‘I interviewed Sarah Ferguson, she made erratic demands then ran away’

A journalist who once conducted a bizarre sit-down with Sarah Ferguson amid a major scandal she found herself in was left totally stunned by her “erratic” behaviour

Sarah Ferguson is no stranger to scandal, but she has not always been known to weather it well. Over the years, the public has had something of a love-hate relationship with Fergie. For some, she offers a down-to-earth charm that is arguably missing from the ever-poised Royal Family, but for others, she has been caught up in too many controversies over the years to be a consistently well-liked figure.

From salacious affairs during her marriage to the former Prince Andrew, to massive debts caused by her opulent lifestyle – there have been few aspects of Sarah’s life that have not been subjected to great scrutiny in her four decades of life within the royal sphere. But there was one scandal, which when it was made public, threatened the tentative peace she had spent many years building with her former-in-laws.

She was caught in 2010 by the now-defunct News of the World, offering access to her ex-husband in exchange for £500,000, by an undercover journalist posing as a businessman. When the news broke, Sarah found herself at an all-time low, admitting she was filled with shame over her actions.

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“£500,000 to me when you can, open doors,” Fergie was caught on videotape saying regarding her ex-husband, with the fake businessman saying to her, “It’s a deal?” with Sarah responding, “Yes,” and then shaking his hand. Andrew is reported to have been forced to get involved and clear some of his ex-wife’s debts after the scandal, which Sarah said brought her a “hell of shame” and in which she had “betrayed” herself.

A year later, as she published a memoir that detailed the scandal, Finding Sarah, she sat down with 60 Minutes Australia for an in-depth interview, but it quickly went awry, with the journalist selected for the piece calling it later “one of the most chaotic interviews” of his entire career.

Michael Usher, the journalist, said that throughout their conversation, Sarah was “all over the place” switching from one friendly demeanour to another rapidly, before eventually – when questioned about the scandal – demanding the footage be deleted, and even storming out for a period of time.

Appearing on radio station Nova 96.9, he claimed that Sarah was “erratic, defensive, and evasive when I tried to ask direct questions about the scandal.” He also said that she made everyone use her royal title and that it was a “surreal experience”.

“She was adamant about being addressed by her royal title, ‘Duchess,’ which felt ironic given the circumstances,” he explained. “It added another layer of complexity to an already surreal experience.”

The interviewer concluded that in his experience with Fergie she was a “hot mess” and noted that “I’ve interviewed countless high-profile figures, but this one will always stand out for its sheer unpredictability.”

“Don’t try and trick me now,” she said to Usher when he asked if she had taken the £40,000 cash presented to her as a “deposit” by the fake businessman during the incident. “I’m not going to play this game.”

Fergie then pointed to the camera and demanded, “Delete that bit,” and asked her Australian agent, who was off camera, to get involved, before later storming off the set altogether and eventually returning with an icy attitude.