Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: bbc, have i got news for you, Ian Hislop, princess diana

BBC Cuts Ian Hislop's Diana Criticism From Have I Got News For You

This morning, Bleeding Cool reported on last night's recording of Have I Got News For You, Britain's long-running satirical BBC TV panel show, that just aired on BBC 1. Hosted by Richard Ayoade, with guests Baroness Warsi and Richard Osman, and regular captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop, below.

The show filmed two-and-a-half-hours, as is normal, and they assemble a half-hour cut from the recording – with a forty-give minute cut run later in the week. Many highlights made it in, but material on the BBC investigation into its own Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana and whether or not it was being broadcast, was cut drastically short.

Specifically, the analysis that Private Eye editor Ian Hislop took the opportunity to remind us that at the time, Diana had, already written the book of her life, unattributed,  with Andrew Morton, that was going to do a TV interview with someone after Prince Charles' interview with David Dimbleby, and that she had writers prepare lines such as "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded" – she didn't write those herself. And that Bashir's actions pushed him to the top of the queue to conduct that interview, rather than persuade her to do one at all. Our story was picked up by Guido Fawkes, and Sputnik News.

Of course, editorial decisions for time always have to be made, and no one will be 100% happy. But to deny the wider public this very specific analysis, appreciated by the live audience and going against the BBC's own self-flagellation on this issue, in favour of discussion about the panelists favourite biscuits, seems a curious one.

We also lost Richard Osman's story revealing that his co-host on Pointless, Xander Armstrong was invited to the Palace to perform a private royal version of Pointless for the Queen – but only told Osman, the co-creator of the show, about it afterwards. But that might not be quite so controversial.

Have I Got News For You does have an extended version of the show scheduled for Monday. Might Hislop's take on the issues be returned to the edit then? Or will we have to wait for next week's Private Eye?

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