BBC's Deceptive Diana Interview Exposed: New Book Reveals the Full Betrayal of a Princess

A landmark television event that drew 22.8 million viewers in 1995, Princess Diana's interview where she confessed to adultery and famously stated there were "three people" in her marriage, has resurfaced in controversy with a new publication.

The BBC faces renewed scrutiny with the release of "Dianarama: The Betrayal of Princess Diana," a book published Thursday in the United Kingdom that explores the deceptive tactics employed to secure the historic interview.

What was initially celebrated as a journalistic achievement for reporter Martin Bashir and the BBC has since unraveled following revelations that Bashir fabricated documents to gain Princess Diana's trust and participation.

According to Penguin Books, former BBC journalist Andy Webb's investigation reveals "the true extent of the deception the princess experienced as well as the cover-up which ensued" following the controversial broadcast.

Central to the scandal were fake bank statements Bashir presented to Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, designed to create the impression that people in Diana's inner circle were spying on her.

Webb told ITV's Good Morning Britain that Diana was "assured" by Bashir that "her life was in danger," manipulating her fears to secure the exclusive interview.

Though the full extent of Bashir's manipulation only emerged years later, Webb alleges the BBC discovered three significant ethical breaches just four months after the broadcast: document fabrication, showing these forgeries to Spencer, and subsequently lying about these actions when questioned.

The book's publication coincides with recent turmoil at the BBC, following the resignation of its director general amid controversy over misleading editing in a Donald Trump documentary.

The fallout from the Diana interview has already led the BBC to pay damages to Diana's former private secretary Patrick Jephson and to a graphic designer who exposed the unethical methods used by Bashir.

Webb recounts that Charles Spencer directly links the interview's aftermath to his sister's tragic death less than two years later in Paris. "Diana pushed away the people around her, in particular her secretary, Patrick Jephson," Webb explained. "She'd been told that her chauffeur was a spy. She has no confidence in the police's official security, so she ends up 18 months later in a Mercedes with a drunk driver."

Spencer ultimately concluded that "the consequences of the interview were lethal," according to Webb.

Princess Diana, mother to Prince William and Prince Harry, died at age 36 in a high-speed crash in Paris in August 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi.

Though Bashir later apologized for his conduct, he maintained it had "no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview."

An independent investigation commissioned by the BBC and published in 2021 confirmed the deceptive methods Bashir employed to secure the interview.

A BBC spokesperson stated that the organization had accepted the findings of that report "in full and publicly apologised."

Diana and Charles officially divorced in 1996. Charles, now King Charles III, married Camilla in 2005.