THE two women behind Prince Andrew’s 2019 car crash Newsnight interview are no longer on speaking terms, The Sun can reveal.
Tensions are running high between Emily Maitlis, who quizzed the disgraced royal, and Sam McAlister, the former BBC producer who helped secure the interview,
4
Emily Maitlis has been embroiled in a toxic feud with a TV producer who claims she landed the infamous Newsnight interview with Prince AndrewCredit: Getty
4
Maitlis failed to acknowledge Sam McAlister’s, left, role in making the chat with the Duke of York possibleCredit: Getty
Maitlis, 53, whose reported £325,000-a-year earnings were ten times her newsroom rival’s, has failed to acknowledge McAlister’s role in making possible the chat with the Duke of York.
The strain between the two heightened at a party just before Christmas when the broadcaster “snubbed” the producer.
Fuelling the rivalry further, award-winning journalist Maitlis her own three-part series coming out later this year on rival streamer, Amazon Prime.
Last night a source said: “The irony is that this is essentially a story about two successful, independent women working together and landing a massive story — one with global reach.
“By rights, they should be one another’s biggest champions.
“But each feels as if their part has been under-sold by the other, and there is huge tension there.
“At a celebrity party at Christmas, it was very award as both women were in the same room. The tension was palpable.
“Sam approached Emily in front of quite a few people and suggested they bury the hatchet, and start afresh.
“But Emily seemed reluctant to engage and essentially turned her back on Sam. Everyone was talking about it afterwards.
“Obviously they now have two films out about the same topic on rival streamers, and both want their own to be a hit.
It is based on McAlister’s account of the chat in her book called Scoops.
Maitlis, meanwhile, is the executive producer of A Very Royal Scandal, a three-part series. It will star Michael Sheen, 55, as Andrew.
Clare Calbraith, 50, who appeared in Downton Abbey, plays McAlister, and Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson, 42, plays Maitlis.
Maitlis, meanwhile, makes no mention of the Netflix drama on her feed on Twitter/X. Asked if she would be tuning in to, she said, somewhat dismissively, she would “get around to it at some stage”.
Maitlis, who quit the BBC two years ago, said: “I’ve left them very much to do their own thing because I think the last thing they want is me peeking around the edges offering my [views].
“It says it’s based on a fictional account, so I think it goes into different places and it does different things [to the Amazon series].”
The phrase “fictional account” is unlikely to sit well with McAlister, who has herself done a round of interviews to promote her role in the scoop.
4
The Duke of York speaking about his links to Jeffrey Epstein in an interview with BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, in 2019Credit: PA
4
Netflix’s Scoop tells the story behind the infamous interviewCredit: PA
News
Scarlett Moffatt suffers EMBARRASSING wardrobe MALFUNCTION during FINAL Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway but carries on as if NOTHING has HAPPENED
Scarlett Moffatt suffered a hilarious wardrobe malfunction live on television during the finale episode of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend. The television presenter, 33, joined hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, both 48, for the last episode of the series after the pair announced…
CRACKING ON Love Island’s Tom Clare snubs ‘NORMAL JOB’ as he continues SUN-SOAKED holiday with Molly Smith and REVEALS his next CAREER PLANS.
LOVE Island All Stars winner Tom Clare has snubbed his ‘normal job’ as he and Molly Smith continue to soak up the sun in Dubai. The 24-year-old and Molly, 29, jetted to the United Arab Emirates city earlier this month after winning Love…
IN DE-MANDY Amanda Holden ADDRESSES ABSENCE from Saturday Night Takeaway FINAL episode after Sharon Osbourne row
AMANDA Holden’s absence from Saturday Night Takeaway has been explained. It comes as the Britain’s Got Talent judge, 53, is in the midst of a war with words with former X Factor favourite Sharon Osbourne, 71. 6 Amanda Holden’s absence from the Saturday Night Takeaway…
NO CHI-TING Love Island’s Arabella Chi DESPERATE to join toughest ever REALITY SHOW as she plots major CAREER move
LOVE Island bombshell Arabella Chi has hinted at a huge new career move on reality TV’s toughest show. The model, 33 – who recently split with All Stars partner Adam Maxted, 32 – admitted she is “excited” for the future. 6 Arabella Chi has her…
OUCH Love Island’s Ekin-Su TAKES SAVAGE SWIPE at ex Davide Sanclimenti following BITTER SPLIT
EKIN-SU Cülcüloğlu took aim at her ex Davide Sanclimenti in a few savage stories. The Love Island champs split in January this year and have been throwing each other shade ever since. 4 Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu shared a photo of the…
COMMON GROUND Ant McPartlin’s ex Lisa Armstrong SHARES her SUPPORT for him and Dec as they host FINAL Saturday Night Takeaway
ANT McPartlin’s ex Lisa Armstrong has issued a dignified show of support to her former husband following his final Saturday Night Takeaway. Ant and presenting pal Declan Donnelly, both 48, fought back tears as the last episode of the ITV game show played out last night….
End of content
No more pages to load