this is bbc news. we will have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hours straight after this programme. hello and welcome to news watch with me, samira ahmed. the eurovision song contest is known for its extravagant and over—the—top style, but did bbc news go over the top itself in reporting on the event? and was the launch of a new video game a genuine news event or an excuse for a promotional plug?

first. the duke and duchess of sussex were back in the news on wednesday and not for the first time prompted a divided response among the audience. a spokesperson for the couple said they had experienced a near catastrophic car chase in new york, the previous night when being pursued by paparazzi. royal correspondent nicholas witchell gave his analysis to sophie raworth on the news at six. well, sophie, clearly something happened, something worrying and i'm sure alarming if you were at the centre of it. i think the question is, was it really on the scale and of the seriousness as depicted in this, perhaps rather vivid and breathless statement from the sussexes�* spokesman. a near catastrophic car chase, a relentless pursuit by a ring of paparazzi lasting for more than two hours. that doesn't appear to be being substantiated by what we are now starting to hear from the new york police department. some people thought the bbc

was showing too much scepticism towards the sussexes and their version of events, with mirabelle accusing it of sneering snide personal attacks on harry and meghan. but others had a different perspective with chris riches recording this video for us. hello bbc. i wanted to talk on the sensationalist reporting of harry's alleged chase through new york this week. it seems to me that in the panic to report a story here, you've actually forgotten the bbc's editorial guidelines. if the story was about a near death chase, then where was the independent corroboration and where are the facts? but if the story is about reporting, harry saying something, then itjust seems like you are dancing to the tune of this attention seeker. come on, bbc, you can do better than that. well, we asked bbc news for their response to those contrasting views, and they told us the duke and duchess of sussex, the subjects of great interest to many of our audiences.

last friday, saw the launch of a new video game made by nintendo. the legend of zelda, tears of the kingdom, and its release featured on bbc one's news bulletins that day. around the world, fans have queued through the night to get their hands on zelda tears of the kingdom. i100% believe that this game is going to be like nothing anybody has ever seen. everyone's excited about it because it's like, how do you follow up? like a masterpiece, basically. critically hailed as a work of art. and with the previous zelda title

grossing over £1,000,000,000 financial and audience expectations, four tiers of the kingdom four tears of the kingdom are very high indeed. dawn canal was watching that and had this response. just watching bbc news at six and saw what was tantamount we put that charge to bbc news and they told us gaming is now a huge industry with a big cultural impact for its many fans, the eurovision song contest is an annual excuse

to relish some extreme costumes, both on and off stage bizarre dance routines and sometimes surreal lyrics. so, when the competition came to liverpool last week, there was much to look forward to for the devotees and there was a feature on the news bulletins for them to enjoy. welcome to liverpool and one word, as you can see, is everywhere. and on tuesday... # cha cha cha cha cha cha cha. if glitter flags and nonstop finnish eurovision techno isn't your thing. be grateful you didn't book a seat in coaches d and e today. in the fan zone, the parties continued. fantastic. everyone's been so welcoming. it's. it'sjust fun. colorful, vibrant. yeah. everybody's friendly.

yeah. great atmosphere. and on thursday, a synth metal eurovision loving rock. eurovision loving rock god. what's brought you here? you've told them, haven't you? i've told them this will be your dream. on friday, jane hill co—presented the six and 10:00 news from liverpool tonight at six, the party is under way here in liverpool on the eve of the eurovision song contest, hosting on behalf of ukraine. by saturday afternoon, the imminent start of the final was breaking news on the news channel. it's those two broadcasters working together to deliver what is the best show on planet earth. is it that you're not able to dance to a eurovision classic that is playing in the background? we are talking waterloo and abba here and that's better. you can dance. well, let's see if that sense of excitement was shared by two viewers who contacted us this week, mark bradbury and deborah bardsley. thank you both for coming on. newswatch though, deborah, did all that coverage get you excited about eurovision?

i'm sorry, but it didn't. there was so much all the time that i actually got fed up with seeing that yet again. there was another comment about eurovision when it hadn't happened. if i'd wanted to follow the actual programmes specifically aimed at it, they were available on bbc one. i could have chosen to go there, but it felt as though every news bulletin spent far too long concentrating on what was going to be happening. so, it wasn't even news. it was an event looming rather than real news when there's so many other things happening in the uk and around the world. what were some of the other stories that you thought perhaps might have got neglected as a result? well, it was the fact that anything that would seem to be important, you didn't get it in the headlines. you really have to keep going back. i know, i'm talking about a week ago now and things have moved on, but there's always been problems in ukraine with russia knowing that there was the attention

on eurovision, but also the floods and other natural disasters that people needed needed to get the message out and we weren't hearing it. mark, i suppose people might say it was a big event and to host it in liverpool, you know, and it is linked in its own way mark, i suppose people might say it was a big event and to host it in liverpool, you know, and it is linked in its own way to the war in ukraine. was there not a news value in having all that coverage? well, there was some sense of having a news value. and it clearly showcase an event of this nature in uk. and to support ukraine at the same time is probably a good thing. but i completely agree with deborah. i think that it was disproportionate to the amount of other international and national events which were going on and issues which we all face daily, and especially where breakfast news was concerned monday to friday, especially the lead up to thursday and friday. i thought it was complete, excessive and to an extent lazyjournalism. it's quite easyjust to give time to the events and not really pay attention to the bigger issues that

are affecting us daily. and ijust think that it was disproportionate and excessive at times and it created in general a news blackout with the amount of excessive time that was given to the subject. i'm going to read you both the statement that the bbc has given us in response to the many concerns we've had from viewers like yourselves. so, here it is. deborah, first, what do you make of that response? well, i think i fully agree, having the coverage on bbc one

of the semi—finals and the finals, that's what's expected. but i didn't expect it to spill over onto the news channel. for instance, the day before they spent 20 minutes or so just talking to people who are there and saying, are you excited? well, i think they've chosen to go to liverpool. they were likely to be excited, but that wasn't news and it was the the lead item at 7:00, i think it was about 20 minutes. that is going above and beyond. and i think the statement highlights it, saying it's important for ukraine, eurovision and the bbc. i'm, ok, i could have gone elsewhere for the news, but i'm used to getting impartial bbc coverage on bbc news channel. absolutely. thank you, deborah. mark, what about your thoughts on the bbc response? again, with the situation in ukraine and obviously the uk supporting ukraine and hosting the events of the competition and within the united kingdom

was an opportunity, as i've already highlighted, to showcase what liverpool has got to offer to increase its economic output in terms of tourism and things of that nature. but in essence, i think i can't recall a year when the eurovision song contest has taken so much front and centre out of the news topics of the day and have suggested before created a real situation where there's been a news blackout. and from my mind i think eurovision has been a little bit tongue in cheek over the years. you've got very, very serious, very quickly highlighting the plight of the ukraine and that and i don't think it's a particularly balanced approach to things in general. can i thank you both, marc bradbury and deborah bardsley. thank you for coming on newswatch. thank you for all your comments this week. if you want to share your opinions

about what you see or hear on bbc news, on tv, radio, online and social media email newswatch at bbc.co.uk or you can find us on twitter at newswatch bbc. that's all from us. we'll be back to hear your thoughts about bbc news coverage again next week. goodbye. we will have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hours straight after this programme.

we got a knock on the door midnight on saturday night, and it was the uk police. and have you got a daughter in australia? yes. we came in here. i'm sorry to tell you, she's passed away. i said it can't be true. no, this can't be true. and the worst words were she'd hung herself. and it's such a traumatic thing to hear that your daughter's done that. she felt so bad that she did that. and there was no one there for her. no—one. he was their coach, their trusted adult, the man who promised to make them athletes. but paul north was grooming and abusing katie.

she was 13. he was almost 50. and she wasn't the only victim. very, very diceyjourney. most of the girls were absolutely terrified. obviously, being a macho man, i am. iwas fine. in 2002, north was convicted of rape and indecent assault. katie had found the courage to report her own abuse over a two year period after another girl went to police. the media were never allowed to show her face or say her name. north served half of his ten year sentence. oh, i've got it. don't worry about that. katie ran away to australia. she died aged almost a0. today, those who loved katie have

asked us to finally say her name, to show herface. they want us to bring katie out of the shadows, into the light, to celebrate her life, but also to highlight how badly she was failed. katie would want something good to come from this. that's why you're speaking. definitely. it's just so sad. and ifeel, ifeel betrayed for her, for my daughter. she was sacrificed. one of north's other victims was katie's best friend in the running club, charlie webster. this is where we used to come and sit on this piece of grass. i we just sit and, like, hang out.

like you do when you kids mess about. -