The Duke of Sussex’s courtroom evidence is to be reconstructed by an actor who featured in Outlander in a series of special programmes for Sky News.
Actor Laurence Dobiesz will be bringing to life “significant moments” from the statements made by Harry in London’s High Court this week in his claim against the publisher of the Daily Mirror.
The duke, 38, is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists at its titles – which also include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception, and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
MGN is contesting his claim and has either denied or not admitted that articles about Harry being examined at the trial involved phone hacking or unlawful activity.
Each night at 9pm, Sky News broadcaster Jonathan Samuels is set to present the special, titled Harry In Court, with Dobiesz voicing evidence given by the duke.
The actor has previously appeared in historical drama Outlander as well as 2011’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows which starred Robert Downey Jr.
A preview clip of Dobiesz’s portrayal has gained considerable attention from social media users after it was posted on Sky News’s Twitter account.
Some questioned the editorial decision of the broadcaster to recreate the scene while others were not convinced by Dobiesz’s impersonation.
On Tuesday, Harry faced nearly five hours of questions from a barrister for MGN as he became the first senior royal in more than two decades to personally appear in court proceedings.
His claim is being heard alongside three other “representative” claims during a trial which began last month and is due to last six to seven weeks.
The three other representative claimants are Coronation Street actor Michael Turner, known professionally as Michael Le Vell, who is best known for playing Kevin Webster in the long-running soap, former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson and comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman.
Sky News’s executive editor and managing director Jonathan Levy has said the reconstruction of the duke’s evidence will “offer viewers an accurate and fair representation of what is said and a better understanding of how the case unfolds” as no cameras or recording are allowed in the courtroom.
“Sky News has a long tradition of reconstructing off-camera proceedings, with our re-enactment of the Michael Jackson trial in 2005 and Hutton Inquiry in 2003,” he added.
Broadcaster GB News also featured its own reconstruction of court room proceedings, following the first day of Harry’s evidence.
A clip posted online showed an unnamed white actor with ginger hair in a mocked up court room setting, answering questions from another actor, dressed as a barrister.
