Well well well. On Wednesday, ITV announced that Prince Harry took part in their documentary called Tabloids On Trial. The documentary focuses on the British tabloids’ long history of phone hacking and criminal “newsgathering” methods, and several celebrities are interviewed too. Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church and Paul Gascoigne are also interviewed. But guess who’s getting the biggest headlines?
Prince Harry and Hugh Grant will be featured in an ITV documentary focusing on ongoing legal battles and involvement in the phone hacking scandal titled Tabloids On Trial.
The Duke of Sussex alleges that he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN) titles The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, which closed in 2011. In May, the prince’s lawyers were told by a London judge that he cannot expand the privacy lawsuit against to include allegations against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and presenter Piers Morgan.
In 2011, news broke that some of Britain’s biggest stars and figures were allegedly victims of a scandal whereby the media’s top newspapers were tapping landlines and fitting properties with listening devices in the name of journalism. NGN has denied any illegal activity took place at The Sun.
But in December, Justice Timothy Fancourt ruled in Prince Harry’s favor against Mirror Group Newspapers in a 386-page decision handed down in the High Court; he said that phone hacking, which for the prince dated back to 2003, was “widespread and habitual” at the Daily Mirror, and that executives there had covered it up.
Grant, ex-soccer player Paul Gascoigne, and singer-songwriter Charlotte Church will also be featured in the documentary after claiming to have had their privacy violated by the tabloid press. (Grant settled the illegal snooping case against NGN in April).
ITV News’s Rebecca Barry will sit down with Prince Harry – who has broken from royal tradition with the immense legal action – for his first major interview since the legal action commenced as the documentary “hears about his mission to continue his fight to expose the illegal tactics of Britain’s tabloid press, and explore what those in charge at Fleet Street really knew as this scandal unfolded.” The program will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Thursday, July 25.
Some Sussex Squad have suggested that the interview with Harry was conducted in the UK, but I haven’t seen any confirmation of that? It’s more than possible that ITV sent a crew to Montecito and conducted the interview there. It’s also possible that Harry did the interview in London during his visit in May (that timeline would make sense too). As for the documentary… I wonder if any American network will pick it up? Probably not, so I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to see it. I’m hopeful that the clips of Harry’s interview make it online. One thing which is grossly underreported is that Harry is an incredibly effective advocate for himself and his family. That’s why the Oprah interview was such a huge deal in the UK, that’s why Spare sold millions of copies, that’s why they fear all of his platforms – because Harry can and does advocate for himself and he’s well-spoken, direct and charismatic. And most of all, he’s believable.
Excited for you all to see this ITV documentary about phone hacking that we've been busy working on…
I interview Prince Harry – plus others who found themselves catapulted onto the tabloid front pages.
📺 Tabloids On Trial airs on ITV1 & ITVX at 9pm on Thursday July 25 pic.twitter.com/iBNlkFnqft
— Rebecca Barry (@BeccaBarry) July 10, 2024
NEW: @ITV announces Prince Harry has taken part in a documentary about phone hacking.
He tells our reporter @BeccaBarry why he is fighting to expose what he says are the illegal activities of Britain’s tabloid newspapers.
Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church, Paul Gascoigne also speak.… pic.twitter.com/0gFPZWMmo7
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) July 10, 2024
Photos courtesy of ITV and Avalon Red.
Prince Harry departs The Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Tuesday 28 March, 2023. He is part of a group suing the Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) in the High Court over phone hacking allegations.,Image: 765696129, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon 
Prince Harry arrives at The Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Thursday 30 March, 2023. He is part of a group suing the Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) in the High Court over phone hacking allegations.,Image: 766139764, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon 
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