A producer behind the infamous Newsnight appearance of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has revealed three reasons why he thinks the former prince said what he said during the car-crash interview.

Sam McAlister is the author of 'Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews', and a visiting Senior Fellow, LSE. In November 2019 Sam was a junior producer on Newsnight who helped secure Andrew's interview with Emily Maitlis on the BBC. He was sitting "just 15 feet" behind Andrew as the cameras started rolling on November 14 in Buckingham Palace.

Four words sprung to mind for Sam when trying to explain what he had just witnessed.

Writing in the Independent, Sam said he "often wondered" about the reason for Andrew saying the things he did in the interview, including denying contact with billionaire paedophile Epstein after 2010. Emails released from the US Department of Justice (DoJ) have since shown the former prince and Epstein did appear to have remained in contact. A tranche of damning photographs have also been released by the DoJ showing Andrew with a variety of young women.

He wrote in the Independent: "I have often wondered why he said things during his interview that he surely must have known could be, and have been, disproved."

Sam said perhaps it could have been any of these three words, "arrogance, delusion or a genuine belief" which Andrew had in what he was saying, adding: "I'll never know for sure."

Ms Giuffre, now deceased, alleged Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager at the homes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

He has always consistently denied the allegations made by Ms Giuffre.

Referencing Andrew's words in the interview to Ms Maitlis, Sam recalled Andrew said he had "no recollection of ever meeting" Ms Guiffre. Something the former royal still maintains.

Andrew also said he said a "problem" with her account was that a medical condition at the time meant he could not have been sweating, as she claimed he was.

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Sam's recollection of the interview in 2019 comes after Andrew was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with the paedophile financier Epstein while serving as the UK's trade envoy.

Andrew has denied any wrongdoing over his links to the convicted sex offender, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.

He spent around 11 hours in custody in February as searches were conducted at his home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and at his former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire, and was released pending investigation.

Andrew served as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 until 2011, when he stepped down amid controversy over his friendship with Epstein.