All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
It was the scoop of the century—getting Prince Andrew to talk about his relationship with disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The disastrous interview is the subject of Netflix’s film Scoop, which if you’ve watched you may be curious to know where Sam McAlister is now, the brains behind securing it. McAlister is played by Billie Piper, who audiences may know as Rose Tyler from Dr. Who.
Renewed interest in the allegations linking Andrew and Epstein was sparked after Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a victim of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, claimed she was sexually assaulted multiple times by Prince Andrew in London and on a private Caribbean Island owned by Epstein. Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew in the state of New York, which he settled out of court for a reported $16 million.
“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support,” Andrew said in a statement at the same time. “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.” The prince also said, “I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required.”
During his interview with BBC in November 2019—the securing of such is depicted in Scoop—Prince Andrew said he “regretted” his connection to Epstein but had no memory of ever meeting Giuffre. “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” he said and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. So where is Sam McAlister now?
Where is Sam McAlister now?
Where is Sam McAlister now? Reflecting on the Prince Andrew interview, McAlister wrote for Tatler in the April 2024 issue that it was “a masterclass in how to destroy your life.”
She quit the BBC in 2021, with sources alleging she was unhappy with the fact that she was paid just 10 percent of what was dished out to reporter Emily Maitlis, played by Gillian Anderson in Scoop. “It’s a nice narrative: the plucky, poorly-paid woman. The truth is she worked part-time, while Emily was the lead anchor of Newsnight,” a former colleague said of the pair, per The Telegraph. “Producers at the BBC don’t earn a huge amount of money. It’s not like she was terribly terribly underpaid.”
“Sam was angry that she didn’t get a pay rise, but the BBC doesn’t work like that. There’s a license fee: you can’t just give pay rises to people because they do well,” the source added. “She was never going to get a pay rise, because nobody got a pay rise. Nobody got a bonus. It’s the BBC. Everyone who was involved in that interview got a ‘Well done’ and moved on to the next thing.”
Since quitting the network, McAlister has made a living as a public speaker and leveraged her personal brand thanks to securing the high-profile interview. “She has managed to make her image and look part of the whole thing,” a former colleague told The Telegraph, with the paper noting McAlister has become a regular on the after-dinner speaking circuit, to talk about negotiations and leadership, and commands fees of between £2,500 (more than $3,000) and £5,000 ($6,300) per gig.
“It’s a long way from my part-time Newsnight, full-time single mum life. Now, instead of long days on the commute and in the airless BBC office, I’m always on the move: there’s been a TEDx talk, a fellowship at LSE, martinis at The Dorchester,” she wrote in Tatler.
Prince Andrew, meanwhile, stepped back from royal life shortly after the interview aired, asking his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II for permission to withdraw from public duties. In 2022, Andrew was stripped of his military titles after a judge ruled a sexual abuse civil lawsuit against him could proceed, which he settled.
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen,” the palace said in a statement.
After 12 years producing content for Newsnight, Sam McAlister reflects with candor on her experience, sharing not just the secrets of how the best news gets made, but also the changes to the BBC, the future of ‘mainstream media’ in the age of clickbait and the role of power and privilege in shaping our media landscape.
