BIOGRAPHY
Sam McAlister is a TEDx speaker, LSE Fellow and Emmy and BAFTA-nominated producer who has negotiated with everyone from Buckingham Palace to The White House, Tesla to Facebook. Exclusives include, most famously, that interview with HRH Prince Andrew — but also Prime Minister Trudeau, President Clinton, Elon Musk and Sheryl Sandberg.
Sam’s book, Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, was released in 2022. The book details the secrets of a former BBC producer who found her way to Buckingham Palace, giving a backstage pass to the most unforgettable journalism of our times. It was an Amazon bestseller.
Scoops was optioned for a Netflix film, with the acclaimed screen writer Peter Moffat. Sam is played by Billie Piper with Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis, Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk, his private secretary. The film was released in April 2024 and topped the charts for Netflix films in the UK and across 15 countries. Sam is also the Executive Producer. Scoop was also nominated for Outstanding Television Movie at the 2024 Emmys.
Sam advises private clients on media and negotiation issues, and has written articles in Tatler, Elle, Radio Times, Grazia, Daily Mail and the Independent, amongst others.
Sam has recently been appointed as a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE) teaching negotiation at the law faculty and has given a TEDx talk, which has been viewed over 200,000 times, called ‘How to convince a Prince’.
In August 2024, Sam hosted The C Word: TV’s Last Taboo at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
For more information on Sam McAlister’s speaking topics, availability and fees, contact leo@vbqspeakers.com.
SAM MCALISTER: SPEAKER
Whether it be as a criminal defence barrister or producer for one of the BBC’s most incisive and hard-hitting news programmes, negotiation, persuasion and communication have always been a central part of Sam’s work.
A highly experience keynote speaker, Sam shows corporate audiences around the world how these skills can help them collaborate and lead more effectively.