LONDON: Former BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall has said he is “deeply sorry” to the Duke of Cambridge for the “hurt” caused by the Panorama interview scandal involving Diana, Princess of Wales.
Lord Hall, who was managing director of news and current affairs at the time of the interview, has come under fire for the internal investigation he headed into how Martin Bashir landed the world exclusive.
Appearing before MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, he denied there had been a “BBC cover-up”.
He was also asked if he should forfeit some of his pension from the BBC to help cover the cost of Lord Dyson’s blistering report in May, which criticised the methods used by the former BBC journalist to obtain his exclusive 1995 interview with the princess and cost the BBC £1.4 million.
Both William and his brother the Duke of Sussex issued strongly worded statements following the publication of the Dyson report.
Appearing before the committee Lord Hall said he had not since spoken directly to William to express his remorse. He said: “We did what we thought was right at the time, investigating Martin Bashir not once but twice.
“I have a huge amount of respect for the prince, I’ve worked with him on various things in the past and I’m deeply sorry for the hurt that this has caused to him and I do want to make that clear.”
Asked if he has spoken to the prince, Lord Hall added: “No I haven’t, I wanted to have that session with you all before I think about what I do next.”
Lord Hall, who was director-general of the BBC from April 2013 to August 2020, also led a 1996 internal inquiry into how Bashir secured his bombshell interview with Diana.
He admitted it had been the “wrong judgment” to believe the journalist was remorseful for his actions and allow that to influence the final decision.
Asked why he had subsequently reported to the board of governors that Bashir was an “honest and honourable man”, Lord Hall said: “In the end we came to a judgment about his lack of experience, that he was out of his depth, that he was contrite, and we gave him a second chance.
“We trusted him and it turns out we couldn’t. In that light I understand I am using words which when you look at them now just seem wrong.”
Lord Hall said Bashir was quizzed during the internal investigation for an hour-and-a-half and he was “in tears”.
John Nicolson MP said the Dyson report cost £1.4 million as a result of Lord Hall’s “negligence” and asked if he thought a “forfeit of some of your lavish BBC pension would be appropriate?”
Lord Hall replied: “Twenty-five years ago myself and everybody believed Bashir, we made a mistake but please don’t let that colour the other things that I have done.”