Click here to watch Heather Mills's GMTV interview

Read the full interview transcript

Sir Paul McCartney’s estranged wife compared herself to Diana, Princess of Wales in a tearful television interview this morning in which she accused the media of running a hate campaign against her.

The former model, who had asked to appear on GMTV, claimed that she and her daughter were in mortal danger because of media attention. She said police had warned her that there was an "underground movement" making serious death threats against her and that she held the media responsible.

She also said that she had been driven to the brink of suicide and compared herself to Kate McCann, the mother of missing Madeleine McCann, because of the attention she has received from newspapers and broadcasters.

"Look what they’re doing to the McCanns," she said in an interview with Fiona Phillips and Andrew Castle. "The woman and the poor father have lost their daughter. What are we doing as a nation? What are we doing persecuting a woman that is devastated behind closed doors and trying to hold it together as I have for eighteen months. What did the paparazzi do to Diana? They chased her and they killed her."

She said she hopes to change the laws on freedom of expression by approaching the European Parliament.

She said: "My plan is to change the law in the European Parliament and I will do it. I’m fed up with a specific portion of the media. Some of them are still supportive, but some of them that are abusing me. I will investigate every single one of those journalists."

Ms Mills said that since she had separated from Sir Paul, the media had turned on her. Reports that she had asked for £50 million during divorce negotiations were inaccurate, but she could not correct them because she had been "gagged".

"I have been offered nothing, OK? Nothing! We go to court over my daughter. I’m not allowed to talk about it because it’s a criminal act if I talk about my daughter. You have no idea what’s going on. These figures are made up. £100 million, £50 million, £20 million … How do you know if I even want any money? I’m £1.5 million in debt in lawyer’s fees. And that’s as much as I can say or I go to jail for telling the truth. So I’m gagged at the moment because I’m not allowed to say a word while the media are fed this spin by a certain corner."

Ms Mills, an amputee, also said that reports she was locked in negotiations with Sir Paul over her right to talk to the media about their relationship were untrue.

"It’s rubbish! I could sell my story right now. I’m trying to protect Paul and our daughter."

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