What happens when millions of people online seem to decide, almost overnight, that they don’t like you? A harmless Christmas special. Fifty-six minutes of cooking, crafting, and cosy domestic cheer. And yet, once again, Meghan Markle found herself at the centre of a full-scale online pile-on.

The reviews were ferocious. The tone was personal. And the backlash felt wildly disproportionate to the crime — if there even was one. On today’s podcast, Sean Defoe looks at why certain public figures become lightning rods for outrage, and why Meghan Markle continues to provoke such an emotional reaction.

He’s joined by journalist and writer Mary McCarthy, whose crime was watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration on Netflix — and actually enjoying it. Together, they talk about snobbery, misogyny, racism, and the strange expectations placed on women in the public eye. From British tabloids to social media dogpiles, from lifestyle branding to Christmas escapism, this is a conversation about who we choose to hate — and why.

With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration is streaming now on Netflix.