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Emily Maitlis has revealed she was ‘banned’ from the set of A Very Royal Scandal by Ruth Wilson as she opened up about how the actress prepared to play her in the upcoming dramatisation of Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview.
The broadcast journalist, 53, has given insight into the making of the new Amazon Prime series, which will premiere in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on 19 September, in an essay for The Times.
In the piece, the former Newsnight presenter – who left the BBC in 2022 – discussed how Ruth Wilson, 42, quizzed her over all aspects of her life, from the contents of her handbag to whether ever eats breakfast in her dressing gown.
Recalling their meeting at the NewsAgents podcast studio in London’s Leicester Square, the mother-of-two explained how one of Ruth’s questions caught her off guard.
Emily wrote: ‘As we are sitting together, handbag discussions to one side, she asks me simply, bluntly, if I think Prince Andrew is guilty. The speed of the question stops me.’
Emily Maitlis (pictured), 53, is the executive producer of the new Amazon Prime series A Very Royal Scandal
Although Emily said she has had ‘plenty of occasions to consider Andrew’s “guilt”‘, the journalist admitted she deemed the question ‘imprecise’.
She continued: ‘So I throw it back at Wilson. Guilty of what? And we begin to debate in earnest. I tell her there is no way I or anyone else will ever know the full truth of what happened with or to Virginia Giuffre.’
However, the journalist said she thought the royal was ‘clearly guilty of other things’ – namely remaining friends with Jeffrey Epstein following his arrest and his ‘flat-footed response’ to Epstein’s victims during the interview.
What’s more, Emily said Ruth was joined by the show’s movement coach, who was studying her during the podcast recording.
Afterwards, Emily is told she is ‘very physical’ and deemed an ‘arm-waver’. Meanwhile, Ruth’s voice coach revealed she has a ‘northern diphthong’.
Although Emily Maitlis is an executive producer of the series, she went on to reveal that Ruth ‘banned’ her from set when she was filming.
The journalist acknowledged that Ruth would struggle to play her if she was watching the filming.
Instead, Emily watched Michael Sheen film at Horace Walpole’s house in Twickenham, which was made to look like the Duke of York’s Royal Lodge home in Windsor.
Pictured: Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew in Buckingham Palace following the royal’s Newsnight interview
The upcoming series by Amazon MGM Studios will focus far more on Emily Maitlis – who serves as an executive producer, whereas Netflix’s Scoop focused on Prince Andrew
As she watched the scene where Prince Andrew is told by lawyers that he could be extradited to the US, Emily praised Michael’s ‘utterly mesmerising’ performance.
Like his co-star, Emily said Michael also came to her with questions about the interview – specifically the ‘meaning’ behind a glance she had forgotten about.
The three-part Amazon Prime series will land on the streaming platform five months after Netflix’s rival dramatisation Scoop – which starred Gillian Anderson and Billie Piper.
The upcoming series will focus far more on Emily Maitlis – who serves as an executive producer, whereas Netflix’s Scoop focused on Prince Andrew.
A spokesperson for Amazon confirmed the series will ‘follow Emily Maitlis’ professional and personal journey as a Newsnight journalist, leading up to her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew.’
A press released added: ‘A Very Royal Scandal follows the action of Maitlis and Prince Andrew in the lead-up to the interview, the ground-breaking event itself and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever.’
The first episode sees Prince Andrew attempt to declare his innocence as he finds himself at the centre of an international scandal while Newsnight presenter, Emily, does everything within her power to secure an interview with him.
Amazon Prime released new first-look images of upcoming drama A Very Royal Scandal on Tuesday and announced when it will drop on the streamer
The three part series will premiere on 19 September exclusively on Prime Video in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
New stills this week show the actors as they recreate the famous BBC interview which made television history when Prince Andrew spoke out about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and claimed he did not sweat
Ruth Wilson (L) will star as journalist Emily Maitlis (R)
Set to retell the story of Prince Andrew’s ‘car crash’ interview, the dramatisation stars Michael Sheen (L) as the Duke of York: Prince Andrew seen, right
The second instalment features the interview but the meeting takes various twists and turns that neither Emily, nor the Newsnight team, could have expected.
Finally, in the third episode Prince Andrew is left to navigate the fallout for himself, his family, and the Royal firm as Emily considers her reputation and the future of her career.
Along with Sheen and Wilson, the series will star Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk, Alex Jennings as Sir Edward Young, Éanna Hardwicke as Stewart Maclean and Claire Rushbrook as Sarah Ferguson.
Speaking of the rivalry between the Netflix and Amazon projects, Maitlis, told Deadline: ‘I think that probably is overplayed, overstated. This [the Amazon series] will be a very different beast. I’m sure there’s room for both.
The former BBC presenter added that she left the team behind Scoop ‘to do their own thing because I think the last thing they want is me peeking around the edges.
‘It says its based on a fictional account, so I think it goes into different places and it does different things [to the Amazon series].’
Netflix issued a disclaimer at the start of Scoop that said: ‘This film is based on real events – however certain elements have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.’
Netflix’s Scoop was based on a book of the same name by Sam McAlister and follows the BBC producer, played by Billie Piper, as she fights to secure an interview with Prince Andrew, played by Rufus Sewell, at Buckingham Palace.
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