5 News presenter Dan Walker previously opened up about the last ever conversation he had with Gary Speed, just hours before he died.
Back in November 2011, Dan interviewed his friend on Football Focus. Later that night, Gary tragically took his own life. Dan has said that the tragedy has forever shaped his approach to his job as a journalist.
Dan Walker on final conversation with Gary Speed
In an interview with Broadcast last summer, Dan shared one of his key principles as an interviewer.
Dan said he will “ask difficult questions”. However, he said he’ll “explain why I’m asking that question and always try to leave an interview in a nice way”.
He cited the interview he secured with Paul Ansell, the partner of the late missing woman Nicola Bulley, as an example of a job that he had to handle extremely sensitively.
“I know from covering previous cases, how horrible it is for a family. It feels like they can’t move without a camera pointed at them,” he said. “I said to Paul that even moments before live, he could pull out at any time, and I think he realised we weren’t out to get him. After the programme, he messaged to say he was happy.”
Dan explained that Gary Speed’s heartbreaking death had made a lasting impact on him in this way.
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“Ever since [his interview with Gary], I’ve got a permanent reminder of how you leave situations and interviews,” he said. “It was a nice conversation, but those were the last things I ever said to him and if it had gone differently, it would be a very different subject to look back on.”
“Journalists have a real responsibility,” he added. “In a time when everyone wants a scoop and an exclusive, you have to be happy with how you’ve got it, and how much of your soul you’ve sold to achieve that.”
5 News at 5 airs daily from 5pm on Channel 5 and My5.
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