Thirsk plays a pivotal role in the new Netflix drama about the Prince Andrew Newsnight interview.
Netflix’s new film Scoop – which tells the true behind-the-scenes story of the infamous Prince Andrew Newsnight interview in 2019 – boasts a very starry cast that includes the likes of Billie Piper, Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell.
The film is told from the perspective of Sam McAlister (Piper), the Newsnight producer and guest booker who played a pivotal role in making the interview happen.
And one of the other big names to play a real-life figure in the film is Keeley Hawes, who takes on the role of Amanda Thirsk – a former Buckingham Palace employee who worked closely with Prince Andrew for many years.
But who exactly is she? 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. Her exit from the Palace came after she reached a settlement to terminate her role in the aftermath of the Newsnight interview.
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.
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.”
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 a 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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