Veteran journalist Martin Bashir has said he “never wanted to harm” Diana, Princess of Wales, with his now disgraced BBC Panorama interview, telling the Sunday Times newspaper, “I don’t believe we did.”
In the 1995 world exclusive interview, Princess Diana confirmed Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles and described in frank detail how she believed royal life had made her bulimic.
An independent investigation published 25 years later by the BBC and led by retired judge Lord Dyson called the tactics Bashir used to secure the sit-down “deceitful”.
The report revealed the then-32-year-old journalist forged documents to suggest Palace staff were being paid to spy on the princess.
Bashir then allegedly presented those documents to Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, who then introduced him to Diana.
The report also found an internal BBC inquiry in 1996 covered up Bashir’s malpractice.
Bashir left his role at the BBC earlier this month citing health reasons before the findings were released Thursday.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, he said him and Diana “were friends” and continued to be close after the interview was broadcast, with the princess even paying a visit to his wife at the hospital shortly after the birth of their third child.
“We loved her. That’s what we wanted to protect, and that’s why I have never taken money, never said anything, never written anything,” he said.
“Everything we did in terms of the interview was as she wanted, from when she wanted to alert the palace, to when it was broadcast, to its contents … My family and I loved her.”
In the Sunday Times interview, Bashir expressed his sorrow over showing the fake bank statements to the princess’ brother, but insisted I didn’t harm the princess.
“Obviously I regret it, it was wrong. But it had no bearing on anything. It had no bearing on (Diana), it had no bearing on the interview,” he said.
