As Netflix release first glimpse of Jill Dando documentary - here’s the legacy they missed…
By Editor (Happiness) Jill Dando News
The three-part series Who Killed Jill Dando? will stream on Netflix on 26th of this month - but the good news is her unique positive legacy continues to expand.
Students in schools across Jill’s former school, county, as well as in Africa are being inspired to do positive, kind and brilliant journalism in memory of the murdered TV presenter.
Aged 8 to 18, they are real-life news reporters, finding positive stories, turning bad news into good and believing that ‘all things are possible’.
It means there is now an expanding ‘army’ of good news gatherers being created in Jill’s memory, trained by professional journalists including Jill’s older brother Nigel, Nick Ross, Fiona Bruce and many more.
Their stories are posted onto the Good News Post www.GoodNewsPost.co.uk - which is a newspaper for a new age of angst, uniquely combining News and Happiness, with a theme ‘News That’s Good For You’.
The scheme began at Worle Academy, part of The Priory Learning Trust in Somerset, in 2017 and has since spread out. Thousands of young people have heard the story and legacy of Jill across Britain and Malawi in Africa.
The first graduate of the scheme, Alex Crowther, 23, is now one of the youngest football club board members in Britain at Weston-super-Mare, FC, after completing a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism. A fellow graduate of Jill Dando News, childhood friends of Alex and at Priory, is now flying high in the world of football journalism.
Another graduate Samara Sivita, 19, has become Mental Health Correspondent and appeared on Times Radio campaigning for mental health help from the Government.
The first graduate of Jill Dando News at Jill’s old school Olivia Finch, 18, is now studying to be a doctor at Bristol University.
Reporters have already interviewed Prime Minister Boris Johnson in front of a TV audience of millions inside Downing Street and they have been acclaimed by stars and celebrities including Sir Richard Branson, Sir Cliff Richard and Fiona Bruce.
Dawn Carey, Editor (Happiness) is also CEO of In Charley’s Memory which started in 2015, after the death of Charley, 18.
She said: “Netflix is coming out to tell the story of Jill, but the positive good news side of this is that Jill’s legacy is helping people one person at a time.
“In these days of rocketing mental health issues for people of all ages, this is a timely project which will help so many.
“We are passionate about making sure there are no more Charley’s and this project is highlighting all the positives of life as well as campaigning for extra help to help more people.”
Reporters have also had tips from journalists such as Fiona Bruce and Sophie Ridge.
The official synopsis for the documentary series says: "British broadcasting legend, Jill Dando, was killed by a single bullet on her doorstep in 1999 in broad daylight. Despite one of the biggest homicide investigations in British history, the murder remains unsolved.
"This three-part series takes viewers through the twists and the turns of a true crime mystery as her family, friends, journalists, investigators and lawyers wrestle with the question: Who Killed Jill Dando?"
In 1999, tragedy struck when Jill Dando, a vibrant 37-year-old BBC journalist and Crimewatch host, lost her life to a gunshot wound outside her West London residence in Fulham.
Her brutal murder reverberated across the nation, leaving her family, friends, and the entire public yearning for answers that remained frustratingly elusive for many years.
Barry George was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison in 2001 for Jill's murder. However, his conviction was later quashed, and he was acquitted at a second trial in 2008 due to insufficient evidence. This left the case wide open, with more than 2,000 potential suspects and many conspiracy theories, but no clear resolution.
The documentary aims to bring viewers closer to the truth by speaking with Jill's relatives, friends, co-workers, and even Barry George, who can be seen in a trailer for the series reflecting on the eight years of his life that were taken away from him.
The promo, which you can watch below, provides a glimpse into the emotional toll this case has taken on those involved, including Sun columnist Jane Moore, who expresses her disbelief that Jill's killer remains at large after 24 years.
