Prince Harry’s handpicked interviewer Tom Bradby uses furore around renegade royal to plug his OWN book ahead of Sunday night ITV revelations

• The ITV journalist has had a good relationship with the Sussexes in recent years
• Harry’s memoir Spare began being sold in Spanish bookshops days early
• But Mr Bradby used the occasion to sell his own book, a spy thriller, instead 

The ITV journalist handpicked by Prince Harry to interview him about his new book Spare used the furore over the memoir being leaked to plug his own novel – ahead of the full interview airing on ITV tomorrow night. 

Tom Bradby, 55, anchor of the News at Ten on ITV, has created a relationship of deep trust with Harry and Meghan Markle since his bombshell interview with the Duchess when she revealed she was not ‘ok’, and the adjustment to royal life had been difficult.

After news of the memoir’s contents being leaked to the Guardian, and Spanish copies going on sale days early, Mr Bradby posted a series of tweets about Harry.

But rather than addressing the memoir or its contents, the journalist was in fact plugging his own spy novel, featuring washed-up secret agent Harry Tower.

Prince Harry sat down to discuss his memoir Spare with ITV journalist Tom Bradby in a programme to be aired on Sunday

On the day Spare was leaked, Mr Bradby posted tweets advertising his own novel amidst the furore

Prince William had previously been close with the news anchor, but this relationship soured after the journalist accompanied the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a tour of South Africa in 2019.

It was at this point he spoke candidly with a clearly struggling Meghan about her mental health, a conversation in which she was visibly emotional.

On Friday Mr Bradby posted: ‘The big news of today; it is paperback publication day for the critically acclaimed Yesterday’s Spy!’

He continued: ‘A heartfelt thank you to all those readers of the hardback who have previously posted such great reviews.

‘And ditto to the newspaper reviewers. And here’s to the bruised, regretful Harry Tower, a spy whose best years are behind him. 

‘A man desperately in search of his son – and redemption.’

He posted the comments alongside photos and a promotional video to his Twitter followers.

The move came as the very memoir he was handpicked by Prince Harry to discuss in detail was leaked following early sales in Spanish bookshops. 

Mr Bradby used to be very close with Prince William, but this came to an end after he accompanied Harry and Meghan on a tour of South Africa

Tom Bradby (right) with his wife Claudia Bradby (left) at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in 2018

The Duke of Sussex had previously sat down with Mr Bradby to talk about his claims in the memoir, which will be aired on ITV in a programme on Sunday night.

In a teaser ahead of the release, Prince Harry told the journalist: ‘It never needed to be this way.

‘They’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile.

I would like to get my father back, I would like to have my brother back.’  

The interview is expected to see Harry defend his claims in the book, which has been staunchly criticised by royal commentators.

In Spare, Prince Harry discusses intimate details of his personal life as well as life within the royal family.

Some of the most controversial claims to be revealed so far include an alleged physical altercation which saw William knock his brother to the floor, insults that the Prince of Wales is said to have hurled at Meghan, and that both Harry and his brother begged their father, King Charles, not to marry Camilla.

Bradby was born in Malta, the son of a British naval officer. He was an only child and at the age of eight was sent to board at Westbourne House School, West Sussex, and then Sherborne School in Dorset.

He went on to study history at the University of Edinburgh, where he became involved in student journalism and edited the paper. 

While at university, Bradby did work experience at several local newspapers but ultimately accepted a place on the ITN training scheme and has remained with the company ever since.

In 1994 he married Claudia Hill-Norton, whose father was Vice Admiral Sir Nicholas Hill-Norton and her grandfather Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Hill-Norton.

The pair were introduced by Claudia’s older brother Simon, who, with his wife, would go on to found the sportswear company Sweaty Betty, which they sold to a US company last year for £300 million.

Bradby moved to Hong Kong as ITV’s Asia correspondent in 1998 and it was there that Claudia found her calling as a jewellery designer.

Covering a riot in Indonesia in 1999, he was struck in the right leg by a flare that left him badly injured.

By this point he was a father of three and realised he did not want to be based abroad.

He therefore accepted the position of royal correspondent and returned to the UK.

Bradby was eventually promoted to be ITV’s political editor, then anchor.

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