Win Tickets to An Evening with Sam McAlister in Nottingham
If, like me, you remember watching that Prince Andrew interview and wondering how on earth it ever came about, this is a giveaway you are going to want to enter!
I have two pairs of tickets to give away for An Evening with Sam McAlister at the Albert Hall in Nottingham on Saturday 3rd October 2026. That means there will be two winners, with each winner receiving a pair of tickets.
I’m going along to the event myself and I’m genuinely really looking forward to it. I love hearing the stories behind things we have all seen on television, particularly when there is so much more happening behind the scenes than viewers ever get to know about.
Who is Sam McAlister?
You might not immediately recognise Sam McAlister’s name, but there is a very good chance you know about one of the interviews she helped make happen.
Sam was a producer on BBC Newsnight and was instrumental in securing the now infamous 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
It became one of those television interviews that people talked about everywhere afterwards, with clips, quotes and analysis appearing around the world. Whatever you thought while watching it, the story of how such an extraordinary interview was negotiated in the first place is fascinating.
Sam’s experiences behind the scenes at Newsnight later formed the basis of her book Scoops, and her story inspired the Netflix film Scoop.
She is now an author, broadcaster, speaker and expert in negotiation, as well as having a background as a barrister. During her time in television she was involved in securing interviews with some incredibly high-profile and notoriously difficult-to-book people.
That is the bit I am particularly interested in. We see the finished interview on television, but we rarely hear much about the conversations, negotiations and persistence that were needed before anyone even sat down in front of the cameras.
What is An Evening with Sam McAlister?
On Saturday 3rd October, Sam will be at the Albert Hall in Nottingham sharing some of those behind-the-scenes stories.
The event promises to look at what really happens when producers are trying to secure major interviews, how you persuade someone to say yes when they have every reason to say no, and what happens behind the scenes when an interview suddenly becomes global news.
I imagine there are going to be some brilliant stories!
The event starts at 7pm on Saturday 3rd October 2026 at the Albert Hall, Nottingham.
Tickets are normally £22 plus booking fee, but two Just Average Jen readers will each win a pair.
A little about Trinder & Trinder Productions
The event is being brought to Nottingham by Trinder & Trinder Productions, and I really like what they are trying to do with their events.
Their aim is to bring fascinating people and interesting live events to Nottinghamshire without tickets costing a small fortune. Rather than huge arena-style events where you can feel miles away from the person you’ve actually gone to see, they are focusing on smaller, more intimate events where you can hear some brilliant stories first-hand and, where possible, have the chance to put your own questions to the guests too.
As someone who lives locally, I think it’s lovely to see more events like this coming to Nottinghamshire. We don’t always want to have to travel to London, Birmingham or Manchester to see interesting speakers!
Sam McAlister isn’t the only fascinating guest Trinder & Trinder are bringing to the area either. Their upcoming events include true-crime author Carol Ann Lee, talking about the Pendle Witches, and former Detective Superintendent David Swindle, who spent more than 34 years in policing and led Operation Anagram, the investigation into serial killer Peter Tobin.
So, if you enjoy true crime, journalism, real-life stories or simply hearing from people who have had unusual careers and experiences, Trinder & Trinder Productions are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
I’m especially pleased to be working with a local events company for this giveaway, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Sam McAlister evening is like for myself.
Win a pair of tickets
I have two pairs of tickets to give away, so there will be two separate winners.
Each winner will receive:
2 tickets to An Evening with Sam McAlister at the Albert Hall, Nottingham, on Saturday 3rd October 2026.
To enter, simply use the Gleam giveaway widget below and follow the instructions.
Win Tickets to An Evening With Sam McAlisterThe giveaway will be open for one week, so don’t leave it too late to enter.
Please only enter if you are able to attend the Sam McAlister event in Nottingham on Saturday 3rd October 2026, as the tickets are non-transferable. The prize is the tickets only, so you will need to arrange your own travel, parking, accommodation and any other expenses associated with attending.
A quick word about giveaway scams
Unfortunately, giveaway scams on social media have become increasingly common, so please be careful if anybody contacts you claiming you have won.
The two winners of this giveaway will be selected at random through Gleam after the giveaway closes.
Winners will be contacted by me from jen@justaveragejen.com.
I will not contact winners from a different email address or a random social media account asking you to click a link to claim your prize. I will never ask you for payment, card details or bank details to receive your tickets.
If you receive anything that doesn’t look right, please don’t respond to it. You are always welcome to contact me directly through Just Average Jen to check.
Giveaway terms and conditions
The giveaway is open to UK residents aged 18 or over. Entrants must be available to attend An Evening with Sam McAlister at the Albert Hall, Nottingham, on Saturday 3rd October 2026.
There are two prizes available, each consisting of one pair of tickets (two tickets) to the event. Two winners will therefore be selected, and each winner will receive two tickets.
Entry is via the Gleam widget on this page, and the giveaway will close at the date and time displayed on the widget. Entries received after the closing time will not be included.
The winners will be selected at random using Gleam and contacted using the details supplied when entering. Winners will be contacted from jen@justaveragejen.com.
If a winner does not respond within 48 hours of being contacted, I reserve the right to select another winner so that the tickets don’t go to waste.
The prize does not include travel, accommodation, food, drink or any other expenses associated with attending the event. There is no cash alternative and the prize cannot be exchanged for another event or product.
Entrants are responsible for making sure the contact details they provide are correct.
This giveaway is run by Just Average Jen and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok or any other social media platform unless specifically stated otherwise.
Good luck!
I think this is going to be such an interesting evening and I’m really pleased to be able to give two Just Average Jen readers the chance to come along too.
I’ll be there myself, so if you win and spot me wandering around the Albert Hall, please do come and say hello!
Good luck — and remember, there will be two winners, so you’ve got two chances for your name to come out of the virtual hat.
