Yahoo Finance Scoop's Sam McAlister confirms "Randy Andy" moment did really happen
Scoop's real-life protagonist Sam McAlister has revealed that her "Randy Andy" remark to Prince Andrew did actually happen.
Doctor Who star Billie Piper plays McAlister, the TV booker responsible for securing the infamous 2019 Newsnight interview with the royal in the new Netflix movie.
In one scene, viewers see Piper's McAlister enlighten Prince Andrew with the public perception of him via the nickname "Randy Andy".
In an interview with Esquire, McAlister confirmed that she did actually made the comment in real-life.
Related: Emily Maitlis hasn't seen Netflix's Scoop yet
"You’re asking me whether I said to Prince Andrew’s face, 'People know you as Randy Andy?'," she said to the reporter, adding: "Yes, I did and I’ll tell you why.
"I didn’t do things the traditional way. The job was about connection and integrity. People had to trust you and what you were saying. And so I showed my trust to people by being honest and direct with them."
McAlister recalled: "We were about halfway through the negotiation at that stage, so we had been there for an hour, so it’s not quite as blunt as it sounds, but we created a real rapport. I knew he trusted what I said."
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The former Newsnight producer believes that it was her honest remarks that created "that bond of trust" with the Prince, noting that "people in power respect the truth sometimes" even if it's hard to hear.
"If you’re the only person in the room who would call Prince Andrew 'Randy Andy', that is the human connection that can make the difference between yes and no," she said. "I don’t know how to be any different."
She added: "I’m sure poor Emily [Maitlis] wanted to kick me under the table."
Scoop centres on three women who helped bring about the Prince Andrew interview in 2019, following the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and an FBI investigation into the financier for the sex trafficking of underage girls.
Keeley Hawes plays Amanda Thirsk, Prince Andrew's real-life private secretary at the time, with Sex Education actress Gillian Anderson portraying Newsnight journalist Emily Maitlis, who conducted the interview.
Scoop is now available to watch on Netflix.
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