Thomas Markle Jr says he told Prince Harry his half-sister Meghan would ‘ruin’ his life

The Duchess of Sussex has faced more criticism from her own family members, after her half-brother claimed he tried to warn Prince Harry off marrying her.

Thomas Markle Jr will soon be appearing in the Australian version of Celebrity Big Brother, and called the duchess “shallow” during a trailer for the show, while describing himself as “the biggest brother of them all”.

In the show’s sneak peak, he said: “I told Prince Harry, ‘I think she’s going to ruin your life.

“She’s very shallow.”

Markle Jr shares the same father, Thomas, as Meghan – and was notably absent from the royal wedding in 2018.

He reportedly sent a letter to the duke at the time, telling him it was “not too late” to turn back, saying his half-sister was “obviously not the right woman” for him.

Meghan’s family rifts are well documented, with her father using TV chat show interviews to urge her to get in touch with him.

It is not the first time that Markle Jr has used his family connections in the media, previously appearing in a celebrity boxing match in 2019 under the name “The Duke”.

In the same year he also appeared in a beer advert alongside a lookalike of his half-sister, where he attempted to steal the Queen’s crown from Buckingham Palace.

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Big Brother VIP has already been mired in controversy, after contestant Katie Hopkins had to be deported before she could even step foot through the door.

Hopkins, who has previously been outspoken about the duchess on Australian television, was sent packing by the country’s government for bragging about breaking the strictly-enforced COVID rules during her hotel quarantine.

Other housemates in the series, which is due to start soon, include Sky News contributor and former Donald Trump adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman, who said in the trailer that her ex-boss was “drunk on power”.

Caitlyn Jenner is also due to appear on the show, according to the trailer, but has recently posted on social media saying she is back in California, where she is running for state governor.