The Crown ‘will explore what we now know’ about Panorama interview with Princess Diana-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro

The details surrounding Princess Diana’s Panorama interview with Martin Bashier have since been revealed (Picture: BBC/PA)

The fifth series of The Crown will delve into what is now known about the circumstances leading to the controversial Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.

The 1995 interview, which was conducted by then-BBC journalist Martin Bashir, made global headlines as the princess spoke openly about her marriage to Prince Charles, famously saying ‘there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded’.

Last year, a report by Lord Dyson concluded the BBC covered up ‘deceitful behaviour’ by Bashir to secure the bombshell interview and led to a call from the Duke of Cambridge for it never to be aired again.

The revelations emerged as scriptwriters were working on the fifth series of Netflix’s hit royal drama, and they have incorporated the newly discovered details into the storyline.

A source close to the show told PA: ‘Season five of The Crown will dramatise events surrounding the Panorama interview, given the pivotal part it played during the time period the new series covers.

‘It will reflect what we now know about how the interview was obtained and how Diana was treated.’

On Thursday, the BBC vowed to ‘never’ broadcast clips from the interview again, unless it’s necessary ‘for journalistic purposes’.

Director-general Tim Davie said: ‘Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained, I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again, nor will we license it in whole or part to other broadcasters.

Elizabeth Debicki is playing Princess Diana in the upcoming series (Picture: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage )

‘It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained.

‘I would urge others to exercise similar restraint.’

The fifth series of the The Crown is due to air in November, and will see Dominic West star as Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, taking over from Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin respectively.

Imelda Staunton is replacing Olivia Colman at the Queen, while Jonathan Pryce takes over from Tobias Menzies as the Duke of Edinburgh and Lesley Manville will be Princess Margaret, following in the footsteps of Helena Bonham Carter.

The Crown was due to end after the fifth series, but the show’s creator and writer Peter Morgan later said it will be extended to include a sixth series.

The Crown is available to stream on Netflix.

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