BBC viewers have same complaint moments into Nicola Bulley documentary

A BBC documentary investigating the search for Nicola Bulley has faced backlash from viewers over its significant focus on armchair detectives and social media sleuths.

The programme, titled The Search for , aired at 9pm on One, depicting the intense search for the missing mother-of-two, with the family also participating in the storytelling.

Nicola disappeared during a dog walk by the River Wyre on January 27, 2023, in St Michael's on Wyre, leading to an international frenzy over her mystifying case. This attention drew a slew of online detectives and conspiracy theorists to the scene.

Eventually, the 45-year-old was found dead in the same river, a tragic development that saw one TikToker confess to making £9,000 by capturing the heart-breaking moment she was retrieved from the water.

An impactful segment revealed the emotional plight of Nicola's husband, Paul Ansell, as he discussed how he felt "silenced" by the barrage of social media activity, unable to publicly refute unfounded accusations or respond to hateful messages without potentially exacerbating the situation, reports .

True crime podcaster Gisela K, along with TikTokers who descended on the location post-tragedy, were prominently featured in the documentary.

Given that the documentary was delving into the negative impact of social media on the Nicola Bulley case, viewers were angry that people who fuelled online speculation about her disappearance were handed a platform.

"Watching the Nicola Bulley doc, so sad but infuriating seeing the shameless grifters making TikTok videos etc, just vile! Her poor family," said one viewer. "Watching The Search For Nicola Bulley. Some of these social media sleuths need to have a word with themselves. Trading speculation and libel for clicks... Imperfect as the system is, there's a reason journalists are trained and regulated," another chimed in.

"If someone on social media or TikTok says it so - then obviously it must be true. This documentary needs to stop giving these people any credibility or time," shared another frustrated viewer.

Nicola's death was officially ruled as accidental by a coroner, who stated she fell into the river and experienced "cold water shock", with "no evidence" pointing towards suicide.