Prince Andrew was delighted with how his infamous interview with Newsnight in 2019 went, the woman who organised it has claimed.

As reported by The Mirror, Sam McAlister worked for 10 years as the interviews producer on the flagship BBC news programme, and has revealed behind the scenes details in her new book Scoops: Behind The Scenes Of The BBC's Most Shocking Interviews.

On November 14, 2019 the interview took place at Buckingham Palace, where Prince Andrew was questioned on his friendship with convicted paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

She said that a smiling Andrew was so pleased with his performance immediately after the interview that he offered her, interviewer Emily Maitlis and the rest of the Newsnight team a tour of the palace, say reports.

During the hour-long grilling Andrew denied having sex with an underage Virginia Roberts Giuffre and said he had "no recollection of ever meeting" her.

He said that he had been at a Pizza Express in Woking with his eldest daughter Princess Beatrice when the alleged incident with Ms Giuffre took place.

Alongside that he added that her claims about him sweating while they were dancing together at a London club were untrue because he'd temporarily lost the ability to sweat after an "adrenaline overdose" during the Falklands War.

Ms McAlister said that aides of the Queen's son were "beaming" after the interview.

In an extract published in the Daily Mail recalling the moments immediately after the cameras stopped rolling, she wrote: "I couldn't look at anyone. I could barely believe his people hadn't stopped the interview. I would have, despite the consequences.

"'How did you think it went?' I asked the equerry. She beamed. 'Wasn't he wonderful!' she said. I'd expected Amanda Thirsk [Andrew's private secretary] to be distraught, the prince to look shaken or concerned, but she was smiling and he seemed ebullient.

"And then it hit me: he actually thought it had gone well. He was in such a good mood that he offered us all a tour of the palace. I couldn't go. I wouldn't have been able to speak to him in good faith. Of course, Emily couldn't decline. I don't know how she kept her composure."