Get our free Morning Headlines email with news from reporters around the world
Sign up for our free Morning Headlines email
The BBC has almost decided not to broadcast the Duke of York’s mocked Pizza Express alibi over his alleged sexual relationship with Virginia Giuffre in a bid to protect him from “ridicule”.
The broadcaster continued after hapless Mr Andrew petitioned the former BBC news night After not mentioning it the first time, presenter Emily Maitlis decided to include it in her second interview because she was “confident” that the problem would go away.
Ms Maitlis initially considered refusing the request, but the BBC resumed the interview at Buckingham Palace and revealed how Prince Andrew had denied having a sexual relationship with Ms Giuffre. She was 17 years old at the time and was being trafficked by his friend, billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
former news night The host ultimately agreed to Prince Andrew’s request, partly to avoid a repeat of the Princess Diana interview fiasco, in which corporate executive Martin Bashir was accused of manipulating the then Princess of Wales. he said.
speak at desperately seeking wisdom In a mental health podcast with Prime Minister David Cameron’s former No. 10 spin doctor Sir Craig Oliver, Ms Maitlis revealed new details of her 2019 car accident interview.
Andrew said he was unable to have sex with Virginia Giuffre because he was taking his daughter to a birthday party at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey.
(BBC/PA)
In it, he allegedly had sex with Ms Giuffre in London on March 10, 2001, as she was taking her daughter to a birthday party at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey. He said he could not.
Giuffre also claimed that they went to Trump’s nightclub together, recalling that Prince Andrew was “soaking in sweat” while he danced. However, he stated that it could not have been his fault, as he was unable to sweat at the time due to the trauma of serving in the Falklands War.
Ms Maitlis revealed how the Pizza Express alibi, which drew worldwide ridicule, was effectively passed on as an afterthought when the duke asked her to turn the camera on again.
Maitlis later spoke in an interview about her disbelief at the prince’s actions.
(BBC/PA)
She said: “He wanted to put it in later. I said to him, “Have you ever had a chance to say something?” I didn’t teach you.” And he talked about Pizza Express.
“We said, ‘But you answered all the questions and explained that you’ve never met Virginia Giuffre.'”
“He said, ‘Yeah, but I couldn’t go there because I was driving my daughter to Pizza Express in Woking.’
“We had him record it again, but it was complicated. We thought that if we didn’t include this, we weren’t including something really important that the interviewee should know. That would be ridiculous.”
Andrew denied all allegations against him by Guiffre
Maitlis explained the dilemma: “He asked for it to be included, but does he have the final say? Because it would obviously make him look ridiculous.”
She said the BBC was facing a “moral battle”.
“In the end, we decided that if we told the Palace that it was part of the interview, we should include it.
“Especially in light of the Princess Diana interview debacle. [involving Bashir] We thought we had to be transparent. If we asked, “Is there anything you’d like us to include?” And they said we had to… [put it] in. “
She expressed her disbelief at the prince’s actions in an interview:
“He thought his alibi was obvious, convincing us that he didn’t sweat, that he didn’t go to the club, that he went to Pizza Express.”
Prince Andrew’s reputation never recovered from this interview, and he still vehemently denies all allegations against him by Ms Giuffre.
In a section “inserted” at his request, he said: “I was with the children and took Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking for a party at 4 or 5 p.m.”
When I asked him why he still remembers eating at Pizza Express 18 years later, he said, “I remember eating at Pizza Express. “Going to Woking’s Pizza Express was a very unusual experience for me. I’ve only been to Woking a few times and I remember it strangely vividly.”
You can listen to the “Desperately Seeking Wisdom” interview with Emily Maitlis from Monday, February 5th.