ITV likely to air Sussexes’ Oprah interview as BBC opts not to bid
THE BBC will not be “pulling out its chequebook” for Oprah Winfrey’s tellall interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The Duchess is understood to have wanted the highly anticipated interview to be broadcast on Britain’s main television channel.
But with the corporation ruling itself out, ITV emerged as the front-runner to win the UK rights.
The 90-minute special – the couple’s first sit-down interview since they were engaged in November 2017 – is expected to attract huge viewing figures.
It will begin with a no-holds-barred “intimate” chat between Winfrey and the Duchess, in which the pregnant 39-year-old will speak about everything from stepping into life as a royal to how she is handling “life under intense pressure”. They will then be joined by the Duke.
The interview will be broadcast in the US on March 7 by CBS, airing at 8pm – 1am in the UK. ITV would likely show the programme in a prime-time evening slot on March 8.
It had been claimed that a fierce bidding war was under way for the international rights, with negotiations between Sky and ITV. But there appears to have been little appetite to blow budgets for the interview.
A BBC source said the corporation was not involved in negotiations, adding: “We won’t be pulling out the chequebook out for this.”
It is understood the BBC could not justify spending such a substantial chunk of taxpayers’ cash on the interview, which it would simply cover on news channels.
Neither Netflix nor Amazon are said to have been involved, according to Variety, the Hollywood trade magazine.
The US publication claimed that Viacomcbs Global Distribution Group, which is selling the international rights, was “keen for the interview to land on a free-to-air broadcaster” in the UK.
Variety said that as of yesterday, Sky was thought to be out of the running.
ITV and Sky declined to comment.