BBC postpones investigation into Martin Bashir’s interview with Princess Diana due to ‘duty of care issue’

The BBC has delayed the release of a documentary on Martin Bashir's interview with Princess Diana due to 'a significant duty of care' issue. 

• The BBC has delayed the broadcast of an investigative program on Martin Bashir's 1995 interview with Princess Diana, citing a 'significant duty of care issue.' 
• The Panorama documentary, which explores the allegations made by Earl Spencer that Princess Diana was coerced into agreeing to an interview, was postponed just days after Bashir resigned from his position at the BBC. 
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton reveals Princess Charlotte's favorite snack—and it will surprise you!
  

The BBC has postponed its broadcast of an investigative documentary into Martin Bashir's interview with Princess Diana due to a 'significant duty of care issue.' 

The Panorama program, which was originally scheduled to air on May 17, explores the controversies surrounding the infamous 1995 interview with the late Princess of Wales. Its postponement comes just days after Bashir resigned from the BBC as its chief religious editor following a series of ongoing health complications related to COVID-19. 

The inquiry will specifically focus on the allegations made by Princess Diana's younger brother that the royal was coerced into sitting down with Bashir on false premises. In November 2020, Earl Spencer claimed that the prominent British journalist showed Princess Diana fake bank statements that suggested those close to her had been paid for spying. Bashir was also accused of deceiving members of the Royal Family to secure access to Princess Diana prior to the interview. 

A separate investigation into the bombshell interview, overseen by Lord Dyson, was also recently concluded. The report reviews the conduct of both Bashir and the BBC in arranging the sit-down with Princess Diana. Its findings were passed onto the BBC and are due to be published 'very soon.' 

The interview, which aired on November 20, 1995, was viewed by over 23 million people and remains one of Princess Diana's most iconic television appearances. The late royal shocked both domestic and international audiences with her candid revelations, which included damning statements on her marriage to Prince Charles and raw insights into her struggles with mental illness. 

Prince William, who was just 15 when his mother died, shared his support for the investigation upon its announcement in November 2020. "The independent investigation is a step in the right direction," he said. "It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time.”

The rescheduled date for the highly-anticipated documentary has yet to be confirmed.