JASON Stein was employed by Prince Andrew to protect his image ahead of a documentary about his relationship with sexual predator Jeffery Epstien.
Here’s everything you need to know about Jason, who is also appearing as a character in Netflix’s Scoop.
Who is PR advisor Jason Stein?
Prince Andrew hired a spin doctor in a bid to rebuild his reputation two weeks ahead of a Channel 4 documentary probing his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Former work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd’s ex-special adviser Jason Stein became the Duke of York’s communications secretary in October 2019.
Stein lost his job in September 2019 after Rudd resigned from the cabinet in protest at Boris Johnson removing the whip from 21 rebel Tory MPs.
During his time in Westminster, Stein developed a reputation as a “master of the dark arts”.
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Stein reported directly to the Duke’s private secretary Amanda Thirsk, rather than Buckingham Palace’s press office, the Daily Telegraph reported in 2019.
But in a shocking turn of events, the Prince’s crisis PR man left without even being paid after only a month in the job after advising against the calamitous Newsnight interview that Netflix’s Scoop recreates.
A source close to Manchester-born Jason said: ”He hadn’t really got his feet under the table when he decided to leave and move on and he didn’t even get paid, he wasn’t there long enough.
“He had one meeting with the Prince and his team and he strongly advised them against giving the Newsnight interview.
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“He knows what Emily Maitlis is like as his background was in Westminster and he knows she is a fearsome interviewer. He really, really strongly advised Andrew against giving the interview.
“In fact at that meeting Andrew also seemed dead against it but the rest of his team and Amanda Thirsk, the Duke’s private secretary, were very keen for him to do it. They talked him round and he agreed to go on it and we’ve all now seen what a disaster that was.
“There is a certain sense of ‘I did tell you so’ and it’s quite clear now from the reaction that it wasn’t a very clever thing to do. Jason was stunned when he learned the Duke was going to go through with it. He had made it very clear in that first meeting they shouldn’t go ahead with it.
“He had voiced his concerns and had suggested other initiatives for the Duke to follow to try and get his standing back on track. He had suggested an interview in Britain and one in the States to mark his 60th birthday next year.
“He also put forward an idea for him to do more charity work and to get sports clubs to provide tickets for veterans playing on the fact the Duke of York is himself a veteran but instead they opted for the interview.
“It was quite clear the path they were taking and so Jason left after less than a month by mutual consent.”
Where is Jason Stein now?
Jason is currently living in London and serving as a managing director at the company Finsbury Global.
The company describes itself as “a strategic communications firm” whose specialty lies in “creating, sustaining, protecting and rebuilding reputation capital”.
His role is as “a multi-disciplined communications advisor working across corporate reputation, crisis management, government affairs, and sports communications.”
Who is Jason Stein played by in Scoop?
Playing the role of Jason in Netflix’s Scoop is actor Paul Popplewell.
The film sees Jason try to advise Andrew against doing the now infamous Newsnight interview.
Paul appeared in an episode of Charlie Brooker’s cult smash Black Mirror in 2011.
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He also played the part of DI Ben Mant in BBC One’s The Salisbury Poisonings (2020).
As well as his TV roles, Paul has featured in movies including Tyrannosaur (2011) and ’71 (2014).
Get the scoop on Netflix’s Scoop
THE Netflix film brings to life the real events of the 2019 Prince Andrew Newsnight interview.
