Television presenter Maya Jama has made her acting debut in the trailer for season two of Netflix crime drama series The Gentlemen.
The news comes as an offer for Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, to appear in the show's third season was reportedly withdrawn following intense public criticism in Britain.
Jama, 32, best known as the host of reality dating show Love Island, ditched her usual glamorous gowns to dress as a gangster's moll in the trailer released on Monday.
She portrays Aisha, the wife of a criminal associate of lead character Eddie Horniman, played by English actor Theo James. Scenes in the preview show her wearing a tweed shooting outfit and a long scarf.
Audition process and acting preparation
Having harboured a dream to act, Jama auditioned for the Guy Ritchie series last year and secured the part less than two weeks later.
Jama said The Gentlemen felt like a "safe entrance point" into acting and hired a drama coach to prepare for the role.
Speaking to Variety magazine about her preparation, Jama said: "I never want to do something and be s*** at it."
Withdrawal of Meghan Markle role offer
Meanwhile, reports over the weekend that former royal Meghan Markle was set to join the cast for season three have been cut short.
The possibility of Markle appearing in the show emerged last week, with sources claiming she was in "advanced discussions" to star in season three as an "ultimate temptress".
However, royal author Tina Brown wrote in her Fresh Hell Substack newsletter that the proposed casting had been abandoned after intense backlash in Britain.
"I learned that the casting of Meghan Markle has been withdrawn," Brown wrote. "The backlash was so intense it became untenable to go forward."
Brown added that "this does not bode well for Meghan's acting comeback" and told The Mail on Sunday that the duchess may have become too toxic for mainstream TV roles.
Public backlash and industry reaction
Reports that director Guy Ritchie was considering creating a role for Markle triggered an immediate torrent of online criticism.
Viewers posted complaints on the official Netflix Instagram account for The Gentlemen, with one warning: "If Guy Ritchie hires Markle to go on Season 3, his ratings will drop fast."
Another wrote: "Many will boycott The Gentlemen if MM is in the cast. I loved the series but cannot watch the new series if she is in it." Others said they would refuse to watch "out of principle", citing anger over claims about her treatment by the Royal Family.
Industry figures also expressed hesitation. A source at Disney studios told The Mail on Sunday that executives frequently receive calls about prospective gigs for Markle, but described her as a polarising choice who risks alienating a large part of the audience before shooting a single frame.
Baroness Wheatcroft, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, noted that while any actress wants publicity, Markle would need to be very careful during inevitable interviews not to embarrass the royal family.
Sussex plans and Netflix contract history
The potential acting role had been touted by sources close to the duchess as one reason she and Prince Harry are returning to Britain from Montecito, California, with their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five.
Neither Netflix nor representatives for the Sussexes confirmed the withdrawal. Netflix declined to comment, while a spokesman for the duchess refused to confirm or deny that the offer had been withdrawn.
Before marrying Prince Harry at St George's Chapel in Windsor in May 2018, Markle starred for seven seasons as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits, earning around $40,000 per episode by her final episode in April 2018.
In 2022, Markle told Variety magazine: "I'm done. I guess never say never but my intention is to absolutely not."
She has a small cameo in the upcoming film Close Personal Friends starring Brie Larson and Lily Collins, which a source connected to the project described as little more than fleeting. A role in Ritchie's show would have marked a far more significant return to acting.
The Sussexes signed a $100 million five-year deal with Netflix in 2020, but it lapsed last year without renewal. Although docuseries Harry & Meghan was the most-viewed in Netflix history, lifestyle show With Love, Meghan was not renewed and Harry's Polo series flopped.
However, West End PR expert Mark Borkowski said UK theatre producers remain interested, confirming two London theatre managements called him asking if Markle would sell tickets, to which he responded absolutely.
Season two plot details and release date
Confirmation that a third series has been greenlit arrived just as the trailer for the second dropped on Monday ahead of its September 3 release date.
The Gentlemen follows an English aristocrat who inherits an estate that conceals a lucrative marijuana-growing operation.
Season two picks up a year after Eddie Horniman and Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) joined forces overseas as part of Bobby's operation. Eddie makes a bid to resume complete control of his estate from kingpin Bobby Glass, played by Ray Winstone.
At the start of the clip, Eddie says "400 years ago, this estate spread out as far as the eye could see" over sweeping shots of his grounds, adding: "I want it all back."
Bobby tells Eddie and Susie he knows they hope he might support their efforts to "decriminalize marijuana". Meanwhile, Giancarlo Esposito returns to tell Eddie: "Forge your own path. Move away from Bobby Glass." The new season also introduces Hugh Bonneville as Lord Hawthorne.
