So, who is Martin Bashir and who plays him in The Crown?<\/p>
Who is Martin Bashir?<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> BBC reporter Martin Bashir in 1995.<\/span><\/figcaption> eff Overs\/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nMartin Bashir is a former British journalist who is best known for his tenure on the BBC programme Panorama.<\/p>\n
In 1995, Bashir conducted his most noteworthy interview when he secured a televised talk with Diana, Princess of Wales.<\/p>\n
The famous interview saw the Princess of Wales speak candidly about the breakdown of her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales, their extra-marital affairs, and the future of the monarchy.<\/p>\n
After leaving the BBC in 1999 after around 13 years, Bashir joined ITV and then from 2004 to 2016 he worked in New York, including for ABC and then MSNBC.<\/p>\n
In 2016, Bashir returned to work for the BBC as a religious affairs correspondent.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Martin Bashir.<\/span><\/figcaption> Mark Allan\/NBC\/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nHowever, in 2020, as reported in The Sunday Times<\/a>, BBC-director general Tim Davie apologised to Diana\u2019s brother Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer after it emerged that Bashir had used fake documents to help persuade the Earl to aid in securing an interview with Diana.<\/p>\nThe following year in 2021, an inquiry by Lord Dyson found that Bashir had breached BBC rules by mocking up fake bank statements to obtain an interview with Diana and that he showed the documents to Earl Spencer.<\/p>\n
The inquiry also ruled that the BBC effectively covered up its discoveries about how Bashir landed the interview.<\/p>\n
Speaking to BBC Panorama<\/a>, Earl Spencer, who introduced Diana to Bashir, said:\u00a0\u201cWell, the irony is that I met Martin Bashir on the 31st of August 1995 because exactly two years later she died \u2013 and I do draw a line between the two events.\u201d<\/p>\nElsewhere, Bashir\u2019s fake documents accused Diana\u2019s former private Secretary Patrick Jephson of\u00a0involvement in the surveillance of\u00a0the Princess, accusations which\u00a0were untrue. Jephson said the Panorama interview caused Diana to lose \u201cthe royal support structure that had guided and safeguarded her for so many years\u201d.<\/p>\n
Jephson added that this \u201cmade her vulnerable to people who didn\u2019t have her best interests at heart\u201d or could not properly \u201clook after her\u201d.<\/p>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Martin Bashir interviews Princess Diana in Kensington Palace for the television program Panorama.<\/span><\/figcaption> Pool Photograph\/Corbis\/Corbis via Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nFollowing the inquiry, in a statement apologising for his \u201cstupid\u201d use of the faked bank statements, Bashir added: \u201cThe bank statements had no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview.<\/p>\n
\n\n\u201cEvidence handed to the inquiry in her own handwriting unequivocally confirms this, and other compelling evidence presented to Lord Dyson reinforces it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A handwritten note from December 1995 by Princess Diana was also found in the inquiry, stating: \u201cMartin Bashir did not show me any documents, nor give me any information that I was not previously aware of.\u201d<\/p>\n
The late Princess of Wales added that she had \u201cno regrets\u201d about doing the interview.<\/p>\n
The Dyson inquiry ruled that there had been a \u201cserious breach\u201d of BBC guidelines, stating that the corporation \u201cfell short of high standards of integrity and transparency\u201d.<\/p>\n
After the findings were revealed, the BBC then wrote to the Princess\u2019s two sons, Prince William (then Duke of Cambridge) and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.<\/p>\n
The Metropolitan Police later ruled that year that they would not be pursuing a criminal investigation into the interview.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Martin Bashir interviews Princess Diana in Kensington Palace for the television program Panorama.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nAs a result of the inquiry, BBC\u2019s director-general Tim Davie ruled in 2022 that the interview would never be broadcast by the corporation again.<\/a><\/p>\nDavie said: \u201cNow 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would urge others to exercise similar restraint.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the same statement, Davie commented: \u201cFollowing publication of the Dyson Report last year we have been working with those who suffered as a result of the deceitful tactics used by the BBC in pursuit of its interview with Diana, Princess of Wales for the Panorama programme in 1995, including the matters that were mentioned in court today in respect of Miss Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now Mrs Alexandra Pettifer.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThe BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to The Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Who plays Martin Bashir in The Crown?<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Prasanna Puwanarajah as Martin Bashir in Season 5 of The Crown.<\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nMartin Bashir is portrayed in The Crown by actor Prasanna Puwanarajah.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis is not the first time that Puwanarajah has portrayed Bashir, either, having played the journalist in the 2013 film Diana opposite Naomi Watts as the Princess of Wales.<\/p>\n
In addition to this film role, Puwanarajah has also appeared in television series such as The Sarah Jane Adventures, Silk, Critical, Cold Feet, Doctor Foster, Patrick Melrose, Defending the Guilty, Line of Duty, Three Families, and Ten Percent.<\/p>\n
Puwanarajah has also appeared in numerous productions on stage.<\/p>\n
Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n- The Crown season 5 cast: Full list of actors and characters<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- The Crown season 5 timeline \u2013 what events does it cover?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- The Crown season 5 brings back Claire Foy for flashback cameo<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Who plays John Major in The Crown?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Who is James Colthurst and who plays him in The Crown?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Who plays Princess Anne in The Crown season 5?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
The Crown seasons 1 to 5 are available now on\u00a0Netflix<\/a>. <\/strong>Sign up for Netflix from \u00a36.99 a month<\/a>. Netflix is also available on\u00a0Sky Glass<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Virgin Media Stream<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\nLooking for something else to watch? Visit our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0or Streaming Guide<\/b><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. or more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Lewis Knight Published: Friday, 11 November 2022 at 12:00 am One of the most iconic interviews of all time, the BBC Panorama special which saw Diana, Princess of Wales speak candidly about her marriage and the royal family, was a landmark TV moment. The journalist who conducted the famous interview was BBC journalist Martin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":25698,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Lewis Knight Published: Friday, 11 November 2022 at 12:00 am One of the most iconic interviews of all time, the BBC Panorama special which saw Diana, Princess of Wales speak candidly about her marriage and the royal family, was a landmark TV moment. The journalist who conducted the famous interview was BBC journalist Martin…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/25697"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/11\/GettyImages-490708889-5afd058.jpg?quality=90&crop=5px%2C902px%2C1952px%2C1300px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Martin Bashir is a former British journalist who is best known for his tenure on the BBC programme Panorama.<\/p>\n
In 1995, Bashir conducted his most noteworthy interview when he secured a televised talk with Diana, Princess of Wales.<\/p>\n
The famous interview saw the Princess of Wales speak candidly about the breakdown of her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales, their extra-marital affairs, and the future of the monarchy.<\/p>\n
After leaving the BBC in 1999 after around 13 years, Bashir joined ITV and then from 2004 to 2016 he worked in New York, including for ABC and then MSNBC.<\/p>\n
In 2016, Bashir returned to work for the BBC as a religious affairs correspondent.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2018\/03\/GettyImages-138223843-5f55f64.jpg?quality=90&crop=16px%2C19px%2C2968px%2C1977px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>However, in 2020, as reported in The Sunday Times<\/a>, BBC-director general Tim Davie apologised to Diana\u2019s brother Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer after it emerged that Bashir had used fake documents to help persuade the Earl to aid in securing an interview with Diana.<\/p>\n The following year in 2021, an inquiry by Lord Dyson found that Bashir had breached BBC rules by mocking up fake bank statements to obtain an interview with Diana and that he showed the documents to Earl Spencer.<\/p>\n The inquiry also ruled that the BBC effectively covered up its discoveries about how Bashir landed the interview.<\/p>\n Speaking to BBC Panorama<\/a>, Earl Spencer, who introduced Diana to Bashir, said:\u00a0\u201cWell, the irony is that I met Martin Bashir on the 31st of August 1995 because exactly two years later she died \u2013 and I do draw a line between the two events.\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Bashir\u2019s fake documents accused Diana\u2019s former private Secretary Patrick Jephson of\u00a0involvement in the surveillance of\u00a0the Princess, accusations which\u00a0were untrue. Jephson said the Panorama interview caused Diana to lose \u201cthe royal support structure that had guided and safeguarded her for so many years\u201d.<\/p>\n Jephson added that this \u201cmade her vulnerable to people who didn\u2019t have her best interests at heart\u201d or could not properly \u201clook after her\u201d.<\/p>\n Following the inquiry, in a statement apologising for his \u201cstupid\u201d use of the faked bank statements, Bashir added: \u201cThe bank statements had no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview.<\/p>\n \u201cEvidence handed to the inquiry in her own handwriting unequivocally confirms this, and other compelling evidence presented to Lord Dyson reinforces it.\u201d<\/p>\n A handwritten note from December 1995 by Princess Diana was also found in the inquiry, stating: \u201cMartin Bashir did not show me any documents, nor give me any information that I was not previously aware of.\u201d<\/p>\n The late Princess of Wales added that she had \u201cno regrets\u201d about doing the interview.<\/p>\n The Dyson inquiry ruled that there had been a \u201cserious breach\u201d of BBC guidelines, stating that the corporation \u201cfell short of high standards of integrity and transparency\u201d.<\/p>\n After the findings were revealed, the BBC then wrote to the Princess\u2019s two sons, Prince William (then Duke of Cambridge) and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.<\/p>\n The Metropolitan Police later ruled that year that they would not be pursuing a criminal investigation into the interview.<\/p>\n As a result of the inquiry, BBC\u2019s director-general Tim Davie ruled in 2022 that the interview would never be broadcast by the corporation again.<\/a><\/p>\n Davie said: \u201cNow 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI would urge others to exercise similar restraint.\u201d<\/p>\n In the same statement, Davie commented: \u201cFollowing publication of the Dyson Report last year we have been working with those who suffered as a result of the deceitful tactics used by the BBC in pursuit of its interview with Diana, Princess of Wales for the Panorama programme in 1995, including the matters that were mentioned in court today in respect of Miss Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now Mrs Alexandra Pettifer.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThe BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to The Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Martin Bashir is portrayed in The Crown by actor Prasanna Puwanarajah.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is not the first time that Puwanarajah has portrayed Bashir, either, having played the journalist in the 2013 film Diana opposite Naomi Watts as the Princess of Wales.<\/p>\n In addition to this film role, Puwanarajah has also appeared in television series such as The Sarah Jane Adventures, Silk, Critical, Cold Feet, Doctor Foster, Patrick Melrose, Defending the Guilty, Line of Duty, Three Families, and Ten Percent.<\/p>\n Puwanarajah has also appeared in numerous productions on stage.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The Crown seasons 1 to 5 are available now on\u00a0Netflix<\/a>. <\/strong>Sign up for Netflix from \u00a36.99 a month<\/a>. Netflix is also available on\u00a0Sky Glass<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Virgin Media Stream<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Looking for something else to watch? Visit our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0or Streaming Guide<\/b><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. or more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n By Lewis Knight Published: Friday, 11 November 2022 at 12:00 am One of the most iconic interviews of all time, the BBC Panorama special which saw Diana, Princess of Wales speak candidly about her marriage and the royal family, was a landmark TV moment. The journalist who conducted the famous interview was BBC journalist Martin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":25698,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/11\/who-is-martin-bashir-and-who-plays-him-in-the-crown.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Lewis Knight Published: Friday, 11 November 2022 at 12:00 am One of the most iconic interviews of all time, the BBC Panorama special which saw Diana, Princess of Wales speak candidly about her marriage and the royal family, was a landmark TV moment. The journalist who conducted the famous interview was BBC journalist Martin…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/25697"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/11\/GettyImages-618242606-684c47f.jpg?quality=90&crop=21px%2C140px%2C3924px%2C2614px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/11\/Princess-Diana-Martin-Bashir-BBC-Panorama-a52e9d5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Who plays Martin Bashir in The Crown?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/11\/TheCrownS05Image170-57b2f0d.png?quality=90&crop=820px%2C86px%2C2281px%2C1520px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"