Bashir ‘likely to lose his job’ over Diana interview row
MARTIN BASHIR is unlikely to work for the BBC again, as the furore surrounding his Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, threatens to destroy his career.
The 1995 interview catapulted Bashir to worldwide fame, securing him regular jobs on the lucrative speaking circuit and a high-profile career in the US.
However, he now faces being hauled before an i ndependent i nquiry to answer questions about the tactics allegedly used to clinch the interview, following accusations that he forged bank statements and made up fantastical stories to win the Princess’s trust.
BBC insiders have refused to back him and concede, privately, that he is unlikely to return to his job as the corporation’s religious affairs correspondent once the review is completed.
The BBC has vowed to conduct a “robust” investigation into the claims.
Bashir’s production company earned him more than £200,000 last year, on top of his BBC salary.
But as the journalist and the BBC come under mounting pressure over the use of forged documents and the BBC’S response, there are signs his reputation has already been damaged.
The New York-based Harry Walker Agency, which boasts the Duke and Duchess of Sussex among its clients, had until this week touted his “journalistic impact” as it advertised his speaking services but has now suspended his profile from its website.
Sources said Bashir would no longer present a forthcoming ITV documentary about Jane Andrews – a former dresser to Sarah, Duchess of York – who killed her boyfriend in 2000.
Bashir has declined to answer questions about his interview with the Princess as he has been recovering from a quadruple heart bypass. However, he was photographed outside his £2 million London home last weekend, after picking up a takeaway and a bottle of wine. His manager, showbusiness agent John Miles, refused to discuss his client, referring all queries to the BBC.