BBC viewers are united in their belief TikTok users and podcast hosts that peddled theories and rumours about Nicola Bulley’s disappearance shouldn’t have been included in this evening’s moving documentary.

The Search for Nicola Bulley aired on BBC One at 9pm this evening and ventured into the depths of social media speculation and the impact of armchair sleuths flooding the internet with theories amid the search for the late mum.

Nicola, a mortgage advisor from Lancashire, vanished on 27th January 2023 after she went out for a walk with her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, post dropping her two daughters at school earlier that day. Tragically, her body was discovered in the river on 19th February, and an inquest later concluded in June that her death was a tragic accidental drowning.

Still to this day, vile theories about Nicola’s tragic death circulate online – with some of the TikTok creators and podcast hosts that played armchair detective appearing in the BBC documentary this evening. As the programme aired, many took to Twitter (X) to slam the decision to give them airtime.

“How is that silly mare a ‘Tick Toker’ spreading bulls**t? Does she have any remorse? Nope #NicolaBulley,” one raged, with another adding: “What a tragedy and what a bunch of tik to**ers trying to grift it. scumbags. #NicolaBulley.” A third penned: “These TikTokwers are nothing more than ghouls. What has the Nicola Bulley tragedy got to do with them ??”

“The search for Nicola Bulley is a brilliant fusion of police procedural with a very relevant exploration of the dangers of the growing armchair detective community on social media,” another wrote, with a fifth asking: “Why are the bbc giving credence to these Tik tokkers and other social media idiots regarding the Nicola Bulley case? They were part of the problem.”

Grieving partner Paul Ansell recalled the impact online trolls had on his mental health ( 
Image:
Rogan Productions)
Speaking last month ahead of the documentary airing, The Search for Nicola Bulley director Rachel Lob-levyt shared insights on BBC Breakfast about why the feature spotlights social media’s intense engagement with the case. Amidst her chat with hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt, Rachel pointed out: “Whether we like it or not, it was a huge part of this case.”

She opened up to Radio Times before hitting the BBC Breakfast studio last week, revealing how the family found the viewing: “We had a viewing with the family. It was difficult obviously emotional for them. They feel the documentary really honours their experience, and honours Nikki,” she said. “At the time she went missing, Paul was subject to a really difficult level of scrutiny.”

Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell speaks out about the impact of the severe online trolling he endured after her disappearance and revealed what Nicola might say about people’s response to her passing. In his first public address since Nicola’s body died, Paul described the internet’s role as “a huge monster” amidst the hunt for her.

“Awful things started to be said,” he remarked. “I was getting direct messages from people I’ve never met and you can’t do anything about it. On top of the trauma of the nightmare that we’re in, to then think that all these horrendous things are being said about me towards Nikki – everyone has a limit.”

Nicola’s body was found weeks on from her disappearance ( 
Image:
Family Handout/PA Wire)
In the documentary Paul paints a picture of the day she vanished as just another “normal” Friday morning. Nicola had set off around 08:30am to drop their kids off at school, bringing their dog Willow for the walk. Paul shared that initial concern didn’t hit him when Nicola failed to show up as expected; it only turned to real fear when he got a call from the children’s school informing him that someone had discovered Willow and Nicola’s phone abandoned by a bench.

The programme also revealed the distress the family faced due to speculation on social media amid Nicola’s absence. Paul recounted the severe stress caused by online sleuths who wrongfully cast him as a suspect, pushing him to abandon his social media accounts. On the documentary, he recsalled:, “I was getting direct messages from people that I’ve never met. They don’t know me, they don’t know us, they don’t know Nikki.”

“They know nothing about us. Just messages like ‘you b******’. ‘We know what you did’. ‘You know you can’t hide Paul’, that kind of stuff. “There was some that I felt like replying to, but then if you reply to that, they’ll just screenshot your reply, if that’ll end up on social media. And so you’re literally silenced, and you can’t do anything about it.

Last year, a coroner ruled Nicola’s death as accidental, stating she had fallen into the river and experienced “cold water shock”, with “no evidence” suggesting suicide.