In 2024, Netflix announced Scoop, a dramatization of Prince Andrew’s disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, which infamously backfired and forced him to withdraw from royal duties. The film, directed by Philip Martin and based on BBC producer Sam McAlister’s memoir Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, explores how the interview was negotiated and produced behind the scenes. Gillian Anderson stars as Emily Maitlis, while Rufus Sewell portrays Prince Andrew. The movie aims to capture the tension, arrogance, and fallout surrounding the televised disaster that became a defining moment in the Epstein scandal’s royal chapter.

Released globally on April 5, 2024, Scoop revisits the royal crisis in cinematic form—offering both dramatization and commentary on the media circus that followed Andrew’s disastrous attempt to clear his name. Critics have described it as a sharp, tightly paced political drama that exposes the hubris and disconnect inside the Palace during one of the monarchy’s most humiliating modern scandals. The film has reignited public discussion about Andrew’s ties to Epstein and the royal family’s response to his disgrace, ensuring the fallout of that single interview continues to haunt Buckingham Palace years later.


Before his infamous BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019, Prince Andrew, Duke of York was explicitly warned by senior advisers that the session could irreparably damage both his personal reputation and the standing of the Royal Household. The warning emphasised that his links to Jeffrey Epstein—especially given the allegations of sexual misconduct and trafficking—or appearing indifferent to the experience of alleged victims, would likely trigger major public backlash and lead to institutional fallout.


to contact me:

[email protected]