Martin Bashir’s wife and daughter left their £1.7million family home this morning one day after the BBC journalist was condemned over how he secured his bombshell Panorama interview with Princess Diana.
The father-of-three’s wife Deborah Bashir, 63, and daughter Eliza, 25, were photographed carrying a suitcase and two overnight bags into a waiting Audi A5 outside their six-bedroom detached home in Hampshire.
The couple, who only recently moved into the Edwardian house after selling their large North London townhouse for £1.8million last November, also have two older children – Phoebe, 30, and Samuel, 32.
Martin Bashir’s wife and daughter leave £1.7m Hampshire home after damning report exposed how disgraced BBC journalist secured bombshell Diana interview
It comes as BBC director-general Tim Davie told staff in an email that lessons must be learnt following the publication of Lord Dyson’s report into how the 1995 Diana scoop was obtained.
He said ‘people across the organisation feel deeply let down’ by the report which slated the BBC – but insisted he is ‘deeply proud’ of the broadcaster as it is today.
This morning, an Audi pulled up outside shamed reporter Bashir’s home before the driver got out and ushered in Mrs Bashir and Eliza – who did not say anything to waiting photographers – along with another woman before driving off.
Ten minutes later a woman from the BBC’s press office came over to the gathered media and gave a contact phone number for any further questions, saying that Mr Bashir’s family would not be commenting.
Neighbours at the scene told photographers that they did not know who 58-year-old Mr Bashir was, and had seen him going in and out of the property but without introducing himself to them.
It comes after Lord Dyson’s report yesterday savaged Mr Bashir and several senior BBC executives over their handling of the infamous 1995 broadcast that triggered one of the biggest crises in the Royal Family’s history.
In an email to staff, Mr Davie wrote: ‘This has been a difficult week. Alongside the very significant impact on those directly affected by Lord Dyson’s report, I know that people across the organisation feel deeply let down by the findings that we published yesterday.
‘This is particularly upsetting as I know how hard you all work to ensure we deliver journalism and programming that is fair, honest and of the very highest quality. That is what makes Lord Dyson’s findings so shocking for us.
‘Personally, I am deeply proud of the BBC that I run today, as I know you all are. We should all take pride in continuing to work for the world’s leading public service broadcaster. Right now, the best way to build and preserve our reputation is to keep delivering outstanding work across the organisation, earning the trust of audiences. Thanks to all of you for continuing to achieve this as we go through this demanding period.
‘We have much to reflect on. I know that we now have significantly stronger processes and governance in place to ensure that an event like this doesn’t happen again. However we must also learn lessons and keep improving.’