It has been almost two years since Nicola Bulley vanished while walking her dog Willow along the River Wyre in Lancashire after dropping her children off at school. The 45-year-old’s sudden disappearance on January 27 last year triggered a three-week nationwide search that gripped the country and fuelled wild conspiracy theories. But for the mother-of-two’s young daughters, the pain of that day remains a devastating and unanswered question. Despite extensive police searches, Ms Bulley’s body was tragically found by a member of the public on February 19, in a part of the river that had been searched earlier, prompting criticism and scrutiny of the police force handling the case. Now, a new BBC documentary sheds light on the family’s emotional struggle in the wake of the media frenzy surrounding Ms Bulley’s shock disappearance and the toll it has taken on her loved ones.Speaking about his horrific experience in the documentary, Ms Bulley’s long-term partner Paul Ansell reveals that in the days after their mother’s disappearance and before her body was discovered, his daughters would ask, ‘where’s Mummy?’ every single night. 45-year-old Nicola Bulley’s sudden disappearance on January 27 last year triggered a three-week nationwide search that gripped the country and fueled wild conspiracy theories A new BBC documentary sheds light on the family’s emotional struggle in the wake of the media frenzy surrounding Ms Bulley’s shock disappearance (pictured, her partner Paul Ansell)The Search for Nicola Bulley, which airs tonight at 9pm on BBC1 and is available on the iPlayer, features exclusive interviews with those at the heart of the case, including Lancashire Police, Nicola’s partner, Paul Ansell, her family member and the person who found her body.The hour-long programme also explores the growing tensions between the family and Lancashire Police during the search and the emotional impact of the ordeal on Nicola’s daughters, aged six and nine at the time of her disappearance. In one heartbreaking moment from the documentary, Nicola’s mother, Dorothy, recalls an innocent yet painful question from her youngest granddaughter.Dorothy said: ‘One morning, I got up. The youngest one, she says: “Cold, isn’t it, Nanny?” She said: “I hope mummy’s not cold and hungry.”‘Paul Ansell, Nicola’s partner of 12 years, also opens up about the excruciating days of uncertainty that followed her disappearance. He recounts the emotional turmoil of trying to remain hopeful for their children, while quietly grappling with his own fears. Despite trying to remain positive throughout the search, Paul admitted there were tougher moments – and revealed, through tears, the question the girls would ask him each night: ‘Where is mummy?’ He confessed: ‘The nights were the hardest. In the morning the hope would be strong. It used to go dark at like 4pm.  The Search for Nicola Bulley, which airs tonight at 9pm on BBC1, features exclusive interviews with those at the heart of the case (pictured, Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham) Paul Ansell, Nicola’s partner of 12 years, also opens up about the excruciating days of uncertainty that followed her disappearance, as well as the accusations he experienced  Asst. Ch. Con. Peter Lawson and Sem. Investigating Officer Det. Supt. Rebecca Smith sped at Lancs Police press conference at Lancs Police HQ in February 2023  Ring doorbell footage dated 27/01/23 showing Nicola Bulley, her partner Paul Ansell, her children and her dog, Willow, outside their home on the morning of her disappearance Flowers and ribbons are tied to a bench by the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after police announced that Ms Bulley’s body had been recovered on February 21’It used to get to about 3pm and then I’d start panicking that I knew it would start going dark in an hour. So we had an hour to find her.’Paul added: ‘And then obviously I’d have the girls. The first they’d do when they came out of school was run over and say “Have we found mummy?”‘The documentary raises important questions about how the case was handled, particularly the role of media, the police and social media speculation. As The Search for Nicola Bulley airs tonight, it offers a poignant look at a family forever marred by tragedy and the scrutiny that surrounded their heartbreaking search for answers.Meanwhile, Nicola Bulley’s partner has opened up about the ‘conflict’ he had with police after detectives released private details about the mother-of-two’s heavy drinking while she was missing.