Prince Andrew character cracks sick Jimmy Savile joke in new Netflix drama about his infamous Jeffrey Epstein Newsnight interview
Prince Andrew is pictured making a sick joke about Jimmy Savile in new Netflix film Scoop – which tells the backstory of his infamous 2019 Newsnight interview.
The film, starring Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis and Rupert Sewell as the beleaguered prince, recreates the lead-up to the BBC’s exclusive conversation with Andrew about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
In the drama, written by Peter Moffat, the Duke of York tells the Newsnight team: ‘I don’t quite understand why everyone is so obsessed with my friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. I knew Jimmy Savile so much better.’
Then he laughs at his joke.
Although Savile had a friendship with Andrew’s brother, the then Prince Charles – and bragged about it – it is not clear whether he even knew Prince Andrew or whether the prince was making such a joke.
Prince Andrew (played by Rufus Sewell) is portrayed making a sick joke about Jimmy Savile in new Netflix film Scoop – which tells the backstory of his infamous 2019 Newsnight interview
Gillian Anderson has been hailed as ‘amazing’ in her upcoming role as Emily Maitlis after becoming the presenter of Newsnight
Savile died in 2011, and it was only after his death that he was exposed as a prolific pedophile.
Premier streams on Netflix from next Friday. Billie Piper stars as BBC producer Sam McAlister, who prepared the interview, and Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk, the prince’s head of press.
In another scene from the film, Prince Andrew appears surprised when Maitlis arrives at the palace ahead of the interview wearing trousers instead of a dress or skirt.
Other scenes show him yelling at a female employee for misplacing teddy bears and a toy kangaroo on his bed.
Most shockingly, a dazzling scene shows the prince stepping out of the bath completely naked, while Sewell wears prosthetics.
Within four days of the 2019 interview airing, the prince announced that he had abdicated his royal duties, and was subsequently stripped of his military roles and barred from using his HRH title.
Scoop had its premiere at The Curzon Club in Mayfair on Wednesday evening, with stars from the drama in attendance.
Gillian Anderson joined her co-stars Billie Piper, Rufus Sewell, Romola Garai and Keeley Hawes this evening as they celebrated the show’s launch.
The Duke of York pictured himself leaving Windsor Castle this morning after spending an hour with King Charles III
The prince was photographed this morning, just days before the film Scoop, which chronicles his disastrous Newsnight interview, is released on Netflix
Gillian Anderson, 55, stunned in a strapless green dress as she attended the world premiere of Scoop at The Curzon in Mayfair, London, on Wednesday evening
The actress, who plays Emily Maitlis in the upcoming Netflix drama, was the woman of the hour on the star-studded red carpet
Gillian oozed glamor in a classic bodycon midi dress and lifted her figure with stylish silver high heels
The Sex Education star joined her co-stars Billie Piper, Romola Garai and Keeley Hawes this evening as they celebrated the show’s launch
Scoop – out on April 5 – recreates the car crash Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew
Anderson has been hailed as ‘amazing’ in her upcoming role as Emily Maitlis after taking over as Newsnight presenter in the new Prince Andrew film.
One person branded Gillian the ‘female Michael Sheen’ after seeing her in action as Maitlis, claiming that ‘she could literally turn into anyone’.
Based on the book Scoops by Sam McAlister, the film (according to the trailer) shows the excitement behind booking the royal for the interview, as well as the tension among the cast during the interview.
The film will be released on Netflix in the spring and will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the interview came together and how the events surrounding it unfolded in tribute to the work of the four women responsible.
It is based on Scoops by Sam McAlister, who is also known as the ‘Booker extraordinaire’ on Newsnight after successfully negotiating and securing the interview in which the Duke was questioned about his friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.
Ms Maitlis discussed Virginia Giuffre’s claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 on Epstein’s orders.
The prince strongly denied the claims during the interview.