Oprah Winfrey must decide whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will appear at The Emmys – with only three tickets to share between the couple and her production crew.
Emmy bosses contacted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex last month after their bombshell CBS interview with Winfrey was shortlisted for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
But organizers for the Hollywood awards event are restricting nominees to just four tickets, leaving Oprah – and many others – facing a hard decision on who to bring.
Emmy chiefs are letting nominees decide on their quartet for the downtown Los Angeles event on September 19.
It means Winfrey 'holds the golden tickets and decision in her hands as to who attends,' one industry insider told DailyMail.com
Organizers for the Emmys are restricting nominees to just four tickets. That means Oprah Winfrey must decide whether to bring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle or her senior staff
Oprah's bombshell sit down interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is nominated for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
The Television Academy has moved the 73rd Primetime Emmys to a mixed indoor/outdoor setting on the Event Deck at L.A. Live, behind the Microsoft Theater.
The Academy confirmed they are cutting back on tickets to both the Creative Art Emmys and the Emmys telecast.
One industry insider told DailyMail.com that Oprah 'holds the golden tickets and decision in her hands as to who attends'
'Although invitations have just been mailed out, nominated teams of three or more will now be limited to no more than four tickets per nomination,' a statement from the Academy and CBS earlier this month confirmed.
'Unfortunately, this means not all nominees will be able to attend this year's awards.'
An LA publicist who has also been struggling with the ticket crackdown told DailyMail.com: 'The Emmys has been effectively shrunk down to a bare minimum. The four ticket allocation is a hard rule.
'Everyone is the same with the four invitees being decided by the show boss or leading star. For Harry and Meghan that means Oprah, who is the star and production boss, has the final say. She has a tough choice because there is a professional and personal list to invite.
'The Emmys usually has stars attend with agents, PRs, stylists, managers and also loved ones. It is now a tough call for the talent on who they feel should be their plus one… and then another two!'
The source added that CBS, the network which aired the Winfrey special in March, might try to 'bend the rules' for the Royals.
'CBS are airing the show and putting it together with the Emmys,' the awards attendee said.
'Obviously they have their own allocation of tickets, so they have the potential to bring in Harry and Meghan as comps for them.
'That remains an option, but comes with all sorts of implications.
'Certainly many network executives, show runners and stars are dealing with the allocation process.
'It would upset other category nominees and talent, who've agonizingly cut off loved ones from their invitee list for what would for some be the biggest night of their lives. Someone being allowed to ignore the rules would raise eyebrows and perhaps cause friction.
'Harry and Meghan attending would be a huge deal for the broadcast. Whether it would draw in extra audiences is a question of waiting and seeing. However if the show won and either one of them
