London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 26, 2026

Martin Bashir Diana interview: BBC pays compensation to aide Patrick Jephson

Martin Bashir Diana interview: BBC pays compensation to aide Patrick Jephson

The BBC has paid damages to the former private secretary of Diana, Princess of Wales, for the "harm caused to him" over Martin Bashir's Panorama interview.
The corporation said it had apologised unreservedly to Patrick Jephson and had paid his legal costs.

The 1995 interview was subject to an investigation that found Mr Bashir used fake documents to gain access to Diana.

Mr Jephson intends to donate the money to UK charities, the BBC said.

Lord Dyson, a former master of the rolls and head of civil justice, was appointed to look into the circumstances surrounding the Panorama programme, which featured Diana saying: "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

The investigation was launched after Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, alleged that Bashir showed him fake financial documents relating to Diana's former private secretary and another former royal household member, and told outlandish and untrue stories about the Royal Family to gain access to the princess.

Mr Jephson was Diana's private secretary for eight years.

In a statement, the BBC said: "The BBC accepts and acknowledges that serious harm was caused to Commander Jephson as a result of the circumstances in which the 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, was obtained, which have become apparent as a result of the Dyson Report.

"The BBC apologises unreservedly to Commander Jephson for the harm caused to him and has paid his legal costs.

"The BBC has also paid Commander Jephson a substantial sum in damages, which he intends to donate in full to British charities nominated by him."

The Dyson Inquiry found that the BBC covered up "deceitful behaviour" used by Mr Bashir to secure his headline-making world exclusive interview with Diana, and "fell short of high standards of integrity and transparency".

The journalist, who went on to become the BBC's religion editor before leaving the corporation last year, was in "serious breach" of the BBC's producer guidelines when he faked bank statements and showed them to Earl Spencer to gain access to the princess in 1995, Lord Dyson's report said.

It comes after a designer who said he was "made a scapegoat" after Mr Bashir asked him to forge documents reached a settlement with the BBC.

Mr Bashir has previously said mocking up the documents "was a stupid thing to do" and he regretted it, but said they had had no bearing on Diana's decision to be interviewed.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prosecutors Seek More Than 10 Years in Prison for Former DUP Leader Jeffrey Donaldson
UK Provided £66 Million in Emergency Security Funding for Mosques After Southport Disorder
Manston Inquiry Examines Role of Government Decisions in 2022 Overcrowding Crisis
Justice System Capacity Pressures Raise Concerns Over Release of Sex Offenders
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Widens to Record £21.1 Billion
UK Releases Climate Security Findings Previously Withheld Under Starmer
TalkTalk Races to Sell Consumer and Broadband Businesses as Administration Threat Looms
NHS Bodies Impose Minimum Two-Year Waits for ADHD and Autism Assessments
Andy Burnham Pledges £210 Million to Revive Boarded-Up High Streets
UK Borrowing Reaches £18.3 Billion in August Ahead of Autumn Budget
Vistry Cuts Profit Outlook as Losses Deepen and Private Home Sales Weaken
Reported Assaults on Great Britain’s Railways Rise Sharply
Far-Right Activist Daniel Thomas Arrested After Channel Dinghy Slashing
Ukrainians in Britain Face Greater Homelessness Risk as Host Payments Are Cut
Scottish Drug Deaths Rise as Synthetic Opioids Spread
UK Diesel Prices Approach Record High as Energy Costs Intensify
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Widens to Record £21 Billion
Britain’s Largest Planned AI Supercomputer Delayed by Power Grid Constraints
NHS Boards Impose Minimum Waits of Up to Two Years for ADHD and Autism Assessments
Police Arrest Far-Right Activist After Migrant Dinghy Slashed in English Channel
Synthetic Opioids Drive Renewed Rise in Scotland’s Drug Deaths
Reported Assaults on Britain’s Railways Rise 20% in a Year
Vistry Cuts Profit Forecast as Losses Weigh on UK Housebuilder
TikTok Drops Appeal and Accepts £12.7 Million UK Data Protection Fine
Russell Group Urges UK Government to Drop Proposed International Student Levy
Legal & General Plans to Cut 1,000 Jobs by Mid-2027
UK Health Bill Would Remove Independent Governors From NHS Foundation Trusts
BMA Raises Patient Safety Concerns Over Advanced Practitioners Filling Doctor Rotas
UK’s Largest AI Supercomputer Delayed by Power Supply Constraints
NHS Orders Security Cameras in Neonatal Units Following Thirlwall Inquiry
Post-Brexit Trade Barriers Cost UK Economy Up to £6.5 Billion a Year, Analysis Says
UK Parliament Launches Inquiry Into Bank of England Monetary Policy Independence
Global Bond Selloff and Higher Oil Prices Narrow UK Budget Options
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Addresses UN and Holds First Meeting With Donald Trump
Royal Navy Commandos Complete Maritime Operations Training With US Navy SEALs
Vistry Profit Warning Adds to Concerns Over UK Housebuilding Conditions
UK Commits £343 Million to Major Expansion of Community Mental Health Services
Five Eyes Partners Back UK-Led Campaign Against Global Fraud Networks
UK Businesses Gain Full Access to £13 Trillion CPTPP Trading Bloc
UK Allocates Nearly £10 Billion for Council, Social and Affordable Housing
Chancellor John Healey Unveils Deregulation Drive to Accelerate UK Investment and Growth
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Post-Brexit Foreign Policy Vision at United Nations
UK Reassesses Chagos Arrangements as Burnham Seeks New Path on Diego Garcia
Key Trends to Watch
Government’s “Buy British” Procurement Push Targets More Domestic Jobs and Industrial Capacity
Scotland Launches Four-Year Flood Resilience Programme With New Community Funding
Low-Income Renters Face Record Gap Between Housing Support and Private Rents
UK and US Test Torpedo Launch From British Undersea Drone in Defence Technology Milestone
Britain Pushes Artificial Intelligence Security Onto United Nations Security Council Agenda
Treasury Committee Defends Office for Budget Responsibility Independence Amid Fiscal Pressure
×