Then came the BBC's heavily promoted interview with the couple, in which Mone admitted lying repeatedly to the public over her involvement in PPE Medpro and conceded she and her family were beneficiaries of an offshore trust that received a portion of its profits. The carefully managed media rollout is part of what Mone has called "our fightback".
It is a battle that has been aided by Mark Williams-Thomas, who investigated, produced, and presented the YouTube documentary, which was funded by PPE Medpro, and was sitting behind the couple when they were interviewed by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg.
Williams-Thomas is a former police officer turned award-winning journalist who has a string of successful documentaries for ITV and Netflix. Amid questions last week over his independence in relation to the YouTube documentary, he said he had been "commissioned by PPE Medpro" to produce the film but retained "full editorial control". He said: "We have been totally upfront about who funded the programme and as to why we went down that route, putting in place safeguards to ensure editorial control and as much independence as possible."
What Williams-Thomas did not reveal publicly, however, is that, alongside his journalistic role, he has also been working as a private investigator on behalf of Mone, Barrowman and PPE Medpro.
In addition to trying to orchestrate a reputational comeback for the couple, William Thomas has been assisting his clients in their efforts to hunt for the suspected source of years of Guardian articles revealing that Mone and Barrowman had been lying to the public. Details of this side job have not been revealed by Williams-Thomas, perhaps because he has signed a non-disclosure agreement with his clients.
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Lammers blow against United as Twente hit back to share spoils
When Manchester United click as they did here for large swathes, their attack features organised chaos and their defence is compact, as shown by their four clean sheets this season.
Cricket: Jacks stakes his claim in crowded top order
It was a breakthrough century for Harry Brook at Chester-le-Street, that sublime unbeaten 110 his first in oneday international cricket and a first against Australia in any format. But the contribution from Will Jacks was not insignificant either, especially given the potential squeeze when some of England's big guns return.
Top football clubs breaking betting advert rules meant to protect minors
Half of Premier League football clubs have advertised gambling on web pages aimed at, or featuring, people under the age of 18, prompting concern about a voluntary code of conduct drawn up with the help of the betting industry.
Economic inactivity: Why cutting NHS waiting lists is key to boosting growth
Wes Streeting was in the right place when he announced plans to prioritise cutting NHS waiting lists in areas with the highest numbers of people out of work due to ill health. Liverpool, where the health secretary was speaking at Labour's annual party conference yesterday, is top of the list.
UK growth forecast upgraded as global outlook improves
The global economy is \"turning a corner\", according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which yesterday upgraded the UK's growth forecast for this year to be faster than that of Japan, Italy and Germany.
World's first AI art museum to look at 'creative potential of machines'
A prominent AI artist has announced he will open the world's first artificial intelligence art museum in Los Angeles, which will highlight the \"intersection of human imagination and the creative potential of machines\".
Officials brief Trump on suspected Iranian plot to kill him
US intelligence officials have briefed Donald Trump about a suspected Iranian plot to kill him, his campaign has said.
EU trust fund for Africa 'has not addressed risks of abuse'
A €5bn EU fund aiming to stem the mass movement of people from Africa to Europe lacks focus and fails to address the risk of human rights abusers who could benefit, the bloc's spending watchdog has found.
Letby case: father tells of 'headless chickens' at hospital unit
The father of two triplet babies murdered by Lucy Letby has described frantic scenes as the children collapsed, with medical staff in a neonatal unit appearing to search online for tutorials to guide them through \"everyday\" medical procedures.
Music review: Monster hits perfectly reshaped by new female vocalist
Linkin Park laid the foundations for modern metal with their 2000 debut Hybrid Theory. They weren't the first band to bring together rock, hip-hop, electronic music and a whole lot of angst - but they were the most successful.
