Strictly’s Dan Walker defends Channel 5’s lost Titanic submarine "special"
Dan Walker has defended Channel 5's upcoming "news special" about the missing Titan submersible.
On Sunday (June 18), five passengers boarded the OceanGate submarine to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. However, all contact was lost shortly after its departure and there has been no trace of it since.
Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea, which will be presented by Walker and airs Thursday at 7pm, is set to "go beyond" news coverage and examine the "wider context about the voyage, its passengers and the fascination with the Titanic shipwreck" (via Variety).
Related: Strictly's Dan Walker insists Channel 5 move isn’t the end of his BBC career
The special, which was announced by Variety as a "fast-turnaround documentary", was met with considerable controversy on Twitter.
One user called it "distasteful," while others criticised the insensitive timing of it, as it airs just hours after the submarine's oxygen is believed to run out.
Responding to the backlash, Walker tweeted: "I’m not sure the word 'documentary' is helpful here. We are not making a documentary at all. It’s a 'news special'. See you on @5_News at 5 and then at 7pm for our special programme on @channel5_tv."
I’m not sure the word ‘documentary’ is helpful here.
We are not making a documentary at all.
It’s a ‘news special’.
See you on @5_News at 5 and then at 7pm for our special programme on @channel5_tv https://t.co/ighXHsCNmf— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) June 22, 2023
Related: Strictly stars Dan Walker and Helen Skelton team up for new show
Following Titanic Sub's announcement, Ian Rumsey, managing director of content for ITN, said: "This program will chart everything from the exploration itself, to the rise of extreme tourism, to the rescue attempts, but above all it will tell a very human story that has captured the nation which is about 5 people, all with families, who are trapped at the bottom of the ocean.
"Our expertise and heritage in fast-turnaround documentaries and reputation for responsible filmmaking means we always treat such stories with great sensitivity.”
Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea airs at 7pm on Channel 5 tonight.
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