STEWART Maclean was deputy editor on Newsnight when Prince Andrew’s bombshell interview aired in November 2019.
Here’s everything you need to know about Stewart, who appears as a character in Netflix’s Scoop.
2
Who is former BBC Newsnight editor Stewart Maclean?
Stewart started off on the BBC’s stalwart current affairs and news programme as a producer between the September 2012 and August 2013.
He returned to Newsnight four years later as an assistant editor in March 2017.
In August 2018, Stewart was promoted to deputy editor — the position he held when Prince Andrew’s infamous interview with Emily Maitlis took place — before taking on the top job from January 2022.
Andrew’s daughter Princess Beatrice played a key role in persuading her father to do the interview.
Andrew and Beatrice met Stewart and presenter Emily Maitlis at Buckingham Palace three days before filming to discuss the scope of the interview.
Beatrice was initially thought to be sceptical about the interview but was won over by the Newsnight team and the Duke’s private secretary Amanda Thirsk, who convinced her there was no choice but to go ahead.
“Initially, Beatrice was sceptical that a television interview, which would inevitably delve into her father’s private life, was such a good idea,” said a Royal insider.
“She was asking lots of pertinent questions and had her doubts.
“But by the end of the meeting she was convinced by the Newsnight team and Amanda Thirsk that they had no choice – that it was the only way to put all the rumours behind them.
But a member of the Princess’s circle said the fall out from the interview took its toll on her.
“Beatrice has been in tears every day since the interview went out,” said the source.
Both Beatrice and her sister Eugenie were reportedly “deeply distressed” after their under-fire father was forced to quit his royal duties following the interview.
Toe-curling moments from Andrew’s Newsnight interview show how smug prince desperately tried to ‘pull rank’, says body language expert
Where is Stewart Maclean now?
In October 2023, Stewart announced he was quitting Newsnight amid huge budget cuts to take on a new job with the corporation as BBC World News Content’s Africa bureau chief.
After leaving the show in January 2024, Stewart moved to Nairobi, Kenya for the position — less than two years after becoming editor of Newsnight.
Announcing the news to staff in an email, executive news editor Paul Danahar said: “Stewart is one of the BBC’s most creative and accomplished editors in news.
“As the head, and deputy head, of Newsnight he has consistently delivered high-impact original journalism.
“He has proven editorial leadership, has managed a large team of journalists and has a track record of finding and developing new talent.”
2
Who is Stewart Maclean played by in Scoop?
Playing the role of Jason in Netflix’s Scoop is actor Richard Goulding.
Richard is a British actor from Shrewsbury in Shropshire.
He studied at the Guildhastafll School of Music and Drama.
Richard is known for playing Prince Harry in both the stage and TV version of King Charles III (2017).
He also played the soon-to-be wed prince in Channel 4 sitcom The Windsors (2016-2023).
Aside from playing Harry in The Windsors, Richard most notably played Tomothy in Channel 4 comedy Fresh Meat.
His character was the overbearing older brother of Jack Whitehall’s Jonathan ‘JP’ Pembersley.
Richard also had roles in series M.I. High (2009-2010) and Ripper Street (2014).
Get the scoop on Netflix’s Scoop
THE Netflix film brings to life the real events of the 2019 Prince Andrew Newsnight interview.
