BBC producer wrote Prince Andrew book to ensure she was written into The Crown
BBC staff 'quietly seething' as Sam McAlister takes all the credit for setting up the infamous Panorama interview
4 May 2023
The former BBC producer who helped secure Prince Andrew’s infamous Newsnight interview has revealed she was motivated to write her book to ensure her role appeared in The Crown.
Sam McAlister, who was instrumental in helping to negotiate the
award-winning November 2019 interview, wrote a book detailing her version of events called Scoops.
She has now revealed that her motivation to write the book was “more pretentious” than gaining recognition, saying:
“I thought if Netflix ever makes a future edition of The Crown or a documentary on Prince Andrew, I want my role on the record.”
It was previously reported that BBC sources are quietly seething at what they perceive to be McAlister taking the lion's share of the credit for securing the interview, when its success was considered very much a team effort.
While none of them dispute that the former producer played a critical role in securing the award-winning scoop, her many colleagues are reduced to peripheral figures in various publicity interviews and webinars she gives.
In a
new interview with The Times, McAlister discussed her motivations for publishing the book, as well as revealing that
she contacted Martin Bashir, the journalist who arranged and conducted Princess Diana’s bombshell interview in 1995.
“I wanted to swap notes with someone who’d been through a similar experience,” she said, but added that she was pleased they never ended up doing so in light of the
BBC’s investigation into how he obtained the interview.
Sir Philip Green
McAlister also said she had almost landed an interview with the controversial former Topshop owner Sir Philip Green after leaving the BBC, telling The Times: “Sir Philip Green saw the Andrew interview and sent me a message saying well done, but also how relieved he was he’d never said yes to me.
“I’d love to have got him, and also Putin. He [Putin] is one of those people where the disjunction between how they see themselves and how the rest of the world sees them is just extraordinary.”
She added: “That’s the job — explore the delusions of those in power.”
- Sam McAlister, who is taking the credit for setting up the BBC Panorama interview with Prince Andrew, on ITV's Lorraine show
Her book about the Duke of York’s Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, which brought an abrupt end to his royal career, is now being
turned into a major film adaption by Netflix.
Sex Education star Gillian Anderson will be playing Ms Maitlis and The Man In The High Castle actor Rufus Sewell will be Prince Andrew.
The Duke came under intense scrutiny following the disastrous interview over the allegations that paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre was trafficked to have sex with the royal when she was 17.
Denies wrongdoing
Following the BBC broadcast in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with Epstein, the
Duke stepped down from public life as a working Royal, although he continues to deny any wrongdoing.
In the interview, he denied he had had sex with Ms Giuffre, said he had no recollection of ever meeting her and that he had spent the day in question at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, at a party with one of his daughters.
Last year, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre reportedly worth up to $12 million (£9.6m) following her civil sex claim against him in the US.
Meanwhile, Maitlis recently revealed that the Duke sought permission from the Queen to be questioned about his association with Epstein before he gave the interview.
