Emily Maitlis, the journalist who interviewed Prince Andrew in the infamous Newsnight segment about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, says that while the Duke of York “lost respect” after the interview, Epstein’s victims did not receive closure. Speaking to BBC News, Maitlis warned there is “unfinished business” and that it’s not a “nice, neat ending” to the case. The 2019 interview, which was widely criticised, is the basis of a new three-part drama called A Very Royal Scandal, with Maitlis played by Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen as Andrew.
The interview had a catastrophic effect on Prince Andrew’s reputation, and he announced his stepping back from royal duties days after it was aired, partly due to the public outcry about the interview. During the infamous interview, Prince Andrew denied allegations that he had sex with 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre, saying he was in a branch of Pizza Express in Woking at the time. It is crucial to remember that Prince Andrew has always maintained his denial in the face of these accusations and has subsequently paid a financial settlement to Ms Giuffre, formally ending a civil case brought against him in the US.
Maitlis has stated that in some ways “everything has changed” since the interview. Prince Andrew lost his royal duties, the respect of the nation, and even the ability to wear his uniform. While the monarchy seemed to shift in response to the scandal, Epstein’s victims have yet to see a sense of closure. Discussing the impact of the interview, Maitlis reflected on whether her journalistic work could truly change things. She said that the third episode of the drama looks at the consequences of Prince Andrew’s actions and is about reckoning and fallout.
A rival dramatisation of the interview, Scoop, was released on Netflix earlier this year. Maitlis is the executive producer of A Very Royal Scandal, and while she doesn’t want to discredit the other dramatisation, she did note that there were parts of the work that she did not recognise. The Amazon Prime series is set to be released later in September
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