The Paparazzi Get a Break

Howard took a call from Mohamed Al Fayed, the man whose son, Dodi, was killed in the car crash that also took the life of Princess Diana in 1997. Mohamed said he was 21 years old when Dodi was born, and that they had a close relationship before he died. Howard then noted he’d heard Mohamed was worth $7.7 billion, but he responded that total was “a little high.”

Howard pointed out Dodi had a number of famous girlfriends in addition to Diana, but Mohamed wouldn’t get into details about his own conquests. Howard proceeded to bring up the purpose of Mohamed’s call: that he thought his son’s death was “a murder” ordered by the Royal Family.

Mohamed went on to explain he didn’t think the Royal Family ever accepted Dodi’s religious beliefs and nationality – which was why he thought they had him killed – and insisted his accusation wasn’t merely a way for him to deal with his son’s untimely death. Given this, Robin asked Mohamed for proof to back up his allegation, and he claimed that he had spoken to Diana just weeks before the accident, and she had predicted something would happen based on “threats” she’d been receiving.

Howard asked Mohamed why he felt the Royal Family would have Dodi killed before he and Diana furthered their relationship, in case that never happened, and he replied it was because he believed Diana was pregnant with Dodi’s child at the time.

As the conversation continued, George asked what Mohamed hoped to achieve by calling into an American talk show, and Artie told George that he had news for him: that it wasn’t actually Mohamed Al-Fayed on the line. However, Howard assured George that Artie was kidding, and that, unlike pranks George fell for last year, it really was Mohamed on the phone.

Howard proceeded to take a number of calls on the topic, and then asked Mohamed if he feared for his own life given how powerful the Royal Family was. However, Mohamed said that, despite the threats he’d received, he “believed in God” and wasn’t afraid of any consequences he might face. George again asked his question about why Mohamed was calling in, and he said it was because Howard had “big balls.”

Questions a Decade Later

Steve Langford, who said he covered the deaths of Diana and Dodi for “A Current Affair,” came into the studio to ask Mohamed about a player in the investigation who was mysteriously killed, and Mohamed claimed the man in question was murdered as well, largely because he supposedly was finding out information about what really happened that night.

Mohamed went on to say his 22-year-old daughter – who Howard referred to as “the hottest” woman he’d ever seen – had a boyfriend, and also admitted he had other children in addition to her and Dodi.

Mohamed refused to explain where his other kids were, though, although he denied he had ever cheated on his wife of 30 years. When the interview was over, Gary got on his intercom and announced a number of people were calling in to see, based on Artie’s earlier joke, if it really was Mohamed Al Fayed on the phone, and Howard again said it really was him, and that it wasn’t another prank on George.