The British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC has given £1.4m to charities associated with Diana, Princess of Wales, as the broadcaster continues to spend millions of pounds atoning for Martin Bashir’s interview with the royal in 1995. Investigations revealed Martin Bashir used fake documents to gain access to the late royal.
The payout represents the total sum received by the BBC from selling the rights to the 1995 Panorama interview to other television channels around the world.
The beneficiaries are the English National Ballet, the Leprosy Mission, National Aids Trust, homeless charity Centrepoint, Great Ormond Street hospital children’s charity, the Royal Marsden cancer charity, and the Diana Award. Seven charities in total, all linked with Lady Diana.
Investigations showed how Bashir had made use of deceitful means to gain access to Diana, including forged documents.
At the time of the interview, it was a global success, a breaking news headline and Bashir’s interview was originally hailed. However, around the time of its 25th anniversary in 2020 it was the subject of a reappraisal by journalists at Channel 4 and the BBC.
The journalist also allegedly spread smears against individuals close to the princess, which helped convince her she could not trust people around her.
Tony Hall, a former BBC director general, was implicated in the 1995 cover-up. He lost his new position as chair of the National Gallery as a result of the scandal.
The present BBC director general, Tim Davie had apologised for the “deceitful tactics” used by the corporation in pursuit of its interview.
Tim Davie said: “Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. We let her, the royal family and our audiences down … I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again; nor will we license it in whole or part to other broadcasters.”
Not following the right procedure had seen the BBC pay out millions of pounds in legal fees and damages to individuals affected by the interview.
The interview - viewed by more than 22 million people in the UK at the time - was described by commentators in 1995 as a "bombshell" that destroyed the image of a "contented, caring and united" Royal Family.
Tim Davie vowed to "never" again broadcast clips from the interview.
He said: "Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained, I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again, nor will we license it in whole or part to other broadcasters.
"I would urge others to exercise similar restraint."
The BBC’s payout to charities was promised following the former high court judge Lord Dyson’s report into Bashir’s interview.
The donations come from the BBC's commercial revenue and not from the Licence Fee, the corporation said.
People who have recently received payouts as a result of Bashir’s interview include the former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who was the subject of false allegations she had an affair with Prince Charles. Others who have received substantial damages include the graphic designer Matt Wiessler, who was blacklisted from the BBC after being asked to make false bank statements by Bashir. Diana’s former private secretary Patrick Jephson received a substantial sum that he has donated to charity, and the BBC made a separate donation to charity by way of apology to the royal family.
The corporation is optimistic that the aftermath of the scandal will soon be over. A spokesperson said: “The BBC had indicated its intention to donate to charity the sales proceeds derived from the 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales. The BBC has now done so. Given the findings of Lord Dyson, we think this is the right and appropriate course of action.”
"Is This Not The Same Journalist That Interviewed Michael Jackson?" Hmmmmmmm.
She's simply unforgettable!
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