Who is Amanda Thirsk? Keeley Hawes's Scoop character explained
Thirsk plays a pivotal role in the new Netflix drama about the Prince Andrew Newsnight interview.
Scoop, Netflix's take on Prince Andrew's disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview, has landed.
The new film is based not only on the BBC interview but also on a book of the same name by former Newsnight producer and guest booker Sam McAlister, which recounts how she secured the interview.
Scoop is told through the eyes of McAlister (Billie Piper), Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson) and Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes) – a former Buckingham Palace employee who worked closely with Prince Andrew for many years.
Speaking about the show, Hawes told Radio Times magazine: "It's a bit like The Crown. What's really interesting is seeing behind the curtains. And it read like a thriller! It was unlike anything I was expecting it to be."
Wondering who exactly Thirsk is and whether she still works for Prince Andrew? Read on for everything you need to know.
Who is Amanda Thirsk? Keeley Hawes's Scoop character explained
Amanda Thirsk was Prince Andrew's long-term private secretary, having worked for him from 2004 until the spring of 2020.
She met with former Newsnight producer McAlister multiple times before the actual interview went ahead, as is reflected in Scoop.
Does Amanda Thirsk still work for Prince Andrew?
No. According to Sky News, Thirsk – who is a former banker – now works in a senior business development role at JD, one of China's biggest e-commerce groups.
Her exit from the Palace came after she reached a settlement to terminate her role in the aftermath of the Newsnight interview.
Speaking in the film's press notes, Hawes said of Thirsk: "She was pivotal in the decision that Prince Andrew should do this interview with Newsnight, And so we meet her at a very early stage where she goes and agrees to have a meeting with Sam McAlister.
"The wheels start turning and Amanda Thirsk thinks that this could be a really good idea in terms of PR for Prince Andrew."
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She added: "I think her intentions were good and very honest. She was a great friend of his and she obviously thought he was a great person. She wanted everybody to see Prince Andrew the way that she saw him and thought that would be a really positive thing. Unfortunately, as we now know, it was not to be.”
Expanding further on this in an interview with Radio Times magazine, Hawes said: "I think that was probably a consequence of being in that bubble. She simply thought, 'This is what we need.' I think she was probably right: we did need to hear from him at that moment."
Scoop will be available to stream on Netflix from Friday 5th April 2024. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
