Sir Trevor McDonald recalls his 1990 Nelson Mandela interview
Sir Trevor McDonald revisits his historic 1990 interview with Nelson Mandela, recalling his own terror and Mandela's focus on the future.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Sir Trevor McDonald has spoken about the terror he felt before conducting a world-first interview with Nelson Mandela in 1990, just days after the anti-apartheid leader walked free from prison after 27 years.
In a retrospective for ITV News, McDonald watched the interview back for the first time since it aired. He described the atmosphere at the time as one of "suppressed excitement" and "indescribable" expectation, with every journalist on Earth wanting the first interview with Mandela.
McDonald admitted he was "terrified" as he sat down to talk to a man the whole world was waiting to hear. The interview took place at Mandela's home in Soweto, with crowds gathering outside. At the end, Mandela came out and told the crowd: "Go back to school." McDonald recalled his surprise, saying: "Waiting for this great proclamation of justice and salvation and new worlds and go back to school. Unbelievable."
McDonald noted that Mandela did not want to dwell on his personal hardship, including the 27 years of imprisonment and hard labour. Instead, he wanted to talk about the future and his faith in it. McDonald recalled Mandela's belief in the possibility of change, both in people and in systems.
He also shared a later memory from the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when he interviewed Mandela again. Mandela asked for the lights to be dimmed, and when McDonald protested, Mandela explained: "I have had splinters in my eyes from breaking rocks on Robben Island." It was the first time he had mentioned the problems of his incarceration.
Reflecting on South Africa today, McDonald acknowledged that profound problems remain, but said Mandela's strong faith in the possibility of real change kept people's hearts and minds going.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Mandela first revealed eye problems from breaking rocks on Robben Island when he asked for lights to be dimmed during a later interview. | |
| Mandela told crowds outside his Soweto home to go back to school rather than deliver a grand proclamation. | |
| Sir Trevor McDonald was terrified before conducting a 1990 interview with Nelson Mandela. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focuses on Sir Trevor McDonald's personal recollection, highlighting his nervousness before the interview and Mandela's remarkable generosity of spirit. It uses McDonald's own words to convey the emotional weight of the moment, and contrasts Mandela's public message with his private suffering, as revealed in the later Rugby World Cup anecdote.
- “terrified”
- “go back to school”
- “I have had splinters in my eyes from from breaking rocks on Robben Island”
Broadcast Timeline
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