36 Facts About Martin Bashir

Martin Henry Bashir was born on 19 January 1963 and is a British former journalist.

Martin Bashir was a presenter on British and American television and for the BBC's Panorama programme, for which he gained an interview with Diana, Princess of Wales under false pretences in 1995.

Martin Bashir presented the 2003 ITV documentary about Michael Jackson.

Martin Bashir resigned from MSNBC in December 2013 after making "ill-judged" comments about former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Martin Bashir was born and raised in Wandsworth, London, to liberal Muslim parents from Pakistan.

Martin Bashir's father served in the Royal Navy during World War II.

Martin Bashir was educated at the boys' state comprehensive Wandsworth School, King Alfred's College of Higher Education, Winchester, studying English and History from 1982 to 1985, and at King's College London, where he completed a master's degree in theology.

Martin Bashir was one of five children, one of whom suffered from muscular dystrophy and died in 1991.

Martin Bashir attributed his decisions in life to his late brother, including his appearance on The X Factor: Celebrity.

Martin Bashir was a freelance sports journalist before joining the BBC in 1986.

Martin Bashir worked for the BBC until 1999, on programmes including Songs of Praise, Public Eye and Panorama.

In 2004, Martin Bashir moved to New York, where he worked for ABC, co-anchoring their current affairs show Nightline; along with Cynthia McFadden and Terry Moran, he took over Nightline from Ted Koppel in 2005.

In January 2013, Martin Bashir was criticised for misleading viewers by airing an edited clip of Neil Heslin, whose son was killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, testifying in court.

On 15 November 2013, Martin Bashir criticised Sarah Palin for comments that she made comparing the US federal debt to slavery.

Martin Bashir attempted to counter Palin's comparison by referencing the punishment of slaves described by slave overseer Thomas Thistlewood, specifically a punishment called "Derby's dose", and concluded by saying "if anyone truly qualified for a dose of discipline from Thomas Thistlewood, she would be the outstanding candidate".

In late 2016, Martin Bashir returned to BBC News as religious affairs correspondent, succeeding Caroline Wyatt in the post.

Martin Bashir left the BBC on 14 May 2021 after a period of ill health and shortly before the publication of a report from an inquiry into his 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.

In November 1995, Martin Bashir interviewed Diana, Princess of Wales about her failed marriage to the Prince of Wales for the BBC's Panorama programme.

Five months later, two reporters for the Mail On Sunday broke the story that Martin Bashir had secured the interview using falsified documents to manipulate the princess's family.

Nick Fielding and Jason Lewis wrote that Martin Bashir approached Diana's brother The Earl Spencer with bank statements which he said were proof that Spencer's former head of security, Alan Waller, secretly received money from a tabloid newspaper, presumably to spy on Spencer and his family.

Martin Bashir said that Bashir made false and defamatory claims about senior members of the royal family and, were it not for the faked documents, he would not have introduced Bashir to his sister.

At the time of the revelations, Martin Bashir was seriously ill, which the BBC said had required a full investigation to be postponed.

On 13 November 2020, it was reported that the BBC had found the note from the Princess of Wales which cleared Martin Bashir of pressuring her to give the interview.

Later that month Martin Bashir told the BBC inquiry that he was not responsible for spreading smears about the royal family to convince the princess to sit for the interview, and it was probably Diana herself who was the source of those claims.

Martin Bashir argued that bringing up such allegations in front of Diana would have exposed him as a "complete fantasist" and narrowed down the chance of doing any interviews with her.

Martin Bashir added that Diana had revealed to him that she spoke with mystics and clairvoyants, who could have been sources of the false information she received.

In 2003, while working at ITV, Martin Bashir conducted a series of interviews with American singer Michael Jackson for the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, part of the Tonight with Trevor McDonald series for ITV.

However, Martin Bashir's colleagues have claimed that he secured the Jackson interview only after promising him they would plan a trip for Jackson to Africa to visit children with AIDS, accompanied by Kofi Annan, then UN Secretary-General; when this was put to Martin Bashir, while under oath in a California court, he refused to answer.

Jackson and his personal cameraman released a rebuttal interview, which showed Martin Bashir complimenting Jackson for the "spiritual" quality of the Neverland Ranch.

Martin Bashir took a long time to die, but it started that night.

Martin Bashir conducted interviews with public figures including Louise Woodward, the five suspects in the Stephen Lawrence case, Michael Barrymore, Jeffrey Archer, Joanne Lees, and George Best.

Martin Bashir won the Factual or Science Based Programme of the Year from the Television and Radio Industries Club, TV Journalist of the Year from the Broadcasting Press Guild, and Journalist of the Year from the Royal Television Society for the Diana interview.

Martin Bashir had a role as himself in the 2001 satirical comedy film Mike Bassett: England Manager.

Martin Bashir released a reggae album, Bass Lion, on 26 October 2010.

Martin Bashir has been portrayed by Prasanna Puwanarajah in both Diana and The Crown.

Martin Bashir converted from Islam to Christianity in his late teens after attending a church in south London, and identifies as a committed Christian, having been interested in Christianity as a child.