George Best felt he was ‘manipulated’ by Martin Bashir into giving interview – as ex-wife claims disgraced journalist cast her as a heavy drinker sending him to early grave despite ‘plying’ her with alcohol to win her trust
- Alex Best, 49, claimed she was pushed by Bashir into agreeing to a documentary
- Said Bashir portrayed her as a heavy drinker, pushing husband to early grave
- Bashir interviewed the Irish legend in 2000, five years before his death
George Best’s ex-wife has said the footballer believed he had been ‘manipulated’ and ‘cheated’ into giving an interview with the now disgraced reporter Martin Bashir.
Alex Best, 49, claimed she was pushed by Bashir into agreeing to a documentary about her husband, even as he fought chronic liver damage brought on by alcoholism.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Mirror, Alex said Bashir portrayed her and Best’s agent Phil Hughes as heavy drinkers who were driving Best to an early grave.
The Irish footballing legend passed away aged 58 following a liver transplant in 2005, a year after he and Alex divorced.
She said Best ‘felt like he had been manipulated’ after seeing that the ‘main point’ of the 2000 interview was of her and Hughes ‘pushing him back to drink’.
Alex added that her husband felt ‘cheated’ by Bashir and was ‘so upset’ about how she was ‘attacked’ in the documentary.
The revelation comes after the publication of former judge Lord Dyson’s explosive report on the broadcaster’s 1995 Panorama interview with Princess Diana.
It found Bashir faked bank statements and used ‘deceitful’ behaviour to trick Princess Diana.
George Best’s ex-wife has said the footballer believed he had been ‘manipulated’ and ‘cheated’ into giving an interview with disgraced reporter Martin Bashir. Pictured: Bashir’s 2000 interview with Best
Alex Best, 49, claimed she was pushed by Bashir into agreeing to a documentary about her husband, even as he fought chronic liver damage brought on by alcoholism. Pictured: Best and Alex in 2004, the year they divorced
Best was interviewed by Bashir, who then worked for ITV, after being seriously ill in hospital following decades of heavy drinking.
Bashir reportedly approached Alex the day after her husband had been admitted to hospital.
Alex told the Mirror: ‘It’s sad that George isn’t here to see Bashir finally exposed for what he is, because he would be delighted to see it.
‘George felt cheated by Bashir. He was so upset about how I was attacked in the documentary.
‘It left him feeling distraught and I think the upset of it stayed with him right up until he died.
Alex said that Best felt it was ‘too far’ when he saw how Bashir’s interview made it appear that her and Hughes were ‘pushing him back to drink’.
Best was interviewed by Bashir, who then worked for ITV, after being seriously ill in hospital following decades of heavy drinking
Alex said that Best felt it was ‘too far’ when he saw how Bashir’s documentary made it appear that her and Hughes were ‘pushing him back to drink’
Alex also claimed that Bashir ‘used’ his interview with Diana as his ‘main thing’ to secure their conversation.
She said the reporter would not leave her alone and claimed he would wait for her to leave the hospital where her then husband was being treated.
Best said Bashir ‘worked on’ her for five weeks to secure the interview.
The fresh claims of underhand tactics employed by Bashir come after Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer last night demanded Scotland Yard investigate the BBC over her Panorama interview.
The Metropolitan Police promised it would ‘assess’ any possible new evidence into former senior judge Lord Dyson’s explosive report into how the interview was secured.
The allegation will intensify the pressure on the Met for a full investigation into how Bashir persuaded Diana to agree to the bombshell broadcast.
The force promised yesterday that it would ‘assess’ any new evidence in Lord Dyson’s report.
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland also weighed in, saying that the former Master of the Rolls’ findings raised ‘very serious issues’.
The fresh claims of underhand tactics employed by Bashir come after Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer last night demanded Scotland Yard investigate the BBC over her Panorama interview
He suggested that ‘fraud’ and ‘forgery’ may have occurred.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday warned the BBC: ‘Nothing like this must ever happen again.’
And Princes William and Harry accused the corporation of ruining their mother’s live with the ‘deceitful’ interview.
According to a friend, Earl Spencer believed Bashir had established ‘coercive control’ over his sister.
Lord Dyson concluded in his enquiry that Bashir commissioned fake bank statements – a blatant breach of BBC rules – to convince Earl Spencer to introduce him to Diana.
It is understood that Earl Spencer first wrote to Dame Cressida in January.
He has since been in regular touch with the head of the Met’s specialist crime squad, Commander Alex Murray.
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