whatever question or whatever answer he gave." Marler further reasoned that this did not affect the quality of production or the discussion that followed during the podcast episode. He asserted that they wanted to come across as authentic and not scripted.
"But I didn’t want that to stop me and Jake from being genuine and in the moment. I wanted him and us to be present and to have the experience. I didn’t want to overthink things or not ask a particular question because of how it might be received. But the level of vitriol that comes with him, the social media backlash... What is the matter with some people?" Marler said.
According to Express UK, Harry was severely trolled for calling himself "Prince of England"; the Duke stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and has since been forbidden to use his title commercially.
