BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell claims he ‘put the idea of doing a Panorama interview into Princess Diana’s head’ as he brands Martin Bashir an ‘absolute blaggard’

• The BBC royal correspondent spoke to the Telegraph about the late Diana
• READ MORE: BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, 70, announces his retirement after nearly five decades at the broadcaster

Nicholas Witchell has branded Martin Bashir an ‘absolute blaggard’ as he hit out at his disgraced old colleague, who famously spoke to Princess Diana in a sensational 1995 interview.

The BBC’s veteran royal correspondent revealed that he ‘was the person who put the idea’ of doing Panorama into the late royal’s head, and approached a member of the Royal Family, whom he declines to name, with the suggestion.

‘I was initially going to be the person to do the interview, and I was twice due to go and have lunch to discuss it with her, but at that stage I had been made aware that this absolute blaggard called Martin Bashir had entered the picture,’ he told the Telegraph.

‘At the time nobody had any reason to think that anything untoward was occurring. It always mystified me that he was able to get alongside her.’

In 2020, the Daily Mail revealed Bashir duped Diana into a Panorama interview in which she said ‘there are three of us in this marriage’ – referring to Camilla.

The BBC ‘s veteran royal correspondent (pictured in 2016) revealed that he ‘was the person who put the idea’ of doing Panorama into the late Princess Diana’s head

Bashir had faked bank statements to make Diana think her inner circle was selling her secrets.

An inquiry by Lord Dyson, a former Supreme Court Judge – for which Nicholas gave evidence – concluded the BBC covered up Bashir’s ‘deceitful behaviour’ in preying on Diana’s insecurity to obtain the interview.

Nicholas has in past also said that he was told to ‘back off’ from speaking to Diana, to give his colleague Martin Bashir a ‘clear run’. 

But the 70-year-old was told by Steve Hewlett, then editor of Panorama, to step back so that Bashir could secure the interview while working on a ‘confidential basis’.

Nicholas, who became royal correspondent three years later in 1998, said he was told the matter had to be kept ‘secret from the Kensington Palace authorities’.

Interviewed about Lord Dyson’s report on BBC Breakfast in 2021, he said: ‘I was due twice to go and meet Princess Diana to discuss the Panorama interview.

‘And it was explained to me that Martin Bashir was working on a confidential basis and that it was necessary to keep this matter secret from the Kensington Palace authorities.

In 2020, the Daily Mail revealed Bashir duped Diana into a Panorama interview in which she said ‘there are three of us in this marriage’ – referring to Camilla

Bashir, pictured in 2007, had faked bank statements to make Diana think her inner circle was selling her secrets

‘And I have to say I have always wondered in the years since then how it was that Martin Bashir succeeded in getting alongside the Princess.  Well, now we know.’

Nicholas also told the Telegraph about being one of the first people to find out about Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997, as he was eight hours ahead of UK time, boarding a plane in Manila.

‘I phoned the BBC newsroom. I found it difficult to get the words out, I felt that if I said them, that’s it – this tsunami of news and grief begins,’ he admitted.

Veteran broadcaster Nicholas, who has covered the Royal Family for nearly three decades, will retire next year. He joined the broadcaster as a graduate news trainee in 1976.

In 2005, the-then Prince of Wales was caught on a microphone making remarks about Nicholas.

The journalist had asked a question about the royal’s upcoming nuptials to Camilla Parker Bowles during a photoshoot in the Swiss Alps.

While seated next to his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, he said: ‘Bloody people. I can’t bear that man. I mean, he is so awful, he really is.’

William remained calm and politely said: ‘As long as I don’t lose the rings. I have one responsibility and I’m bound to do something wrong.’   

The family had been on holiday at Klosters ski resort in the Swiss Alps.

Aides suggested that Charles was annoyed about William and Kate – then just the prince’s girlfriend – being photographed the previous day.

However it seems there is no hard feelings from Nicholas, who told the Telegraph that while he was ‘shocked’, ‘we all mutter under our breath, don’t we?’.

It comes following recent reports that the BBC has spent £100,000 of licence-payers’ money on a legal battle to keep secret thousands of emails linked to Bashir’s notorious interview with Diana.

BBC chiefs have refused to release the emails that could reveal explosive details about how it handled the scandal as it erupted three years ago.

Veteran broadcaster Nicholas (pictured in 2005), who has covered the Royal Family for nearly three decades, will retire next year. He joined the broadcaster as a graduate news trainee in 1976 

King Charles with his arms around Prince William and Prince Harry during the Royal Family’s ski break in the region at Klosters on March 31, 2005

But documentary maker Andy Webb, who helped expose the cover-up, believes the BBC did not release all of its incriminating evidence. In 2021, he requested all emails between BBC managers and its information office sent from September to November 2000. 

The BBC has fiercely resisted his request for more than two years, hiring a legal team led by barrister Jason Pobjoy of Blackstone Chambers, who represented Boris Johnson during the Partygate allegations.

Embarrassingly, the Corporation initially claimed its archive contained no further documents – only to then apologise after discovering 3,200 emails. It then, however, refused to make these public, arguing they are either irrelevant or contain ‘legally privileged’ information.

Now, figures obtained by Mr Webb, show how the BBC forked out more than £75,700 up until July in legal fees fighting his request. A day-long hearing was held at the information rights tribunal last month, pushing the Corporation’s likely legal cost beyond £100,000.

The spending comes after the BBC spent £1.4m on the six-month probe by Lord Dyson.

Mr Webb last month lambasted the Corporation for a ‘shocking’ waste of licence-fee payers’ money and questioned why it was still fighting to keep the emails under wraps.

He said: ‘The BBC say that all these emails I’ve asked for are “irrelevant”. Yet they have spent tens of thousands of pounds in public funds to keep them secret.

‘This looks like a shocking waste of licence fee-payers money and of course deepens my suspicion that the BBC is still covering up. If they have nothing to hide, why on earth don’t they release these documents?’

Under a possible compromise struck a few weeks ago, the BBC has agreed to let Mr Webb see a sample of 477 of its emails. The BBC apologised at the tribunal for ‘errors’ in its handling of disclosure relating to the Panorama interview.

Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, told last month’s hearing that a BBC executive falsely claimed he conspired with Bashir to persuade Diana to take part in the Panorama interview.

A heavily redacted briefing by Lord Hall of Birkenhead – head of news at the time and later director general – to the BBC’s governors in 1996 suggested Earl Spencer gave Bashir bank statements belonging to his former head of security.

Asked last week if it was true that he had conspired with Bashir, Earl Spencer, who is backing Mr Webb’s case, replied: ‘No I did not.’

He also dismissed a suggestion made by a BBC executive that the allegation was already in the public domain before the broadcaster released Lord Hall’s briefing in 2020.

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We are committed to resolving legal issues without external support, whenever possible, but there are times when we do need to draw on external legal advice and representation – that can happen when legal actions are initiated by others.

‘In relation to the ongoing proceedings regarding the handling of a Freedom of Information Act request, the BBC has accepted that errors have been made and has apologised to Mr Webb and the Tribunal.

‘The BBC has at all times acted in good faith, has taken extensive steps to try to rectify those past errors and is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act.’

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