BBC Releases 3,000 Emails on Princess Diana’s Interview Scandal

The BBC has disclosed around 3,000 internal emails connected to the controversy of Princess Diana’s 1995 interview. This release follows a court order from last December. Journalist Martin Bashir, who conducted the interview, has cited ‘professional jealousy’ and discrimination based on his background and ethnicity in response to accusations of using deceptive methods to secure the interview with the late Princess.

Investigative journalist Andy Webb submitted a freedom of information (FoI) request over two years ago, following allegations that BBC managers tried to conceal Bashir’s actions.

In a July 20, 2020 email, Bashir wrote to Robert Seatter, head of BBC History, asserting that the fabricated documents had no role in procuring the interview. He suggested that if the interview had been conducted by a journalist from a ‘dynastic’ family, like David Dimbleby, it might have attracted less controversy. Bashir mentioned that there seemed to be resentment within the BBC over a person of his background interviewing a royal.

The scandal erupted after it was discovered that Bashir had shown fake bank statements to Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, in 1995, in order to gain access to her. This action was deemed a “serious breach” of the BBC’s production guidelines.

BBC Head of News Tony Hall highlighted in a confidential briefing that Charles Spencer had provided Bashir with bank statements. Bashir also mentioned to Seatter that he had been commended by staff in the Prince of Wales’s Office for not discussing the interview publicly since his return to the UK and rejoining the BBC.

In a statement on Tuesday, a BBC spokesperson said that around 3,000 documents, amounting to some 10,000 pages, were released to Mr. Webb. This included duplicates and unrelated material to the 1995 ‘Panorama’ episode. The BBC made necessary redactions in line with the Freedom of Information Act and maintained that there is no evidence supporting allegations of bad faith in 2020, insisting such suggestions are incorrect.