Maitlis rivals her ex-BBC ally with own Duke of York drama
EMILY MAITLIS is to make a drama about the Duke of York which is set to rival that of her old BBC ally.
The broadcaster and her former guest booker, Sam McAlister, secured the infamous Newsnight special with the Duke of York in which he discussed his relationship with the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Maitlis, 51, has now partnered with the company Blueprint Pictures to develop a scripted drama of the 2019 interview at Buckingham Palace, The Times reports.
However, Ms McAlister, the former Newsnight interviews producer, has sold the rights to adapt Scoops, her book which discusses how the Duke agreed to appear, for the big screen. Maitlis, who has been podcasting for LBC since leaving the BBC, and Ms McAlister will therefore be going head-to-head in the battle for viewers, as demand for information about the inner workings of the Royal family remains high.
The interview resulted in the Duke facing a barrage of criticism and eventually stepping back from royal duties. He failed to express any regret over his friendship with Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, or empathy for his victims.
It came after Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who was widely trafficked by Epstein, claimed she was flown to London and forced to have sex with the Duke when she was 17. The Duke insisted he had “no recollection” of meeting Ms Giuffre and said he was at Pizza Express in Woking on the night in question.
Ms Giuffre brought a civil claim of sexual assault against the Duke, which was settled out of court earlier this year. The Duke denied the claims and accepted no liability in the settlement.