Prince Harry once again lit the fire in his family in an explosive interview with Tom Bradby in Prince Harry: The Interview, which aired on ITV on Sunday night.
Television critics have accused Bradby of fawning over his 20-year friendship with the Duke, calling the interview “stage-directed and unchallenging from start to finish” and “choreographed”.
While one reviewer said Bradby isn’t a bad interviewer, he’s not a great one either, for not pressing Prince Harry on some of the tougher topics, like when he criticizes the intrusion of the press, during his own personal marketing ploy.
However, others argued that Harry’s sadness over the death of his beloved mother, Princess Diana, in 1997 was emotional, moving and heartbreaking to watch.
Trauma is etched on her face as she recounts how she demanded and got to see the secret government file on Diana’s death.
‘Directed by the stage and unchallenged from start to finish’: TV critics have called Harry: The Interview ‘choreographed’ and accuse Tom Bradby of ‘letting it slip too often’
Nick Hilton, writes for The Independent: “If you’re not already exhausted by the endless Windsor saga, get ready for another look inside Britain’s iciest family.”
Meanwhile, Bradby is never one to leave a boot unlicked. He describes Harry’s prose as alternately “moving”, “biting”, “funny”, “biting” and “heartbreaking”. “I don’t think anyone is going to read it and not fly through it,” comes his final conclusion.
“It’s a level of fawning over—Bradby denies at first that they’ve “known each other for more than 20 years”—typical of a product that’s stage-driven and unchallenging from start to finish. For all the young prince’s criticism of press intrusion, here he has created little more than a press release.
The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan is more supportive, stating that “if I had lived to see this, I would not have killed the Queen.” But she could have made her a Republican.
“We were first softened by the memory of his childhood and the devastating death of his mother when he was 12, a psychic wound that rarely heals completely, even for children raised in the most functional families, which few would say are the Windsors. . .
“A very moving segment from the audiobook is played, beautifully read by Harry himself, about how he demanded and got to see the secret government file on Diana’s death. His press secretary deleted the most gruesome photos, but allowed him to see everything he thought Harry could handle, because he knew he had to.
Mike Ward writes for The Express: ‘It smacks of the most cynical marketing ploy. Tom didn’t seem very interested in pressing Harry on that point, but he didn’t expect him to either.
That’s not to say that Bradby is a bad interviewer. But he did not prove to be great.
A great interviewer doesn’t just ask, they also look for the right answers. With Harry banging on “owning [his] story”, pushed him to acknowledge his brother’s “counter-narrative”… But in the end, you were left with the feeling that he had let him off the hook too often.
Carol Midgely of The Times writes: “Tom Bradby threw some decent hard balls at Prince Harry in Harry: The Interview but missed the obvious question. Will there ever come a day, Harry, when this whining stops?
“Let’s be fair, some of her complaints were valid and the opening section about how her father told her about her mother’s death (“Dear boy, Mommy’s been in a car accident”) was heartbreaking. The trauma is still written on her face.
“But overall, Bradby did a good job in the interviews, often with a visibly raised eyebrow trying to show Harry where he had contradicted himself. Harry has some solid grievances, but he’s steeped in therapy jargon and often at times felt, once again, like a very privileged man who has a very long grievance.
Anita Singh of The Telegraph writes: ‘Prince Harry ITV interview review: The duke seemed incredulous that Tom Bradby was challenging his narrative.
“So, in terms of scoops, the interview had little to recommend it, because every part of the book had been done ad nauseam. However, as a psychological study, it was darkly fascinating. Nothing is Harry’s fault, and almost everything can be blamed on the press. He mentioned the tabloids more times than he could count, with a relentlessness that bordered on obsession.
‘It was a strong but unpleasant interview to watch. Bradby seemed exhausted at the end. Although I suspect that after this interview, he’ll be back on Buckingham Palace’s Christmas card list.