Former BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister has shared new details about the 2019 Prince Andrew interview with the Daily Mail.
The previously undisclosed information revealed how Newsnight managed to land the interview. The conversation saw Princess Beatrice, Andrew's daughter, in the room listening as her father discussed alleged sexual misconduct accusations, particularly claims that he raped Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre when she was 17.
The now-iconic interview began as an offer to speak with Andrew about Pitch@Palace, his initiative to support entrepreneurs around the world. While the offer did not trigger particular interest from producer McAlister, the PR who reached out to her was instructed to "come back to me if the position changes". Six months later, McAlister heard from the royal team again.
After contacting Andrew's private secretary Amanda Thirsk, the Newsnight crew found itself in Buckingham Palace discussing sexual misconduct allegations and Andrew's lack of regret about his friendship with Epstein.
The interview turned out to be incriminating for the prince, while the former BBC producer noted that each time she thought Andrew could not say anything worse, he did. According to McAlister, he incredibly seemed to genuinely believe that the interview went well.
During questioning, the duke continued to bury himself with his own answers, even though the interviewer, Emily Maitlis, "handed it to him on a plate" by giving him multiple chances to respond in a way that could help him start to clean his name.
"[Following the interview] I'd expected Amanda Thirsk to be distraught, the prince to look shaken or concerned, but she was smiling and he seemed ebullient," McAlister wrote. "And then it hit me: he actually thought it had gone well."
However, the aftermath of the interview was far from positive for the prince. Its impact on his image was disastrous and he was forced to quit as a working royal. He finally managed to settle his legal battle with Virginia Giuffre by paying £12 million. He continues to keep a low profile, as calls to investigate him over his ties with Epstein intensify.