Who is Emily Maitlis? Former BBC Newsnight host and award-winning journalist

JOURNALIST Emily Maitlis interviewed Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace about his connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

From the man who stalked her for over a decade to the portrayal of her in Netflix film Scoop, here's what you need to know about the BBC Newsnight presenter and award-winning journalist.

Who is Emily Maitlis?

Emily Maitlis was born on September 6, 1970, in Canada.

She is a British journalist, documentary maker and newsreader for the BBC, as well as a keen runner.

Emily was raised by British Jewish parents in Sheffield, Yorkshire, and her paternal grandmother was a Jewish refugee who fled Nazi Germany.

The journalist speaks fluent Spanish, Italian, and French, and even some Mandarin.

She presented news across the national television channels of the Beeb - most notably on BBC Two's news and current affairs programme Newsnight.

She has also produced bulletins for BBC One, BBC News Channel and BBC World and has previously presented BBC Breakfast.

In a scathing monologue on Newsnight's May 26, 2020 show, she voiced her opinion on the Dominic Cummings controversy - when the PM's top aide broke lockdown rules.

But her comments sparked an impartiality row, as she said: “Dominic Cummings broke the rules, the country can see that, and it's shocking the Government cannot.

"He should understand that public mood now. One of fury, contempt and anguish.

"He made those who struggled to keep to the rules feel like fools, and has allowed many more to assume they can now flout them.”

She continued: "Boris Johnson has chosen to ignore it...Tonight we consider what this blind loyalty tells us about the workings of Number 10."

Emily announced her resignation from the BBC in 2022 after signing with LBC parent Global.

Alongside former BBC journalist Jon Sopel, she is the host of the daily podcast The News Agents.

Emily won the Network Presenter of the Year award in both 2019 and 2020.

Who is Emily Maitlis's husband?

Emily is married to investment manager Mark Gwynne - they met while she was working in Hong Kong.

In an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show, the BBC journalist revealed that she was the one who proposed to her husband while on holiday in Mauritius in 2000.

The couple have two children together - Milo and Max.

Did Emily Maitlis have a stalker?

In 2002, it was reported that Emily had been stalked for over a decade by a former friend from her time at university - Edward Vines.

Vines admitted to harassing the journalist and was initially sentenced to four months' imprisonment.

When he was released Vines was issued with a restraining order, which he repeatedly breached in the following years and caused him to be sent back to prison.

Vines would turn up at Emily's place of work and send letters and emails to the journalist as well as her mother.

He attempted to write to the journalist eight times from jail between May 31, 2020, and December 23, 2021.

Ian Way, prosecuting, said: "He can't let go of something that he perceived was a wrong to him 30 years in the past and that, we say, is what is driving him."

How much does Emily Maitlis get paid?

In 2017, Maitlis was on the verge of quitting the BBC in a huge row over pay, after the salaries of its top stars were published.

The journalist was said to be furious at discovering Newsnight co-host Evan Davis got up to £299,999 a year.

She did not appear on the list of 96 BBC stars earning more than £150,000 — meaning she gets less.

By the time she left, Emily is believed to have earned more than £40,000 for her external events, on top of her £325,000 BBC salary.

When was Emily Maitlis' Prince Andrew interview?

Emily's interview with Prince Andrew took place on November 16, 2019.

During the interview the royal denied having sexual relations with Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, on three separate occasions - twice while she was underage.

The Duke of York said one encounter in 2001 did not happen as he spent the day with his daughter Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking for a party - an alibi that went on to be ridiculed by many.

The chat earned Emily the RTS Television Journalism Award for Interview Of The Year in 2019 and was included in The Times' 10 Best Interviews.

Who plays Emily Maitlis in Netflix's Scoop?

In February 2023, it was confirmed that Gillian Anderson and Billie Piper would lead the cast in Scoop, a show about Prince Andrew's interview about Jeffrey Epstein on Newsnight.

Gillian portrays Emily as a consummate professional who doesn’t let anyone — particularly the prince — get the better of her.

But the actress admitted that while playing the reporter, she did struggle with one particularly tricky co-star — a whippet who doubled up as Emily's beloved pet, Moody.

The star also confessed that she found playing the former Newsnight presenter more daunting than her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown.

Speaking about the pressure of playing Emily, Gillian revealed: “It was the first time that I've played a real-life character who is still alive.

“And I have to say, it's more daunting playing an Emily Maitlis than a Margaret Thatcher even.”

Scoop is available to stream on Netflix on April 5, 2024.