Tensions are said to be running high between Emily Maitlis and Sam McAlister, both of whom were recently represented on-screen in Netflix’s Scoop. The former Newsnight interviewer and ex-BBC producer worked together on the infamous interview with Prince Andrew about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but now it appears the pair no longer talk.
Back in 2019, Emily was seen quizzing the disgraced royal on BBC One, while Sam claimed she helped secure the huge scoop. Emily, who was apparently earning ten times the amount of money as Sam at the time, reportedly had differing views from her colleague on the roles they both played in obtaining the award-winning interview with the Duke of York.
The tension between the two was reportedly obvious at a party Sam and Emily both attended just before Christmas. Emily is coming out with her own three-part series later this year on rival streamer, Amazon Prime.
She is the executive producer of A Very Royal Scandal, which will star Michael Sheen as the Duke of York. Meanwhile, the Netflix show is based on Sam’s account of the interview in her book, Scoops.
According to the Sun, a source said: “The irony is that this is essentially a story about two successful, independent women working together and landing a massive story — one with global reach. By rights, they should be one another’s biggest champions.
“But each feels as if their part has been under-sold by the other, and there is huge tension there.
“At a celebrity party at Christmas, it was very award as both women were in the same room. The tension was palpable.”
The source added: “Obviously they now have two films out about the same topic on rival streamers, and both want their own to be a hit.”
Netflix’s Scoop starred Gillian Anderson as Emily, Billie Piper as Sam, Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk and Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew.
While Downton Abbey star Clare Calbraith will portray Sam and Ruth Wilson will play Emily in the upcoming Amazon Prime series.
Express.co.uk has contacted Sam and Emily’s representatives for comment.
Scoop is available to stream now on Netflix.