BBC to spend 100,000 pounds on Cherie Blair documentary

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is to spend an estimated 100,000 pounds of tax-payers money on a documentary about Cherie Blairs time at 10, Downing Street.

London, May 14 : The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is to spend an estimated 100,000 pounds of tax-payers' money on a documentary about Cherie Blair's time at 10, Downing Street.

According to the Daily Mail, Cherie Blair allowed a BBC crew access to the Prime Minister's residence and on private trips in the UK and abroad for four months.

Presenter Fiona Bruce even trailed Cherie Blair as far as Rwanda for the hour-long retrospective.

Such a documentary is normally reserved for outgoing premiers; critics are questioning the BBC's need for commissioning the show.

One suggested the Corporation was simply giving Mrs Blair free publicity for her money-spinning lecture tours.

Lion Television is making the programme, which is behind the reality TV show Castaway.

Apart from Rwanda, Blair travelled to Tanzania and Uganda, where she attended the launches of schemes to help support women in business.

Insiders say Mrs Blair has lived up to her nickname of 'Cherie Antoinette' during filming, with crew members mocking her 'regal' behaviour behind her back.

One told the Mail: "At times Mrs Blair was absolutely intolerable.

"During meetings with African presidents and ministers she was treating them as equals, as if she was a Prime Minister herself."

The BBC crew only met up with her for two days in Rwanda, when Miss Bruce was reportedly banned from following Mrs Blair into a meeting with the President, much to the presenter's displeasure.

Blair was also said to have claimed she did not want a programme to be made about her.

The show could be shown in America, Canada and Australia, either on the BBC's subscription channels or on indigenous stations.

Downing Street last night declined to comment.

ANI