BBC fell short of transparency over Princess Diana interview, journalist Martin Bashir ‘deceitful’: report
- The inquiry by a former senior judge concluded that Bashir deployed deceitful methods to secure the 1995 interview
- BBC Director General Tim Davie offered a full and unconditional apology over the episode
An inquiry into how the BBC secured the 1995 interview with Britain’s Princess Diana in which she disclosed intimate details of her failed marriage concluded on Thursday that the journalist involved had acted deceitfully.
The BBC set up the investigation, headed by former senior Court judge John Dyson, in November following allegations from Diana’s brother Charles Spencer that forged documents and “other deceit” were used to trick him to introduce Diana to journalist Martin Bashir.
Dyson’s report found that Bashir, then a little-known reporter, had shown Spencer fake bank statements to induce him to arrange a meeting with Diana.
“Mr Bashir acted inappropriately and in serious breach of the 1993 edition of the Producers’ Guidelines on straight dealing,” the report said.
He also concluded the BBC had fallen short of “the high standards of integrity and transparency which are its hallmark” in its response to allegations of impropriety.
