Harry and Meghan lose another key member of staff as Archewell's head of factual programmes steps down after more than five years

Published: 04:31 EDT, 4 November 2026 | Updated: 04:47 EDT, 4 November 2026 One of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's top aides has quit after more than five years working for their production company, following their move back to Britain.Chanel Pysnik joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as an employee in California in May 2021 as head of 'non-fiction, film and TV' for Archewell Productions.The former CNN and Disney+ executive was hired by the couple less than a year after they signed their first lucrative $100million Netflix deal in September 2020.She was an executive producer on their controversial 2022 documentary Harry & Meghan and the widely panned cookery and lifestyle show With Love, Meghan.Ms Pysnik worked on other productions for the duke and duchess such as Cookie Queens; Heart of Invictus; Polo; Live to Lead; and Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within.She is at least the 24th employee to have quit working for Harry and Meghan since the couple married in May 2018 – and the 16th since the 'Megxit' crisis in 2020.Harry and Meghan said in a joint statement issued to Hollywood website Deadline: 'Chanel was one of our very first hires at Archewell Productions and spearheaded the strategic framework for our unscripted endeavours. Chanel Pysnik was the head of non-fiction, film and TV for Archewell Productions in California Prince Harry with Chanel Pysnik (second left) and Meghan at the premiere of Cookie Queens at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Also pictured (second right) is director Alysa Nahmias'She brought not only her expertise into the process but also led with her heart in telling beautiful stories.'Many successful productions later, her impact and legacy at Archewell is to be celebrated. We are both championing her as she embarks on this next chapter.'Archewell Productions now has a watered-down first look deal with Netflix which the couple signed last year, and it is still operating since they moved back to the UK.Meghan is also set to co-host Junior MasterChef in Australia and will be based there for the duration of filming, which is likely to take place in early to mid-2027.Ms Pysnik, whose replacement is not yet known, said: 'It has been an honour to build Archewell Productions alongside Harry and Meghan for nearly six years.'Together, we have produced work that has broken records, earned awards and screened at prestigious film festivals, while reaching audiences around the world and contributing to important cultural conversations.'I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished, both creatively and commercially, and of the company we have built. Ms Pysnik was hired in May 2021, less than a year after the couple signed their first Netflix deal Meghan and Harry visit the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham on October 15'I am grateful to Harry and Meghan for their trust and the opportunity to lead Archewell Productions through such a defining period.'The Princeton University graduate previously worked as a director of development for CNN Original Series, and director of international content for Disney+.She is described on LinkedIn as 'an experienced non-fiction content executive with a proven track record of building creative strategies within global media corporations'.It comes after sources close to Harry and Meghan denied to the Daily Mail's Alison Boshoff in January that Ms Pysnik was looking at leaving their production company.That followed a report from the Sundance Film Festival where Meghan launched Cookie Queens, which suggested Ms Pysnik was sending out feelers for other jobs.The Sussexes returned to the UK in August with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet after stepping down as senior royals in 2020 and moving to the US.