Prince Andrew The Musical star was ‘nervous’ after being offered Emily Maitlis role: ‘It’s a controversial topic’-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

Emily Maitlis actress Emma Sidi has shared how nervous she was to be taking up the role in ‘controversial’ new Channel 4 comedy Prince Andrew The Musical.

The Starstruck actress grills Prince Andrew (played by Kieran Hodgson who wrote the musical) during the now notorious 2019 Newsnight interview, when he told presenter Maitlis he couldn’t sweat and about his visit to a Pizza Express in Woking.

The hour-long interview was seen as the royal’s attempt to draw a line under his controversial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and to deny publicly claims he had underage sex with Virginia Giuffre, one of the disgraced financier’s victims. 

The one-hour Channel 4 special is a satirical send-up of the life and times of the King’s disgraced younger brother, focusing on his key moments, relationships and controversies.

Emma, 31, admitted her ‘initial thought’ after getting the offer to play Maitlis was: ‘This is quite a controversial topic’.

Emma was ‘nervous’ to take on the role for a ‘controversial topic’ (Picture: Channel 4)

Emily Maitlis stars alongside Munya Chawawa, Kieran Hodgson and Jenny Bede (Picture: Channel 4)

Speaking to The Independent, Emma added: ‘I was quite nervous to watch it in terms of “How will this actually go?”‘

She continued: ‘There were moments when you’re laughing and then you actually gasp a little bit.

‘There’s no messing around with that tone.’

Prince Andrew (Kieran Hodgson) and Emily Maitlis (Emma Sidi) recreate the infamous BBC interview (Picture: Channel 4)

The notorious interview saw Prince Andrew tell Maitlis he couldn’t sweat and about his visit to a Pizza Express in Woking (Picture: MARK HARRISON/CAMERA PRESS/PA)

The recreated interview sees the interviewer and royal burst into song (Picture: Channel 4)

While watching the Newsnight interview, Emma recalled Andrew’s answers as ‘comedy at its finest’.

In a first look clip of the recreation of Andrew’s train wreck interview, Maitlis and the royal break out into song, in a tune titled I Nailed It.

Asking Prince Andrew how he think their interview went, he raises his eyebrows confidently before jumping up from behind the journalist’s chair and singing that he ‘nailed it’.

Emma recalled Andrew’s answers as ‘comedy at its finest’ (Picture: Channel 4)

The disgraced royal is played by Kieran Hodgson, who wrote the musical (Picture: Channel 4)

‘I did everything right,’ he added.

His interviewer then joins in as they sing that it was ‘unforgettable, unmissable’ and with ‘just a whiff of treason.’

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The musical sees Jenny Bede starring as Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson while Munya Chawawa plays King Charles.

There are also roles for Harry Enfield as Tony Blair and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Baga Chipz as Margaret Thatcher.

Prince Andrew: The Musical airs Thursday December 27 at 9pm on Channel 4.

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