Reform UK Withdraws from BBC Documentary Amid Trust Breakdown
Nigel Farage's Reform UK has abruptly withdrawn from a major BBC documentary about the party's political ascent, citing a complete loss of trust in the broadcaster following revelations about misleading editing in a Donald Trump documentary. The decision represents a significant escalation in the ongoing controversy surrounding the BBC's editorial standards.
The documentary, titled The Rise Of Reform, was scheduled to air in January 2026 and was being produced by the independent production company October Films, with veteran journalist Laura Kuenssberg as presenter. However, in an internal memo circulated to all Reform MPs, councillors, and senior figures, party officials were instructed to immediately cease all cooperation with the production.
Internal Memo Reveals Party's Position
The memo, obtained by Sky News, explicitly stated that while October Films had always conducted themselves professionally, the party could no longer proceed given the broken trust following the Panorama documentary controversy. Reform officials were strongly advised to decline any further participation and to withdraw consent for any previously recorded footage.
A senior party official wrote in the communication: "We want to be clear that October Films have always conducted themselves professionally, and there is no suggestion from our side that they would maliciously misrepresent Reform UK. However, following the Panorama documentary the trust has been lost."
Production Company 'Shocked' by Omission
Meanwhile, sources close to October Films expressed surprise that the company wasn't informed about concerns regarding the Panorama Trump documentary, despite an internal BBC review identifying the problematic edit back in January 2025. The production company had collaborated on the one-hour Panorama special, Trump: A Second Chance, with a predominantly in-house BBC team.
A source revealed to Sky News: "October Films were not informed there was any question of integrity with the edit. Had they been given the opportunity, they would have insisted on the edit being changed." The Emmy and BAFTA-winning independent producer reportedly first learned about the misleading edit when a leaked BBC memo was published in The Telegraph.
The Controversial Edit Explained
The core of the controversy centres on an edit in the Panorama documentary that spliced together two separate parts of Donald Trump's speech from January 6, 2021. The edited clip presented Trump as saying: "We're gonna walk down to the Capitol and I'll be with you and we fight. We fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not gonna have a country anymore."
In reality, the phrases "We're gonna walk down to the Capitol and I'll be with you" were spoken approximately 50 minutes before "and we fight. We fight like hell..." The cut was concealed using crowd shots, creating the impression of a continuous sentence that suggested direct incitement to violence.
Fallout and Legal Consequences
The repercussions have been substantial for the BBC. Both director-general Tim Davie and head of BBC News Deborah Turness have departed their positions following the scandal. Adding to the broadcaster's difficulties, Donald Trump's lawyers sent a formal letter on Monday threatening to sue the corporation for $1 billion unless they issue a full retraction, apologise immediately, and provide appropriate compensation.
The BBC has been given until 10pm UK time on Friday to respond to the legal threat. In his letter to the CMS committee, BBC Chair Samir Shah described the edit as an "error of judgement" and acknowledged it "did give the impression of a direct call for violent action."
The 57-minute Panorama special first aired on BBC One on 28 October 2024, one week before the US election. While the documentary was available on iPlayer in the UK, it was geoblocked from US viewers and never broadcast in the United States. The international version of the film excluded the controversial Capitol speech moment entirely.
