Will Joe Rogan’s vaccine advice make Meghan and Harry regret signing with Spotify?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new media empire is built on the altar of progressive politics and shining virtue: “compassion in action”, per their Archewell tagline. So, what will the woke pair make of fellow Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan’s controversial Covid vaccine claims?

Rogan, an American comedian who often hosts right-wing commentators, and who scored an estimated $100 million licensing deal with Spotify for The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020, claimed last week that young people didn’t need the vaccine. “If you’re like 21 years old and you say to me ‘Should I get vaccinated’, I’ll go ‘No’,” Rogan said on his April 23 podcast, while in discussion with fellow comedian Dave Smith.

Although Rogan did say he thought the vaccine was safe “for the most part”, he reiterated his belief that those in their 20s shouldn’t bother taking it. “If you’re a healthy person, and you’re exercising all the time, and you’re young, and you’re eating well, like, I don’t think you need to worry about this.”

It seems particularly unfortunate timing, given that the Sussexes have just announced that they have been made campaign chairs for Global Citizen’s Vax Live concert. The event, which will be broadcast internationally on on May 8, aims to raise funds to vaccinate frontline health workers, and get governments to pledge their support for Covid vaccinations, tests and treatment in the poorest countries.

Hosted by Selena Gomez, Vax Live features global leaders like President Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, President Macron, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and entertainers such as Jennifer Lopez, Foo Fighters and H.E.R.

Announcing their role in the project, the Sussexes said: “Over the past year, our world has experienced pain, loss, and struggle - together. Now we need to recover and heal - together. We can’t leave anybody behind.

“We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone, everywhere has equal access to the vaccine. We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution, and in that, restore faith in our common humanity. This mission couldn’t be more critical or important.”

However, that’s in stark contrast to Rogan’s cavalier comments about vaccines - which go against medical advice. Young, healthy people can certainly contract Covid and suffer long-term symptoms, as well as passing on the disease to others.

Spotify has, in the past, removed content that, in the company’s words, “promotes dangerous, false, deceptive or misleading content about COVID-19 that may cause offline harm and/or pose a direct threat to public health.” Recently, it removed an Ian Brown song that said vaccines inserted microchips into people. Spotify has also taken down 42 incendiary episodes of Rogan’s podcast, but has so far left this one up - perhaps because Rogan is their top-rated podcaster in America.

Where does that leave Harry and Meghan? Like Rogan, they signed a lucrative deal with Spotify in 2020, estimated at £75 million. But, according to Page Six, a source close to the couple said that sharing a platform with someone like Rogan would be “hugely embarrassing” for them.

A launch date for the Sussexes' Archewell Audio podcast is yet to be announced.