HOW BILLIE STEPPED INTO SAM McALISTER’S SHOES

Billie Piper found a sure-fire way to help her get into the character of Newsnight producer Sam McAlister: adopting her look (right), with a blonde wig and knee-high leather boots.

“I think we just stole her entire look,” says Billie, 41. “As soon as I have the outfit on, I always feel so affected by costume, almost to the point where I’m like: ‘Why do we never rehearse in costume?’ It’s sort of mad to me because that’s such a big part for me when I’m playing anyone, really: the costume and make-up and all of those things.

“When I have the wig on, the clothes on, the boots – I don’t really wear heels, so this is really helpful for the walk and Sam has quite a punchy walk!

“As soon as I had those things on, I was like: ‘I know what I have to do. I know who I am.’”

The former Doctor Who star and mother of three soon found she had much in common with Sam, a single mother from a working-class background whose 13 months of negotiations with Buckingham Palace paid off with the scoop of the decade.

“It was really useful for me because we have a lot of similarities, even though our lives have been very different. So that was nice for me and a really good emotional way into playing Sam,” she says.

Of watching the Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew, Billie says: “I’m not sure I will ever see anything like that again in my life.

“I think half the challenge with taking on the role was: ‘How do you make a movie about something everybody has seen?’” she adds. “How do you gear a movie towards this one moment that everyone knows so much about? How do you make people care again?

“I hope we’ve succeeded.”

‘Half the challenge was: “‘How do you make a movie about something everybody has seen?”’

Scoop is on Netflix now.