BBC executives joked the Martin Bashir scandal over his interview with Princess Diana would sentence them to a ‘ten-year stretch in the Tower’, documents reveal

BBC executives joked that the Martin Bashir scandal would see them sent for a ‘ten-year stretch in the Tower’, newly released documents reveal.

In previously unseen internal messages, senior figures appeared to quip that the bombshell 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, would also cost them knighthoods.

Their ‘unguarded’ exchanges bore the subject heading ‘Hussy [sic]/Panorama’ and came after the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey had emailed the BBC over the affair. The emails are part of a trove of 10,000 pages of documents released by the corporation relating to the programme in which Diana famously declared ‘there were three of us in this marriage’.

Her interview was so explosive, the BBC’s then-chairman Lord Hussey was kept in the dark in case he told his wife, Lady Susan, who the BBC feared might tip off Queen Elizabeth. In 2020, as the scandal reared its head again, with the Mail revealing Bashir forged and lied his way into Diana’s trust, Lady Susan emailed the BBC’s head of history Robert Seatter asking why the BBC felt it was right to have given ITV footage of an interview her late husband had recorded for the corporation about the Panorama saga.

BBC executives joked that the Martin Bashir scandal would see them sent for a 'ten-year stretch in the Tower', newly released documents reveal. Pictured: Princess Diana's Panorama interview with Martin Bashir
+4

BBC executives joked that the Martin Bashir scandal would see them sent for a ‘ten-year stretch in the Tower’, newly released documents reveal. Pictured: Princess Diana’s Panorama interview with Martin Bashir

In previously unseen internal messages, senior figures appeared to quip that the bombshell 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, would also cost them knighthoods
+4

In previously unseen internal messages, senior figures appeared to quip that the bombshell 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, would also cost them knighthoods

Their 'unguarded' exchanges bore the subject heading 'Hussy [sic]/Panorama' and came after the late Queen's lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey had emailed the BBC over the affair
+4

Their ‘unguarded’ exchanges bore the subject heading ‘Hussy [sic]/Panorama’ and came after the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey had emailed the BBC over the affair

TRENDING

Father who built 6ft fence to keep son safe ordered to tear it down

8.4k viewing now

Ten mistakes that show Meghan has the ‘worst judgement in the world’

21.6k viewing now

Huge cliff collapses and sends rocks flying onto beach below on coast

1.2k viewing now

A few days later Mr Seatter engaged in a ‘reply-all’ email exchange with two BBC lawyers, Peter De Val and Elizabeth Grace, with the subject ‘Hussy/Panorama’ (sic). In one, Mr De Val wrote: ‘Get you a 10-stretch in The Tower… do they still have the Rack there? I expect so.’

In another, Mr Seatter joked: ‘Is my knighthood to follow after this?! I somehow think not…’, to which Ms Grace answered: ‘Can you do a deep curtsy?’ and Mr De Val replied: ‘I don’t think any of us will be appearing in the honours list for a while… And the Grenadier Guards do still work for Her.’

READ MORE: ‘He is a disgrace to the BBC’: Journalist trying to uncover the truth behind Martin Bashir’s infamous Panorama Diana interview blasts his ‘pitiful’ claims he’s being criticised because he’s ‘non-white’ on the Mail’s YouTube talk show The Reaction 

It is not possible to understand exactly what the trio were talking about, because the BBC has blanked-out several pages from the email trail. It argues these pages contain ‘legally privileged’ information. The gap in the correspondence means the precise context of their remarks has not been revealed. Last night the BBC categorically denied the distasteful jokes were about Lady Susan.

A spokesman insisted: ‘They were unguarded exchanges between colleagues working remotely during lockdown.’

The corporation has spent more than £200,000 of licence-payers’ money trying to prevent the 10,000 pages being made public, fighting a two-and-a-half year legal battle against journalist Andy Webb’s freedom-of-information requests.

It finally gave up on Tuesday night, handing the documents to Mr Webb – but many were swathed in censor’s black ink or were just blank pages. One of the emails that was not censored, from 2020, revealed Mr Bashir blamed his ‘non-white’ status at the BBC and ‘professional jealousy’ for the scandal erupting.

Last night another email showed that the BBC deliberately held back internal documents which Mr Webb had asked for in 2020.

Despite successfully finding the files he had asked for, an email from lawyer Miss Grace to a former BBC executive said ‘we are not releasing all of the internal investigations documents at this present time’.

A handwritten note to the rogue reporter from Tony Hall (pictured), who went on to become BBC director-general, congratulated Bashir on 'the interview of the decade'
+4

A handwritten note to the rogue reporter from Tony Hall (pictured), who went on to become BBC director-general, congratulated Bashir on ‘the interview of the decade’

Mr Webb told the Mail: ‘This is the first time we’ve seen an internal email indicating this was their thinking.’ And he told GB News: ‘Now, as we speak, people at the Information Commissioner’s Office are looking to see whether the BBC has, as I alleged, committed a criminal offence.’

The BBC rejects allegations it acted unlawfully by not revealing information. A spokesman said: ‘Far from attempting to conceal or cover up matters, the BBC commissioned Lord Dyson to conduct an independent investigation so that he could gain a full picture of what happened in 1995.’

Related Posts

Denise Welch reflects on ‘best decision’ of her life after ultimatum from husband

Celebrity Big Brother winner Denise Welch has recalled making the ‘best decision’ after the Loose Women star had a life-changing interaction with her husband Lincoln Townley Denise…

show scandal Celebrity Big Brother facing bullying row with housemate who ‘had Christine McGuinness in tears with string of insults’

Christine addressed the feud in a tell-all section in her autobiography NEW Celebrity Big Brother star Donna Preston was branded a “bully” after laying into Christine McGuinness…

moving on Christine McGuinness ‘devastated’ Paddy is selling £6.5m home after admitting she’s struggling to pay £300k in divorce

The Sun revealed Christine has signed up for a huge reality show following her split from Paddy 3 Christine has admitted she’s devastated by Paddy’s decision to…

Romeo Beckham celebrates six months with girlfriend as Brooklyn stays silent amid feud

Victoria and David Beckham’s son Romeo has gushed over his six-month anniversary with his girlfriend Kim Turnbull amid rumours that he is no longer on speaking terms…

Patrick Adiarte dead: MASH star dies after devastating health struggle

M*A*S*H legend Patrick Adiarte has died in hospital his niece has confirmed after suffering from ill health in recent weeks Acting legend Patrick Adiarte has died after…

Katie Price says ‘it’s upsetting’ as Harvey returns to college in emotional admission

Katie Price took to social media to share her struggles at needing to take eldest son Harvey back to his college accommodation after he spent a short…