Prince Andrew's outrageous request to Emily Maitlis after disastrous Newsnight interview

Journalist Emily Maitlis has disclosed the awkward and unexpected request she received from Prince Andrew following their infamous Newsnight interview in 2019.

The interview, which became a major scandal and was widely considered a "car crash" for the Duke of York, continues to make headlines as new details emerge, especially with the upcoming release of a dramatized retelling of the event on Prime Video.

Maitlis, who serves as an executive producer on the series A Very Royal Scandal, recently shared insights into the aftermath of the interview, which was intended to address Prince Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Instead of clarifying his position, the interview led to widespread criticism and public outrage, severely damaging the Duke's reputation.

One of the most startling aspects of the interview's aftermath, according to Maitlis, was Prince Andrew's insistence on revisiting topics that had already contributed to the disastrous outcome.

"Once we'd finished the interview, I said as a courtesy, 'Is there anything that didn't get included that you wanted to discuss?'" Maitlis recounted. "And Prince Andrew said, 'Well actually, there were a couple of things. You didn't include my alibi.'"

This request came as a shock to Maitlis, especially since the Duke’s alibi—centered on claims that he was at a Pizza Express in Woking on the night in question—had already been heavily scrutinized and ridiculed by the public.

The Duke had also controversially claimed in the interview that he could not sweat, an assertion that was widely disbelieved and further added to the mockery surrounding the interview.

"It was a very complicated moment for us because, on the one hand, I knew that if he included some of the stuff that he wanted to talk about, for example, the sweating and the Pizza Express alibi, it was not going to help his case", Maitlis said. "In fact, it was actually going to make it look worse.

"I felt kind of a responsibility to not let him walk into that," she admitted, "but on the other hand, I also felt a responsibility to include the things that he had said were important to him to say."

The fallout from the interview was significant, not only for Prince Andrew but also for Maitlis herself. The seasoned journalist revealed that the notoriety of the interview had an unexpected impact on her career, particularly when it came to securing future interviews.

"It's a curious thing actually," she explained. "On the one hand, you'd think it might make it really easy to get people to do interviews with you because they've seen your interview and they've heard of you. And on the other hand, nobody wants to do an interview with you because they've seen your interview and they've heard of you!"

Maitlis attended the London screening of A Very Royal Scandal alongside actress Ruth Wilson, who portrays her in the series. While the interview brought her global recognition, it also presented new challenges, as many potential interviewees were hesitant to sit down with someone who had been involved in such a high-profile debacle.

The Prime Video series, which is set to premiere on September 19, will offer a dramatized account of the events leading up to the interview, the interview itself, and its aftermath.

The series is expected to delve deeply into both Prince Andrew's and Maitlis's experiences, providing a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most notorious media moments in recent history. The drama is expected to shine a light on the personal and professional challenges Maitlis faced during and after the interview, as well as the broader implications for the Duke of York and the Royal Family.

The release of A Very Royal Scandal comes just months after Netflix's own version of the story, Scoop, which also focused on the events surrounding the interview. However, the Amazon series promises to offer a more in-depth exploration of Maitlis's role and perspective, something that has been eagerly anticipated by viewers and critics alike.