Her bombshell interview led to the downfall of Prince Andrew and secured former BBC presenter Emily Maitlis a place in broadcasting history.
But while millions were glued to the Newsnight episode in which she grilled the royal about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, she admits she hasn’t dared to watch it back since it aired in November 2019.
“I know everyone has seen it but I have not watched the interview back because I am so hyper-critical,” says Emily, whose encounter with the Duke of York is now being made into a movie.
“I have seen clips but to be honest, the only thing I see is the crease on my jacket which I had on for the interview. I do think, ‘Oh, that crease on the jacket. Why didn’t somebody button it properly?’ and, ‘Oh, the blusher!’ I know the interview works but I find it hard to watch my work back.”
The chat was a PR disaster for Andrew as he denied wrongdoing over his links to depraved US financier Epstein – including allegations that he had sex with Virginia Giuffre when she was 17.
The car-crash interview made headlines around the world and led to the prince deciding to “step back” from his royal duties just days later. He was subsequently stripped of his military roles and HRH title.
And now the film Scoop, written by BAFTA-winner Peter Moffat, is set to lift the lid on exactly how the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme secured and executed the bombshell episode.
Emily, 52, says the interview, which took place at Buckingham Palace, didn’t get off to the best start.
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