The BBC has launched a new investigation into Princess Diana's legendary interview with journalist Martin Bashir.
The famous interview that Princess Diana (1961-1997) gave to BBC journalist Martin Bashir (57) in 1995 continues to be criticized. The Princess of Wales talked about her then husband Prince Charles (71), her bulimia, her affair with James Hewitt (62) and her rival Camilla Parker Bowles (73). The conversation was considered the "Scoop of the Century". But now, for unpleasant reasons, the BBC has to grapple with the background that should have made this scoop possible, as the "New York Times" reports.
New allegations
A "comprehensive independent investigation" should now clarify how the interview came about. In a new documentary by the British broadcaster ITV, the accusation was raised again that Bashir had sneaked the conversation through forged documents. In the two-part documentary, Matt Wiessler, the graphic designer of the BBC at the time, who was also involved in the matter, has a say for the first time.
Accordingly, Bashir had asked him to "create" bank statements. These should suggest that employees of the royal family had sold stories about Diana and arranged for her to be observed – and acted as leverage on Princess Diana. Wiessler allegedly did not know anything about this – he claims he was told that the falsified bank statements would only be used as props. However, he was the only one who lost his job afterwards, as internal documents are supposed to reveal. In his opinion he had to be used as a "scapegoat".
According to Charles Spencer, 56, Lady Dis's younger brother, the forged documents were the only reason he introduced Bashir to his sister. He requested a posthumous apology from the BBC and donated some of the profits generated from the interview to a good cause. The incident had already been investigated in 1996. Bashir was acquitted of any wrongdoing at the time for failing to use the forged documents in the interview. The journalist himself cannot comment on the matter for health reasons.