The Crown Season 5 to explore Princess Diana's infamous Panorama interview as BBC vows 'never' to screen it again

Princess Diana's infamous Panorama interview will never be broadcasted again by the BBC but will be explored by Netflix's The Crown

Princess Diana's infamous Panorama interview
(Image credit: Princess Diana Archive / Stringer /Getty)

It has been revealed that Princess Diana's infamous Panorama interview with Martin Bashir will never appear on the BBC again, but it will be explored in the Netflix show, The Crown.


It has been revealed that The Crown Season 5 will cover Princess Diana's 1995 interview with Martin Bashir. A source told Press Association, "Season five of The Crown will dramatize events surrounding the Panorama interview, given the pivotal part it played during the time period the new series covers."

The source added that this series will also include the up-to-date information that has since emerged. "It will reflect what we now know about how the interview was obtained and how Diana was treated."

This includes the recent inquiry revelations that the Princess was coerced into doing the interview with forged documents and false allegations about her ex-nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke's affair with Prince Charles.

Princess Diana

(Image credit: Tim Graham / Contributor / Getty Images)

This news has coincided with the announcement from the BBC that they will never again broadcast this interview.  

Director-general of the BBC, Tim Davie, announced on July 20, "Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained, I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again, nor will we license it in whole or part to other broadcasters."

"It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained. I would urge others to exercise similar restraint," concluded the Director general. 

This pledge was made following the inquiry by Lord Dyson which found that the deceitful circumstances used to acquire the interview with the Princess, 'fell short of high standards of integrity and transparency' and were a 'serious breach' of guidelines.

It has been repeated on many occasions that the Princess of Wales had regrets about this interview. Princess Diana's ex-butler reveals her one main regret from Martin Bashir interview which was previously unshared by the Princess who died two years after this bombshell interview. 

The Royal Family has yet to comment on the inquiry or the decision from the BBC to no longer air this interview.

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.