Martin Bashir’s interview of Princess Diana is one of the most infamous events in Royal history and an iconic part of The Crown season 5, and though the immediate aftermath is well-documented, its long-lasting effects are less clear. The Crown shows how Bashir used falsified documents to convince the Princess of Wales and her brother, Earl Spencer, that the former was being spied on as a way to secure Panorama interview with Diana. Diana’s interview with Panorama revealed much about the Royal family, particularly her marriage to Prince Charles, and there was major fallout as a result. While it is well known what happened to Princess Diana after the Panorama interview, the same is not so for Martin Bashir.
Despite the deceptive practices used to obtain the interview that were shown in The Crown, Martin Bashir’s career took off after the Panorama interview with Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki). The interview won multiple awards for Bashir and the BBC, including a BAFTA. Bashir's interview with Diana paved the way for him to conduct interviews with other high-profile subjects, such as Michael Jackson. Bashir also went on to work as a journalist at other prominent networks like ITV, ABC, and NBC before returning to the BBC from 2016 up to 2021.
Did Martin Bashir Face Any Consequences After His Princess Diana Interview?
Though Martin Bashir did not immediately face consequences for the deceptive practices he used to obtain the Panorama interview with Princess Diana, they have always been clouded with suspicion. There was an internal inquiry at BBC in 1996 regarding the falsified bank statements that Bashir used, as depicted in The Crown season 5. However, after a controversial inquiry that neglected to interview several key players, it was determined that the falsified documents were not used to secure the interview, thus clearing Bashir of potential wrongdoing. The BBC eventually issued an apology to Earl Spencer, the Princess of Wales’ brother, for the usage of the forged statements in obtaining the interview with his sister, but Earl Spencer rejected their apology and demanded another inquiry.
In 2020, the BBC launched an independent investigation into how Martin Bashir’s Panorama interview with Diana was obtained. This measure was supported by Prince William and Prince Harry, Diana and Prince Charles’ (played by Dominic West in The Crown season 5) sons. Citing health struggles, Bashir departed from the BBC in May 2021, right before it was announced that the investigation found the journalist guilty of using deceit and breaching BBC editorial conduct in obtaining the Panorama interview. The BBC subsequently issued apology letters to Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Charles, and Earl Spencer regarding the situation.
Where Is Martin Bashir Now?
After Martin Bashier resigned from the BBC in 2021, he hasn’t held a journalist role at another network. This could either be due to the damage the 2020 investigation did to Bashir’s reputation or because of the health issues he cited upon his resignation from the BBC. Regardless of the reason, it appears that Bashir is stepping away from journalism, although it is unclear whether this departure is temporary or permanent. The depiction of Bashir's Panorama interview in season 5 of The Crown, which also focused on how the interview was obtained, has renewed interest in the scandal, making it unlikely for the public to forget Bashir’s deceitful practices any time soon.