‘Desperate for attention’: Prince Harry reveals new show amid award backlash

Prince Harry’s latest TV appearance has been revealed as royal allies slammed the Duke’s ‘sad’ decision to accept a ‘retail award’

Prince Harry will appear in a new documentary about phone hacking in Britain titled “Tabloids On Trial”.

The announcement of the ITV documentary comes on the eve of Prince Harry’s appearance at a glitzy ceremony in Los Angeles to accept the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

The Duke of Sussex has “no plans” to reject the ESPY award on Thursday (local time) despite shock from the mother of Pat Tillman, who was killed in Afghanistan after leaving his NFL career after the 9/11 terror attacks.

Most Americans agree with Mary Tillman that Prince Harry was too controversial and privileged for the honour, with a Newsweek poll showing only 21 per cent of people believed the Duke should receive the award.

Prince Harry interviewed for Tabloids on Trial. Picture: ITV

Prince Harry has spoken in a new documentary, Tabloids on Trial. Picture: ITV

Prince Harry’s royal friends and ex-army colleagues slammed his decision to accept the award as a “clear symbol of his desperate need for attention”.

“The irony of the whole of the last four years is that Harry and Meghan said they were leaving the royal family so the media would leave them alone,” a royal courtier told The Daily Beast. “And now, here Harry is, literally picking up retail awards on live TV. It’s pathetic”.

Pat Tillman was a former NFL player who died in Afghanistan. Picture: Supplied

A military source from Prince Harry’s time with the army added it was sad to see “an amazing guy who everyone respected, doing this kind of stuff”.

“If you get a medal in the army, you don’t brag about it, so the idea of turning up at a televised awards ceremony to be honoured would be utterly embarrassing to most military people,” they said.

After Prince Harry accepts the award on July 11, he will next appear in the ITV documentary airing in the UK on July 25 (local time).

Tabloids On Trial, hosted by ITV reporter Becca Barry, will also feature actor Hugh Grant, ex-soccer player Paul Gascoigne, and singer-songwriter Charlotte Church after claiming their privacy was violated by the British press.

Hugh Grant in Tabloids on Trial. Picture: ITV

Singer Charlotte Church will also appear in the ITV documentary. Picture: Getty Images

It will be Prince Harry’s first major interview since taking legal action against several Fleet Street organisations, including Mirror Group Newspaper and News Group Newspapers.

The documentary will hear about Prince Harry’s “mission to continue his fight to expose the illegal tactics of Britain’s tabloid press, and explore what those in charge at Fleet Street really knew as this scandal unfolded”, ITV said in a statement.

Originally published as ‘Desperate for attention’: Prince Harry reveals new show amid award backlash