January 31, 2024, 00:07 | Updated: January 31, 2024, 00:16
Martin Bashir blames race and class discrimination for scandal involving his deception in obtaining interview with Princess Diana, newly released BBC emails reveal Became.
Photo: Alamy
Martin Bashir has blamed race and class discrimination for the scandal surrounding his access to an interview with Princess Diana, newly released BBC emails reveal.
The email was written months before the Panorama interview documentary exposed the scandal and was made public after the BBC was ordered by a judge to hand over around 3,000 emails related to the case. .
The BBC had previously claimed that the former star interviewer was too unwell to discuss the controversy surrounding his access to the interview.
After spending more than £150,000 on lawyers to prevent their publication, a judge’s ruling has forced him to publish private emails he sent to senior executives.
This comes after journalist Andy Webb filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to obtain the material more than two years ago.
In an email sent on 20 July 2020, Bashir reportedly told BBC History Director Robert Seeter that forged documents played no role in obtaining the interview. There is.
Martin Bashir at EA SimCity Learn. build. create. Inauguration afterparty held in Washington on March 4, 2021.
Photo: Alamy
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He also claimed that there would have been less controversy if a “dynasty” of journalists like Dimbleby (referring to the famous broadcasting family of father Richard and son Jonathan or David) had been involved.
“I am disappointed to hear that this so-called ‘fabricated’ article is making headlines again,” Bashir wrote.
“It didn’t help the interview, but professional jealousy, especially within the company, allowed allegations of wrongdoing to be tipped.
“At the time, it was also clear that there was some frustration that a second-generation immigrant with non-white working-class roots had to have the courage to enter the palace and give an interview.
“It would have been easier if one of the dynastic families (Dimbleby et al.) had done it!”
In the email, he also told Mr Setter that he had been praised by staff at the then-Prince of Wales for not giving interviews on the programme.
“Since returning to the UK in 2015 and rejoining the BBC in 2016, senior staff at the Prince of Wales’ Office have (surprisingly) declined all requests to discuss interviews with me. “I would like to express my gratitude to you,” he said. .
“As you will understand, the late Princess’s words were deployed to attack the surviving members of the royal family, particularly the Prince of Wales, which is something I never wanted.
“Someday – no one knows when (!) – I will have to look back on my career and think about it, but even if there is hope in it, once… was not fully defined in the interview.
“To do that, I have to work hard at remembering, which I find very difficult.”
Prince Charles and Princess Diana with their first child Prince William at Kensington Palace in London in December 1982.
Photo: Alamy
Mr. Seeter was asked to “publish archived interviews regarding events that referenced the fabricated article in which he was involved” and sought a statement from Mr. Bashir.
In an email, Bashir interviewed the then-Prince of Wales (currently the King) and journalist David Dimbleby, who regularly covers royal and political events for the BBC, about Charles’ marriage. I think he was referring to Jonathan Dimbleby. This comes ahead of the November 2020 broadcast of the ITV documentary Diana Interview: The Princess’s Revenge, in which graphic designer Matt Wiesler talks about mocking up Bashir’s documents.
The BBC later apologized and reached a financial settlement with Mr Wiesler.
Also coinciding with The Interview’s 25th anniversary, Channel 4’s Diana: The Truth Behind the Interview and Diana: The Interview That Shocked the World were broadcast in the same year.
Newly released documents show Mr Bashir was praised by colleagues at the station after the interview, with Hall of Birkenhead, the company’s news director at the time, saying he had “good judgment”. ”, he said.
He wrote in a letter to Bashir that he should be “very proud of your scoop” because it was “the once-in-a-decade interview of our generation, if not ours.”
“But just as importantly, you handled it with skill, sensitivity and good judgment,” he continued. “Many pitfalls awaited us, but you avoided them all. I also think that you carried yourself in a completely appropriate manner throughout this episode. Thank you, Tony.”
November 1, 2023: Tib Fortes as Martin Bashir and Yolanda Kettle as Princess Diana in The Interview, a play written by Jonathan Friedland based on a 1995 interview.
Photo: Alamy
A BBC spokesperson said on Tuesday: “Throughout this process we have taken our responsibility to comply with the directions of the court very seriously. That is why we have today provided around 3,000 documents, approximately 10,000 pages, to Mr Webb. It has been made public.”
“This latest disclosure includes hundreds of pages of reproductions and material unrelated to the 1995 Panorama, but nonetheless captured by electronic searches.
“We have made redactions where necessary and in accordance with Freedom of Information Laws. We maintain that there is nothing to support the claim that the BBC acted in bad faith in 2020 and that this suggestion is simply wrong.” do.”
“We have worked hard to provide relevant material throughout this long process, which involved an extensive archive and record search spanning nearly 30 years.
“We also accept and apologize for any mistakes we made and have taken extensive steps to correct those mistakes.
“Furthermore, far from covering up or attempting to cover up the issue, as has been said many times, the BBC is working with Dyson to obtain additional material and otherwise provide a full picture of what happened in 1995. We have asked the Lord Chancellor to conduct an independent investigation. It may be owned by people other than the BBC.
“The BBC provided Lord Dyson’s inquiry with all relevant documents in its possession.
“Others involved in these incidents have also provided written material to Lord Dyson, details of which are set out in the report. “This will be published in 2021 and the findings will be fully reviewed by the BBC. was accepted.”