John Oliver Roasts Prince Andrew’s Arrest on Last Week Tonight

On the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver didn’t hold back as he reacted to the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew.

The British royal, the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and brother of King Charles III, was taken into custody in the U.K. last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released after several hours, and authorities have not announced any charges. Andrew has denied wrongdoing.

The arrest reportedly followed the release of new documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew’s past association with Epstein has drawn scrutiny for years and led to him being stripped of his royal titles and patronages, including the Duke of York title.

Opening his Last Week Tonight with John Oliver segment, Oliver played a news clip that described the “alleged connections” between Andrew and Epstein. As the report showed a well-known photo of the two men walking side by side, Oliver questioned the use of the word “alleged.”

“I don’t know why they’re still going with ‘alleged’ connections,” Oliver joked, pointing to the image. He compared the pair to “two closest friends” brainstorming a podcast or discussing moving in together, adding that the photo didn’t leave much to the imagination.

According to reports cited on the show, the arrest was linked to emails Andrew allegedly forwarded to Epstein in 2010 while serving as the U.K.’s trade envoy. Some of those emails reportedly contained documents related to official overseas trips and were sent after Epstein’s prior conviction.

Oliver admitted the development sounded less dramatic than some might expect.

“They got him on forwarding documents, which is a little underwhelming,” he said. Still, he added that when it comes to holding powerful people accountable, the specific charge may not matter as much as the outcome. “The method doesn’t matter. What’s important is, you have been stopped.”

The host also referenced the widely circulated photo of Andrew leaving custody, slumped in the backseat of a car. Oliver joked that viewers could “draw your own conclusions” about what the image suggested.

Later in the segment, Oliver played a clip from Australia’s 60 Minutes in which a former protection officer revealed that some staff allegedly had an unflattering nickname for Andrew. Oliver poked fun at the interview, joking about Australian television standards and even referencing the children’s show Bluey for comedic effect.

Andrew has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and has not been convicted of any crime related to their association. His latest arrest, however, has once again put him at the center of international headlines — and late-night punchlines.