Family photoThe family of Nicola Bulley said it was “emotionally draining” to speak about her for a BBC documentary, but they did it to “ensure she has the legacy that she deserves.”
The Lancashire mother-of-two disappeared on 27 January 2023 while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, shortly after dropping her daughters at school.
Her body was found in a river on 19 February 2023 and an inquest in June last year found she had died due to accidental drowning.
The Search For Nicola Bulley explores the media coverage and the impact of “amateur internet sleuths” conducting their own investigations, as well as hearing from Lancashire Police and Ms Bulley’s family.
Nicola’s sister Louise Cunningham, along with her parents Ernest and Dorothy Bulley and partner Paul Ansell, revealed the impact of the public scrutiny on their lives in the documentary.
Director Rachel Lob-levyt, who worked on Louis Theroux Interviews and Hospital, told the Radio Times the “family tell their story in their own words, unfiltered”.
She said: “We had a viewing with the family. It was difficult – obviously emotional for them. They feel the documentary really honours their experience, and honours Nikki.
“At the time she went missing, Paul was subject to a really difficult level of scrutiny.
“The idea of putting himself back in the public eye is nerve-racking but ultimately, he thought it the right thing to do.”
TikTokers ‘playing detective’
She said social media sleuths had felt entitled to say whatever they wanted about Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
“In the past we’d have talked about these things in the pub, whereas now people broadcast it online and everything is accelerated. Opinion takes on similar weight to verified information,” she added.
A coroner recorded Ms Bulley’s death as accidental, saying she had fallen into the river and suffered “cold water shock”, and there was “no evidence” to suggest suicide.
Police had accused people on TikTok of “playing private detectives” in the area amid her disappearance, and said they had been “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours” relating to the case.
Family photoPeople on social media made false accusations about there being third-party involvement.
Rumours were spread about a derelict house on the other side of the River Wyre, a red van in the area, a fisherman seen nearby and a glove belonging to Ms Bulley, which were all dismissed by police.
Her family had previously hit out at “wildly inaccurate speculation” after the 45-year-old’s death.
They released a statement through the production company Rogan Productions about the new documentary, saying that taking part “wasn’t an easy decision”.
They said: “Nikki’s face and name quickly became very recognisable, but there is so much to share about Nikki the person.
“Our sole aim is to provide the definitive record on Nikki to ensure she has the legacy that she deserves.”
‘Emotionally draining’
The family said many people had aired their views about her disappearance and her “untimely and tragic death”, but only they could speak about her as “a mummy, partner, daughter, and sister”.
They added: “It was emotionally draining reliving some of our experiences, but we wanted to do this for Nikki.”
An independent College of Policing review of the investigation into her disappearance found the relationship between police and the media “to be fractured”, and urged for it to be rebuilt.
It also criticised the disclosure of personal information about Ms Bulley’s health struggles as “avoidable and unnecessary”.
- The Search For Nicola Bulley is set to air on 3 October on BBC One.
