There is no basis for opposing broadcasting these interviews in principle, as they deal with a legitimate area of public interest. But the questioning was entirely lacking in rigour. The journalist asking the questions, Martin Bashir, had previously conducted the rather superficial and sensationalist interviews with Princess Diana, and the British nanny Louise Woodward, who was found guilty in a US court of the killing of baby, Mathew Eapen. Bashir illicited very little that was not already public knowledge and spent a great deal of time on largely pointless questions relating to the well-known racist views of the five. It was embarrassing to hear him ask, on behalf of black people, for an apology from one of the suspects.
Allegiances change as they have done in other cases.
Girlfriends change, friends change, people change their behaviour. Even then, after six years this would be problematic. Under Bashir's questioning there was an admission that the five were in the habit of carrying knives before Stephen's murder. Inconsistencies were revealed regarding how three of the suspects had first heard of the killing and another admission by Norris that he may have been at his girlfriend's home on the night of the murder, as opposed to staying at his parents house, which was his original claim. This would have placed him within half a mile of the scene of the crime.