Sarah Ferguson 'turns down BBC Newsnight interview' after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's downfall

Svar Nanan-Sen
Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:11:58 +0000

Sarah Ferguson is refusing numerous requests for interviews whilst residing in Austria, with BBC's Newsnight among the programmes she has declined.

A source said: "She has had a lot of offers including from Newsnight but is spending her time reflecting and has no intention of speaking out."

The former Duchess of York’s ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, famously appeared on the same BBC programme back in 2019.

Ms Ferguson's decision to maintain her silence comes despite what would likely be significant media interest in hearing her perspective on recent events that have led to her current period of self-imposed exile on the continent.

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That 2019 Newsnight interview with Andrew, conducted by Emily Maitlis, has become widely regarded as one of the most catastrophic public relations failures in modern history.

During the broadcast, he discussed his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for the first time publicly.

Andrew made the remarkable claim that he was incapable of sweating, insisted he had been "too honourable" to sever ties with Epstein, and referred to one gathering as merely a "straightforward shooting weekend".

The Sun reports that Ms Ferguson's advisers considered the possibility of a similarly disastrous outcome to be unacceptably high.

It comes as Sarah Ferguson has been staying at a £2,000-per-night pine-clad chalet in a secluded Austrian resort near the exclusive Mayrlife health clinic, following her departure from Royal Lodge in Windsor at the start of February.

The former Duchess of York, who has been stripped of her royal title, privileges, and position alongside Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been keeping a low profile in the tranquil location favoured by the wealthy and famous for its privacy.

This week, photographers captured her stepping out of a black Mercedes people-carrier with tinted windows at the facility.

The discovery put an end to months of speculation about her whereabouts since she left Britain.

"I am not saying she is happy about the situation she is in; in fact, she is deeply troubled," one source revealed. "Anyone who has been stripped of all her dignity would recognise that."

Ms Ferguson's choice of the Austrian ski village was not entirely surprising, as she had previously visited the Mayrlife resort on Lake Altaussee two years ago following her malignant melanoma diagnosis, when a two-week recuperative stay cost up to £6,700.

She is believed to have been occupying a two-bedroom woodland chalet designed for maximum privacy, featuring a spacious loft-style living area, private terrace with lake views, and its own spa facilities, including sauna and steam bath.

The 66-year-old former Duchess of York has endured significant backlash over her previous connection to Jeffrey Epstein.

Sarah Ferguson appeared to describe Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, as her "supreme friend" and "the brother I have always wished for” in emails released in the Epstein files.

Ms Ferguson said in 2011 regarding her links to Jeffrey Epstein: "I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf.

"I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again."