Matt Fiddes v Channel 4, Studio Lambert & Jane Preston

By: Tony Murtagh | Posted: 25th June 2010

Channel 4 and Studio Lambert have made various statements to the press, through themselves and Katherine Jackson, which must not stand unanswered and uncorrected.



Matthew Fiddes and Channel 4 agreed to settle this action by mutual consent, on the basis that the Defendants fully and publicly accepted that Mr Fiddes had not sold stories about the Jacksons during the period of filming the programme, and thus betrayed the family as suggested in the programme. This allegation was the central reason for suing Channel 4 for libel in the first place. In return Mr Fiddes agreed to withdraw certain peripheral aspects of his claim.



Channel 4 have agreed to bear their own costs of defending this action, amounting to almost £2m. This is in no way a 'win' for the Defendants, as reported. Mr Fiddes is delighted with the outcome, and the acceptance of the Defendants after 18 months that they could not defend the central allegation of the programme. Among some 20 witnesses ready to testify on behalf of Mr Fiddes was the author of the negative press article upon which Channel 4 and Studio Lambert's film turned; he was ready to testify that neither Mr Fiddes nor anyone connected to him was a source for the article. This was put to Channel 4 by the journalist in writing prior to the broadcast but ignored by them.



The false suggestion that Mr Fiddes did not know the late Michael Jackson could not have been supported in Court and would have been rebutted by a significant body of witness and documentary evidence.



This is in no sense a win for the Defendants and we require that all media be corrected accordingly failing which we will be obliged to take further action.

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Tags: suggestion, broadcast, journalist, witness, mutual consent, documentary evidence, allegation, michael jackson, libel, channel 4