Paul Dacre to lift lid on Daily Mail years in three-part Channel 4 documentary

Paul Dacre is set to “lift the lid” on his 26 years as Daily Mail editor in a three-part documentary series to air on Channel 4.

The World According to Paul Dacre will include the influential and often controversial newsman’s views on the death of Princess Diana, the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Blair and Cameron regimes and Brexit.

Each episode will run for an hour and promises a “unique journey through a quarter century of British history from the man who wrote the headlines: ‘Murderers’ and ‘Take a Bow Britain!’”

Dacre (pictured), 70, stepped down as Daily Mail editor last year. He is now chairman and editor-in-chief of Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Mail and Metro titles.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “His headlines have shaped modern Britain, delivering body blows to the Establishment while championing the causes of ordinary people.

“Every day it hit the stands, Dacre’s Daily Mail enraged liberals, terrified politicians and captivated millions of readers.

“Few eras have seen such rapid change: political, moral, social, with Dacre often positioning himself as the voice of outrage. He has been accused of many things, but never irrelevance.

“Under his tenure, the Daily Mail became one of the most widely read newspapers in the world.”

James Rogan, who directed the BBC Stephen Lawrence documentary, Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation, which included an interview with Dacre when it aired last year, is behind the new programme.

He said: ‘After filming with Paul Dacre… I felt there was a gripping behind-the-headlines story to be told, that would uncover his journey towards becoming the most influential British journalist of our time.

“In his first ever extended TV interview, Paul’s story will be framed by the significant historic events that were reported, forming a fascinating insight into the world according to Paul Dacre.”

Channel 4 head of factual Danny Horan said: ‘The question of whether Paul Dacre and the Daily Mail have set or reflected the mood of the nation over the last quarter of a century is asked all too often.

“For the first time, we will ask Paul Dacre himself. This will be an iconic history series that will reveal how our most revered and reviled newspaper shaped Britain.

“Everything we thought we knew is about to be turned on its head.”

The World According to Paul Dacre is set to air in early 2021.

Picture: BBC