Who is former BBC Newsnight editor Esme Wren and who is she played by in Scoop?

PRINCE Andrew will forever be remembered for his now infamous Newsnight interview.

One of the women who was the driving force behind it was editor of the news programme, Esme Wren.

Who is former BBC Newsnight editor Esme Wren?

Esme Wren has enjoyed an incredible career, which has seen her head up some major departments across several big broadcasters.

Before landing the huge gig of being the BBC Newsnight editor, she was head of politics and business at Sky News.

It was a post she had for just over 12 years, after joining the broadcaster in 2005.

Esme left the job in 2018 to join Newsnight.

Announcing the news that she would be taking on the editor position she said: “There couldn’t be a more exciting time to edit the programme that leads the way in cutting through the constant noise of political, social and global change.

“The last 12 years at Sky News could not have been better. I’ve been given the opportunities to grow and develop that have prepared me to now take on one of the best jobs in British journalism.”

What did Esme Wren achieve at Newsnight?

Esme spent three years running Newsnight and gave it an all-women lineup of Emily Maitlis, Kirsty Wark and Emma Barnett.

The highlight of her career on the show was when her team secured the notorious 2019 interview with Prince Andrew.

The sensational interview saw him address his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

It even led to Esme appearing on the front cover of the Radio Times, an honour rarely given to editors of news programmes.

Where is Esme Wren now?

In 2021, Esme announced she was leaving Newsnight, she said: “Editing the show over the past three years has been the greatest privilege of my career, working alongside some of the best talent in the industry, too many to mention.

“They are one of the most committed, tenacious, creative teams in the industry and I will miss them greatly along with all my BBC colleagues who work relentlessly hard to deliver the best content for their audience.”

I will look forward to further growing its audience across all platforms and build on its strong heritage of speaking to young and underserved audiences.

Esme on joining Channel 4

It was revealed that she had taken the job of head of Channel 4 news.

Esme said at the time: “Channel 4 News has a rich history of reporting from across the globe, leading some of the most significant investigations of our time”.

“I will look forward to further growing its audience across all platforms and build on its strong heritage of speaking to young and underserved audiences.”

How to watch Netflix’s Scoop

Netflix’s Scoop drops on the streaming site on April 5, 2024 at 8am.

The film synopsis says: “Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization gives an insider account of how the women of Newsnight secured Prince Andrew’s infamous interview.“

In Scoop, Esme is played by actress Romola Garai who is known for films such as Atonement and Suffragette.

On television her work includes her Bafta-nominated performance in The Crimson Petal and the White (2011), The Hour (2012), Born to Kill (2017) and The Miniaturist (2017).