Emily Maitlis’s Buckingham Palace Bathroom Panic

Emily Maitlis has revealed that she had to give herself a last-minute crisis talking to in the bathrooms of Buckingham Palace just seconds before her famous Prince Andrew interview.

The journalist, 54, interviewed the royal in 2019 and has now told how she had to ‘excuse herself’ and flee to the toilet just before the chat to compose herself.

The interview has now been turned into a three-part Prime Video series which has been lauded in its reviews. 

It follows actress Ruth Wilson, 42, who plays former Newsnight journalist Emily in a retelling of the car crash interview.

He was quizzed about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein which threatened to damage the reputation of the entire royal family.  

Emily Maitlis has revealed that she had to give herself a last-minute crisis talking to in the bathrooms of Buckingham Palace just seconds before her famous Prince Andrew interview

The journalist, 54, interviewed the royal in 2019 and has now told how she had to ‘excuse herself’ and flee to the toilet just before the chat to compose herself

Speaking to Good Housekeeping Emily said of composing herself just before the career-defining moment: ‘I remember shaking [the Prince’s] hand, and then I excused myself and fled to the toilet. I locked the door and slumped in the corner of this wonderful, very chintzy, very ornate loo. 

‘I was holding the handbasin at one point and just saying to myself: ‘Right, what is this interview about? 

‘Find the focus, find the point of the interview.’ I was sort of lecturing myself: ‘Don’t interrupt, don’t be rude, don’t forget to be courteous in your address – but also don’t pull your punches in the questions.’

Canadian-born British journalist Emily went on to say that her younger self ‘wouldn’t believe’ that parts of her life would end up on TV dramas.

She added: ‘I just thought it was a hoot. I couldn’t believe it.

‘It’s the stuff of dreams, isn’t it, to be portrayed by Gillian Anderson and Ruth Wilson? If I had to describe that to a younger version of myself, I just wouldn’t believe it.’

Emily said that, following the interview, ‘far too much responsibility’ was put on her and her team.

The journalist said: ‘There were some people saying to me, ‘what have you done to the royal family?’.

The interview has now been turned into a three-part Prime Video series which has been lauded in its reviews 

It follows actress Ruth Wilson, 42, who plays former Newsnight journalist Emily in a retelling of the car crash interview 

Speaking to Good Housekeeping Emily said of composing herself just before the career-defining moment: ‘I remember shaking [the Prince’s] hand, and then I excused myself and fled to the toilet’

Canadian-born British journalist Emily went on to say that her younger self ‘wouldn’t believe’ that parts of her life would end up on TV dramas

He was quizzed about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein which threatened to damage the reputation of the entire royal family 

‘Stuff that was way too big and put far too much responsibility on our team’s shoulders.

‘But there’s something very disturbing about seeing the effects play out in real time, because you do feel a sense of responsibility.

‘The thing I keep coming back to is, I’m a journalist, I just ask the questions.’

She also spoke about her decision to leave the BBC in 2022, saying she was ‘grateful’ to the corporation but had thought it was ‘now or never’ when she entered her 50s, so decided to leave.

Her post-BBC work has seen her appear on Channel 4’s election night coverage, present a daily news podcast called The News Agents and work as an executive producer on A Very Royal Scandal.

Speaking on GMB last week Emily also recounted her time doing the interview, candidly saying watching the series back reminded her of the stress of taking on the challenge.

She said: ‘When I watch the drama I get palpitations – it takes me back to when I thought ‘will I remember to ask the right questions? Can I do this?”

She added of her reaction to Prince Andrew’s demeanour: ‘I realised early on he would be candid in his responses. We never assumed guilt and it was an hour of his own words. 

‘It didn’t matter what he said it was always going to make history. We knew we only had one shot at it to hear from the Prince. It was a document of public record if anything.

‘We were building up the picture of what actually happened and it was quite forensic.’

When asked by host Richard Madeley what she thought of the Prince when the interview was done she carefully answered: ‘I thought he had tried very hard to remember his lines…

‘He wanted us to film extra pieces too he wanted to expand on the Pizza Express stuff and things like that. It was a dilemma as a journalist whether to add stuff he wanted at the end.

‘But he was happy with the interview he gave us a tour of the Palace after the interview and he even invited us back.’

Ruth (left) stars as journalist Emily

Actor Michael Sheen (left) portrays the Duke Of York (right) in the new production

Emily and Ruth are pictured at a NYC screening for the series earlier this month

Speaking on GMB last week Emily also recounted her time doing the interview, candidly saying watching the series back reminded her of the stress of taking on the challenge 

She added of the potential harm the interview could have caused: ‘I do worry about the fallout from it.

‘There was fallout for his family. I feel concern for him as I do for anyone that has had a drop in status. But I don’t regret the interview.’

To counter balance her point she added: ‘But nothing has been concluded for Epstein’s victims still.’ 

The November 2024 issue of Good Housekeeping is now on sale.