Nicola Bulleys partner Paul Ansell says social media became a monster as online sleuths targeted him during search for the missing mother-of-two
The family of Nicola Bulley have revealed how social media became a monster for them after there was intense speculation over her disappearance.
The family of Nicola Bulley have revealed how social media became a monster for them after there was intense speculation over her disappearance.
The mother-of-two 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 and after a three-week search which threatened to be derailed by internet sleuths, her body was found by a member of the public on February 19.
Now, Paul Ansell, Ms Bulleys partner of 12 years and father to their two children, has revealed how he was subjected to a barrage of unfounded online conspiracies online.
Discussing the impact social media had, he said: 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.
Paul Ansell (L), Nicola Bulleys partner of 12 years, will appear in BBC documentary The Search For Nicola Bulley
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
Nicola Bulleys partner Paul Ansell speaks to the media during the search for the mother-of-two
Speaking in a clip from a BBC documentary, he went on to say: 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.
There was some that I felt like replying to, but then if you reply to that, theyll just screenshot your reply, if thatll end up on social media. And so youre literally silenced, and you cant do anything about it.
On top of dealing with social media abuse, Paul said he had to remain strong in the search for Ms Bulley for the sake of his two daughters.
He added: The nights were the hardest. In the morning the hope would be strong. It used to go dark at like 4pm. It used to get to about 3pm and then Id start panicking that I knew it would start going dark in an hour. So we had an hour to find her.
And then obviously Id have the girls. The first theyd do when they came out of school was run over and say have we found mummy?
Friends of the couple were even forced to beg online trolls to stop making disgusting allegations and vile theories online.
Ms Bulleys sister, Louise Cunningham, along with her parents Ernest and Dorothy Bulley and partner Paul Ansell all participated in the documentary as they reveal the impact of the public scrutiny on their lives.
The Search For Nicola Bulley will air on BBC1 on October 3 and digs deep into Ms Bulleys disappearance and tragic death. The family said it was emotionally draining to film the documentary, but did it to ensure she has the legacy she deserves.
Rachel Lob-levyt, the director behind the BBC documentary, said it was nerve-racking to put the partner of the Lancashire mother back into public focus, but she felt it was the right thing to do.
Paul Ansell has agreed to the documentary to tackle entitled social media sleuths, its director has suggested
Candles are lit around a photo of Nicola Bulley (left) and her partner Paul Ansell on an altar at St Michaels Church in St Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire
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
She added: We had a viewing with the family. It was difficult - obviously emotional for them. They feel the documentary really honours their experience, and honours Nikki.
At the time she went missing, Paul was subject to a really difficult level of scrutiny.
The idea of putting himself back in the public eye is nerve-racking but ultimately, he thought it the right thing to do.
The social media sleuths felt entitled to say whatever they wanted. In the past wed have talked about these things in the pub, whereas now people broadcast it online and everything is accelerated. Opinion takes on similar weight to verified information.
A coroner recorded Ms Bulleys death as accidental, and said she fell into the river and suffered cold water shock, and there was no evidence to suggest suicide.
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.
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.
