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Sunday Night to air Diana: The Secret Tapes

Controversial Diana doco airs in a two hour Sunday Night special this weekend.

Controversial UK doco Diana: The Secret Tapes airs in a two hour Sunday Night special this weekend.

The Channel 4 special attracted criticism in Britain because it draws upon video recordings made during speech lessons with voice coach Peter Settelen.

In the UK this was titled as Diana: In Her Own Words (not to be confused with another of the same name that recently aired on National Geographic.

An unguarded Diana speaks candidly about many topics including the Queen, Prince Charles; their marriage and his affair with Camilla, and her lovers.

By 1992 the Princess’ marriage to Charles was in trouble and sparked her illicit cooperation with Andrew Morton on his 1993 book release ‘Diana: Her true story’. Diana’s appearance on BBC TV’s Panorama followed in 1995, which led directly to her divorce from Charles.

Between these two dates Diana spent several months secretly learning how to deliver speeches – what her story would be and how to present herself. These sessions with her speech coach were central to Diana’s transformation from, in her words, ‘a fat podgy Sloane’ to arguably the most famous woman in the world at the time of her death in 1997.

These sessions were filmed on an amateur video camera and capture the only known unmediated footage of Diana. In this footage, the Princess is lively, mischievous, humorous and enormously charming – a glimpse of the private Diana.

Those who knew Diana personally are interviewed for Diana – The Secret Tapes. Anne Allan, who worked with Diana as her dance teacher for nearly a decade; Dr James Coulthurst, who knew Diana before she married Charles, and maintained their relationship up until her death; Ken Wharfe, her former personal bodyguard; and Patrick Jephson who for almost a decade looked after her official business.

Sunday, August 27 at 8.00pm on Seven.

9 Responses

  1. All we need is a repeat of the naomi watts film, Diana(which 7 has the rights for ) and show that also as it seems to be the topic of the month for the 7 network at the moment.

  2. Besides Diana (though the ratings were poor last night) Home & Away & the Chase, what hits does Seven Have? I notice Hells Kitchen has turned its attention Issa from (surprise surprise) the Chase.

  3. Seriously yet another Diana doco on Seven. The cupboard seems a little bare at Seven at the moment. This would have to be close to the tenth one they’ve aired including the story Met Doyle did on SN.

  4. Is anyone keeping a tally on how many Diana, JonBenét Ramsey and OJ Simpson related shows have been on TV in the past 18 months? A show featuring all three would be a ratings bonanza

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