Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield appeared visibly surprised by some of the revelations by their latest guest on This Morning. The hosting duo were back at the helm of the ITV daytime show on Tuesday (July 5) when they were joined live in the studio by the woman who negotiated Prince Andrew's appearance on Newsnight.
It's been three years since the Duke of York sat down with the BBC news show's presenter Emily Maitlis at Buckingham Palace back in 2019. The hour-long interview caused shockwaves through the royal family as viewers watched Andrew attempt to draw a line under his relationship Jeffrey Epstein.
It also saw him publicly deny claims he had underage sex with Virginia Giuffre, one of the disgraced financier’s victims. He said he had "no recollection" of her claims he was “sweating profusely” as he danced in a nightclub and said he could not have slept with her as he had taken his daughter to Pizza Express in Woking on the alleged date. He also claimed to have a medical condition which meant he couldn't sweat.
Andrew has denied and continues to deny all the allegations. Shortly after the interview he stepped down from royal public duties and earlier this year paid millions out of court to settle a civil sexual assault case brought by Ms Giuffre.
Now though, Sam McAlister, who for 10 years was the interviews producer on Newsnight, has written a book, titled Scoops: Behind The Scenes Of The BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews by Sam McAlister, about her decade on the BBC's flagship show. Appearing on This Morning to chat about her book, talk soon talked to Andrew's interview wich pretty much remained the sole topic of conversation.
As one of those involved in helping set up the chat between Prince Andrew and Emily, Sam recalled: "When I started the negotiations which was ages, months and months before this came to air, and obviously never really thought it was gonna happen because who would say yes to being on Newsnight when you're accused of the things you're accused of there?"
She then added: "I never for a second believed that this negotiation would be successful," before admitting she had to "sit there with a poker face" when she first heard some of Prince Andrew's comments. Sam also claimed that during one meeting with the royal, she was surprised to learn they were being joined by a guest.
Suspecting it could be a lawyer, she was more dumbstruck to be introduced to Prince Andrew's daughter, Princess Beatrice. At this point, Holly and Phillip appeared baffled by the royal's decision as Sam continued to explain what happened. "That was a real curve ball because I turned up to the negotiating rather brassy, ballsy as you've probably noticed about me... but then Prince Andrew said, 'Oh, by the way, I've brought someone with me!"
While Holly, 41, suggested it must have been 'awkward' to speak to Prince Andrew about alleged offences in front of his daughter admitting she 'would have buckled', Sam replied: "I didn't buckle because she was the rainmaker in my view... She was the difference between yes and no so I was really attentive to her, sensible questions and she was just looking after her dad."
"What was your reaction when he started to say that stuff on camera?" Phillip, 60, later asked Sam, referring to the royals comments about sweating. "I still can't believe it. When I was watching the clips just now, I still can't believe that that was said on camera because who in their right mind would say that?" Sam replied.
"I was looking at the floor trying not to laugh, because imagine if I was your producer and I laughed during that, I mean I'd be straight to the Tower!"
Holly then later asked the show's guest: "Do you think he regrets it?" to which Sam said: "I think he was a bomb waiting to go off. He wanted to say something, he wanted to vindicate himself. Now I know that seems ludicrous now, but nobody thinks they're going to do a bad interview. He thought he would explain himself and he thought this would all go away. So I suspect if he went back, he would still do an interview but I doubt it would be with Emily and I doubt it would be with Newsnight."
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV Hub.
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