Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Scoop’ focuses on the story of the BBC journalists and their quest to get the now-infamous interview with Prince Andrew. Several people come together to make it a success, from producer Sam McAlister to the interviewer Emily Maitlis. There are several things about the story that keep the audience hooked, but in all of this, the star of the show remains Moody, Maitlis’ beloved whippet, who accompanies her everywhere. Has anything changed since the events of the film, or are Maitlis and Moody still just as inseparable?
Moody is an Important Part of Emily Maitlis’ Life
Emily Maitlis lives in Kensington, London, where she shares a house with her husband, with whom she has two sons, and their dog, Moody, who is about ten years old now.
Just as shown in ‘Scoop,’ Moody was such an invariable part of Maitlis’ daily routine that she would even take him to her office at the BBC. Her former colleagues have attested to the fact that she would often bring her dog to work and would be the only one to do so, with others rarely, if ever, bringing their pets to the office. Reportedly, the dog would often spend the days sitting by her side while she worked. The dog’s presence in the office garnered mixed reactions from her colleagues. While some laughed it off, others didn’t like it as much and considered her behavior to be “entitled.”
While Maitlis’ dog may have enjoyed his time in the BBC building, the dog brought on set to play him in the Netflix film didn’t like it so much. Gillian Anderson, who plays Maitlis in the film, revealed that the dog actor would “not stay by [her side] and whined all the time.” In some scenes, they had to cut the dog out of the frame and showed Anderson holding a slack lead, just to show that her character was in control of her dog, and he would willingly accompany her everywhere.
Maitlis with her dog is not a sight reserved just for her office colleagues. The former BBC newsreader can be seen around London walking with her dog. Moody even travels with her on trains. In 2019, Maitlis and Moody found themselves at the receiving end of a public backlash when someone posted a picture of Moody sitting by Maitlis on the train. He was occupying a seat which the person noted should have been left free for another human passenger.
In her defense, Maitlis revealed that for the most part of the journey on the Great Western train to London Paddington, Moody had been on the floor of the train, and several people during the journey sat next to her. It was only during the last 15-17 minutes, when the seat was empty, that the dog occupied it and immediately fell asleep. She also revealed the reason behind the journey, saying that she had taken the dog to the seaside to help him recover from a “stint on antibiotics” and liven him up with the fresh air of the sea. Still, people noted that the dog should have been on the floor nonetheless, to maintain the cleanliness for the passengers who would take the seat after them. Since then, there have been no other instances where Moody’s presence has been found unwelcoming. Meanwhile, Maitlis continues to express her love for Moody by sharing pictures of him on her social media.
