‘We’re right to recreate that interview with Diana’: Crown actor defends controversial storyline

Prasanna Puwanarajah, who is playing the disgraced BBC broadcaster, on how the Netflix drama approached the infamous Panorama programme

It was the TV interview that confirmed it all. When Diana, Princess of Wales, agreed to join Martin Bashir on Guy Fawkes night in front of BBC cameras to talk about her feelings of marital betrayal and loneliness, the foundations of the British establishment shook. The broadcast of that fateful interview was, of course, also a moment of personal pain and sorrow for Prince Charles, now King Charles, and their two sons, William and Harry.

The BBC have since agreed never to show the Panorama programme of 1995 because of the duplicitous way Bashir secured the late princess's involvement, misleading her into suspecting widespread treachery against her. But now, contrary to the wishes of the royal family, the makers of The Crown, the award-winning Netflix drama, have faithfully recreated the infamous encounter and are to show its key moments, as well as the background to the broadcast, over two episodes of the upcoming fifth season, which starts on Wednesday.