BBC reportedly rules out broadcasting Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview, leaving ITV in pole position

Ninety-minute special will air in the US on 7 March

The BBC has reportedly ruled out negotiating for the broadcast rights to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The Oprah special is being aired in the US on CBS, and will be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first sit-down interview as a couple since November 2017.

A BBC source told media outlets including Variety that the corporation would not be pursuing the rights to the interview.

The report would mean ITV is now the frontrunner to acquire the rights to the programme, with Variety reporting that Sky had dropped out of the running.

The Independent has contacted the BBC for confirmation.

A statement from CBS revealed that the interview would cover the royal couple’s “future hopes and dreams for their expanding family”, and how former Suits star Markle is coping with “life under intense pressure”.

Read more: How to watch Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview

The Duke and Duchess announced earlier this month that they are expecting a second child, following the birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019.

Their interview with Winfrey will also cover the family’s move to the US last year. In 2020, the couple announced that they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family and moved to southern California.

In the US, the interview will air at 8pm EST on CBS on 7 March.