Nicola Bulleys grieving parents reveal heartbreaking daily ritual on BBC documentary into her disappearance
Nicola Bulleys grief-stricken parents have revealed they still talk to their beloved daughter every day and even kiss a large photo of her to feel close to her.
Nicola Bulleys grief-stricken parents have revealed they still talk to their beloved daughter every day and even kiss a large photo of her to feel close to her.
Ms Bulley vanished on January 27 last year while walking her dog Willow along the River Wyre in St Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire, shortly after dropping her daughters off at school.
Her disappearance became one of the most high-profile modern missing person searches, with armchair detectives peddling wild, unfounded conspiracy theories throughout the search.
After a frenzied three-week search, mother-of-two Ms Bulleys body was tragically found by a member of the public on February 19.
Speaking on a BBC One documentary The Search For Nicola Bulley, Ms Bulleys devastated parents Dorothy and Ernest Bulley open up about the heartbreak of losing their daughter.
The mysterious disappearance of Nicola Bulley gripped the nation for months in 2023, as both speculation and scrutiny surrounded the case of the missing mother
Speaking on a BBC One documentary The Search For Nicola Bulley, Ms Bulleys devastated parents Dorothy and Ernest Bulley open up about the heartbreak of losing their daughter
Nicolas mother Dorothy wept on camera as she recalled details of the day her daughter died
At one point the BBC cameras show a large photo of Nicola which is in the hallway. Nicolas mother says: When I go to bed. I always kiss to the one on the landing.
Ernest says: That seems to follow us around. Every angle you turn, shes looking at you. So, when I get undressed I have to shut the door. Haha.
In a more serious tone, Mr Bulley adds: Im always talking to her anyway.
The Search For Nicola Bulley, which will air tonight, reveals the huge tensions between the police and Nicolas family prior to the discovery of her body.
Lancashire Police were criticised by politicians, including then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, over its handling of Ms Bulleys disappearance.
During the documentary, Nicolas parents breakdown as they recount their anguish over the day she died.
Remembering when their grandchildren had to be told their mother had died, Ernest says: I remember me and Paul (Nicolas partner) just sort of hugged each other. Broken heart.
Dorothy adds: Paul went to get the girls and went in the lounge with them with the liaison officer. And we stayed in the kitchen.
The pair then open up about the devastating impact Nicolas death had own her two young children as the news was broken to them that mummys died.
Ill never forget the cries. Ill never forget the cries, Ernest says.
Holding back tears, an emotional Ernest says I will never forget the cries of his grandchildren after they were told of their mothers death
The pair were filmed as part of The Search For Nicola Bulley documentary, which will air tonight on BBC One. Pictured are Ms Bulleys parents featuring in the show
The Search For Nicola Bulley explores the media coverage and the impact of amateur internet sleuths carrying out their own investigations, as well as hearing from Lancashire Police and Ms Bulleys family.
At the time, the police force was slammed for telling the public Ms Bulley was suffering from specific vulnerabilities.
In the statement it said she had suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause and that these struggles had resurfaced over recent months.
At the time, the force defended the unusual step by saying it had needed to give more detail to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation.
In the documentary Nicolas partner Paul Ansell, who had been with Ms Bulley for 11 years, reveals in the documentary how the police released a statement while the family were looking over it to make amendments.
We were in the living room, still working on it and before we knew it they had released it, he recalled.
Nikki would be mortified about what has happened and how it came about.
He added: There was an awful lot of conflict with the police.
In the documentary, Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith, who was in charge of the case, claims Mr Ansell was key to a lot of peoples theories and we had to negate that.
Paul Ansell has agreed to the documentary to tackle entitled social media sleuths, its director has suggested
An inquest in June 2023 found that Ms Bulley had accidentally drowned and that no foul play was involved.
But before her body was found, Mr Ansell revealed how he was subjected to a barrage of unfounded online conspiracies online.
He said: I was getting direct messages from people that Ive never met. They dont know me, they dont know us, they dont know Nikki.
They know nothing about us. Just messages like "you b******". "We know what you did". "You know you cant hide Paul", that kind of stuff.
Discussing the impact social media had, he went on to say: It wasnt a huge part of our lives. But yeah, when you experience something like this, you realise what a huge monster it can be, I guess.
Friends of the couple were even forced to beg online trolls to stop making disgusting allegations and vile theories online.
Paul Ansell, pictured in the BBCs new documentary, has shed light on the conflict he had with police
Paul (L), Nicolas partner, will appear in BBC documentary The Search For Nicola Bulley
Among those to feature in the documentary includes Ms Bulleys sister, Louise Cunningham.
Reliving the moment the family was informed about Nicolas body being found, Louise said: Ill never forget dad coming into the kitchen. Just, like, completely breaking down and Paul being out in the garden. Just in a complete state.
Discussing online detectives, she added: It doesnt always have to be something sinister linked to something that happens.
Sometimes bad things just happen. I just wish it didnt happen to us. Were just a normal family. Weve had a really tough time.
The family said it was emotionally draining to film the documentary, but did it to ensure she has the legacy she deserves.
Police had accused TikTokers of playing private detectives in the area amid her disappearance, and said they were inundated with false information, accusations and rumours relating to the case.
Paul Ansell, (right) visiting the riverside with Peter Faulding, the underwater search expert called in by the family to help with the search in the River Wyre
People on social media made false accusations about their being third-party involvement, and rumours were spread about a derelict house on the other side of the River Wyre, a red van in the area, a fisherman seen nearby and a glove belonging to Ms Bulley, which were all dismissed by police.
Her family have previously hit out at wildly inaccurate speculation after the 45-year-olds death.
An independent College of Policing review of the investigation into her disappearance found the relationship between police and the media to be fractured, and urged for it to be rebuilt.
It also criticised the disclosure of personal information about Ms Bulleys health struggles as avoidable and unnecessary.
Ms Bulleys body was found in the River Wyre on February 19, about a mile from where she vanished.
