As a reporter, Emily Maitlis has been at the forefront of some of the jaw-dropping news stories of our time.

Now, the new Netflix drama Scoop delves behind the scenes of the defining interview of 2019, in which the former Newsnight anchor quizzed Prince Andrew about his associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Starring Gillian Anderson as Maitlis, and Rufus Sewell in an almost unrecognisable turn as Prince Andrew, Scoop explores how Maitlis and her team managed to secure an interview that rocked the Royal Family.

Fans know Emily best as an accomplished reporter who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, but there’s plenty they may not know about her life away from the newsdesk. As Scoop viewers remember where they were when Queen Elizabeth’s second son claimed he was unable to sweat, we take a look at broadcaster Emily’s fascinating personal life, from her stalker terror to her unusual proposal…

Crushed career ambitions

Born in Canada to parents Peter and Marion Maitlis, Emily grew up in South Yorkshire after her chemistry professor father landed a job at Sheffield University. The budding presenter went on to study English at the University of Cambridge, and initially harboured dreams of becoming a director, but soon realised that she was ‘rubbish’.

During an interview with The Observer, Emily shared how she realised that her two loves of drama and theatre were actually inextricably linked – with timing being key. She explained: “If you interrupt somebody too early, if you miss it and don’t interrupt at all – that’s the difference between a good interview and a bad interview. It’s about the absolute moment.”

Emily’s ear for timing certainly proved useful for high-profile interviews, and journalism proved to be a much better fit. After bagging a job working in radio news while living in Hong Kong, Emily has enjoyed a varied career, from creating documentaries in Cambodia and the Philippines to co-presenting the BBC’s coverage of the US 2012 election.

Emily, 53, stepped down from Newsnight at the end of 2021, having made a name for herself in BBC history, and now presents LBC Radio’s daily podcast The News Agents.

Stalker horror

In February, Emily spoke out about feeling ’empathy’ for the man who stalked her for 27 years, having become fixated on her during their time at Cambridge. Edward Vines, who was jailed for eight years in 2022 after breaching his 20th restraining order, had continued to bombard the reporter and her family with letters, despite being handed numerous orders.

In one such letter, as per BBC News, Vines told Emily he would ‘continue to brood and to write letters in prison’, unless she spoke with him about ‘her behaviour’ during their student days in the 1990s. It’s understood Vines took offence after Emily cooled off their friendship.

In a victim impact statement read before Oxford Crown Court in 2018, Emily, who wasn’t present, shared: “Altogether the breach has been a reminder for me that this man remains a constant threat in my life and my family’s life and that my ability to do my work, hang out with my children and lead a normal family life without a constant sense of suspicion and fear has been badly damaged.”

Earlier this year, during an episode of the Desperately Seeking Wisdom podcast, Emily reflected that it was time to change how we as a society discuss the issue of stalking, calling for better mental health support. Emily said: “Look, I think of (Edward Vines) as having kind of lost his whole life over this, quite frankly.

“Of course, I feel empathetic to that. I think the trouble with stalking is that in our heads it sounds sort of celebrity related or glamorous – sort of dark streets and high heels – and most stalking has nothing to do with that. It’s just to do with an obsessional illness in the head of the person and actually we’re getting much better at recognising mental health and all its myriad forms now.”

Rejected proposal

Emily is happily married to investment manager Mark Gwynne, whom she met during her time working in Hong Kong. Now based in Kensington, the couple have two sons – Milo and Max – and enjoy nights at home in front of the telly.

Speaking with Good Housekeeping in 2019, Emily revealed: “We met at a party when we were working in Hong Kong. We don’t see enough of each other, we’re like ships that pass in the night, but it works. My best night of the week is Saturday as it’s always at home. I hate going out on Saturday nights – I like a box set, red wine and that is it.”

Cosiness aside, however, the couple also share an adventurous streak, with romantic Emily once planning a secret elopement during a holiday in Mauritius back in 2000. The presenter had even brought her wedding gown along, hoping to exchange their vows on the beach, but he initially turned her down.

As Emily explained during a 2019 appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, this rejection turned out to be the best possible outcome. She recalled: “It was about day three [of our holiday] and I’d packed this white dress and I thought, ‘What have I got to lose?’ And so I proposed and he went: ‘Oh my God, that’s amazing, no’.

“I was like, ‘We could get married on the beach on Friday, I’ve packed a dress’. So he said yes to the proposal but no to [getting married there and then on the beach]. He was right, because he realised it would have hurt a lot of people and a lot of loved ones back home.”

You can catch Scoop on Netflix from Friday, April 5. Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

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