BBC viewers criticise Nicola Bulley documentary over 'infuriating' issue

The BBC has faced backlash from viewers over a documentary delving into the search for Nicola Bulley, largely due to the significant attention it paid to social media detectives.

Broadcast at 9pm on BBC One, The Search for Nicola Bulley recounts the tale of the mother-of-two's vanishing and the following probe, featuring insights from her family.

Nicola vanished on January 27, 2023, while walking her dog by the River Wyre in St Michael's, Lancashire, sparking worldwide intrigue. This led to an influx of online detectives and the spread of damaging conspiracy theories.

The discovery of the 45-year-old's body in the river was a grim turn of events, with one individual on TikTok claiming to have made £9,000 after capturing footage of her being retrieved from the water.

In a poignant part of the documentary, Paul Ansell, Nicolas husband, described the overwhelming expectation to engage with the media as the global public scrutinised every aspect of the case. He expressed feeling effectively "silenced" by social media, unable to respond to abhorrent messages, fearing any reaction could exacerbate the situation, reports Lancs Live.

True crime podcaster Gisela K features heavily in the programme, with clips from TikTokers who combed the scene in the wake of Nicola's disappearance also making up a chunk of the footage.

With the negative influence of social media explored in-depth in the documentary, many viewers were annoyed that any air time was given to people who participated in the online discourse about her disappearance.

One viewer expressed their feelings, writing: "Watching the Nicola Bulley doc, so sad but infuriating seeing the shameless grifters making TikTok videos etc, just vile! Her poor family." Another added: "Watching The Search For Nicola Bulley. Some of these social media sleuths need to have a word with themselves. Trading speculation and libel for clicks... Imperfect as the system is, there's a reason journalists are trained and regulated."

An irate viewer shared: "If someone on social media or TikTok says it so - then obviously it must be true. This documentary needs to stop giving these people any credibility or time."

Nicola's death was recorded as accidental by a coroner, who stated she fell into the river and suffered "cold water shock", and there was "no evidence" to suggest suicide.