Another Sex Education Star Has Joined The Cast Of Scoop

Where were you when Prince Andrew told the nation that he was at Pizza Express in Woking on the night in question? Emily Maitlis’ Newsnight interview with the royal was a tour de force and provided a lot of valuable information that was later used against him in court. Now, the build-up to the interview is being dramatised in an exciting new film called Scoop. Sam McAlister, the woman who produced the BBC interview, has written a book all about the nail-biting experience which is now being adapted for Netflix.

Speaking to the Express, McAlister said “hearing the answers that he gave, each one worse than the last, was really an extraordinary experience that it's still hard to believe actually happened. It was an astonishing experience to be sitting there listening to all of that on camera.” So, let’s take a look at everything we know so far about Netflix’s Scoop, below.

Scoop Cast

In Feb. 2022, it was confirmed that Gillian Anderson will portray the former BBC news anchor Maitlis in the drama, while Rufus Sewell will take on the role of Prince Andrew. As per Variety, they are joined in the cast of Scoop by Billie Piper, who will play TV producer Sam McAlister, and Keeley Hawes, who is to portray Prince Andrew’s former private secretary Amanda Thirsk.

Further cast members include: Sex Education’s Connor Swindells as Jae Donnelly, the photographer who captured the photo of Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein; Romola Garai as Esme Wren, the Newsnight editor; Lia Williams as Fran Unsworth, then BBC Director of News & Current Affairs, and Wolf Hall’s Charity Wakefield as Princess Beatrice.

Speaking ahead of the film’s release, McAlister said she is “thrilled” by the casting announcement. “It is beyond my wildest dreams, especially as a first time writer, to end up working with this extraordinary cast.” She continued: “Watching Billie Piper, one of my favourite actresses, play ‘me’ will be a pinch-myself moment and I’m truly thrilled to be involved in this film.”

Scoop Plot

The infamous Newsnight interview is at the heart of the film, but we’ll also see more detail about what happened behind the scenes and in the lead-up to the event

Peter Moffat of Silk and Your Honour fame will be working on the screenplay. Speaking to Deadline with Salmon, Moffat said that he wants to tell the story of how “Sam [McAlister] and those two extraordinary women, Emily [Maitlis] and Esme [Wren, Newsnight editor], made the interview happen under real stress and pressure.”

“The inside track of the women that broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to secure the scoop of the decade that led to the catastrophic fall from grace of The Queen’s ‘Favourite son,'” reads an official synopsis. “From navigating Palace vetoes, to breaking through to Prince Andrew’s inner circle, the high stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal — to the jaw dropping interview itself.”

Scoop Release Date

With the cast of the film only recently being announced, Netflix is yet to confirm a release date. This could indicate a late 2023 or 2024 release, but we’ll just have to wait and see.