Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is “very concerned” by Lord Dyson’s report finding major failings in the BBC’s handling of Martin Bashir’s explosive 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.
The PM said he hopes the BBC “will be taking every possible step” to ensure that such a scandal never “ever happens again”.
His comments come as Scotland Yard has vowed to “assess the contents” of the report, which accused the BBC of covering up “deceitful behaviour” by Mr Bashir, who had fake bank statements created to mislead Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, and gain access to the princess of Wales.
Previously, police had decided against pursuing a criminal investigation into the controversy. However, now they say they will review the report “to ensure there is no significant new evidence”.
Meanwhile, both Prince William and Harry have condemned the BBC over the independent inquiry’s findings, with the elder brother saying he believed the interview fed directly into the “fear, paranoia and isolation” his mother endured in her final years, while, Harry said that he believed it was “the ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices” that ultimately took Diana’s life.
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