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ITV’s new true crime drama Believe Me, based on one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders, has been hailed for its powerful storytelling.
The four-part series – written by Jeff Pope – premiered on ITV on Sunday night, in which Danny Mays portrays real-life serial rapist John Worboys.
The factual drama specifically shines a spotlight on his victims and their lengthy battle to be taken seriously by the police and make Worboys face justice.
Aimée-Ffion Edwards and Aasiya Shah star as the two women, Sarah and Laila, at the heart of this story – with their names changed for anonymity but their experiences of systemic discrimination all too real.
Miriam Petche also appears as Carrie Johnson (nee Symonds), best known to the public as the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s wife, who was once targeted by Worboys and acted as a consultant on the show.
The cast also features Philippa Dunne, Rachael Stirling and Jordan Bolger, among others.
What is the true story behind ITV drama Believe Me?
Believe Me takes a deep dive into the victims of former taxi driver John Worboys, 68, who became known as the ‘Black Cab Rapist’ for a series of sexual assaults which took place across a decade, the earliest known of which is in 2000.
The London-based disgraced cabbie (who now goes by the name John Radford) used to lure women into his taxi under the cover of night, falsely claim to have won big money at a casino and trick them into ‘celebrating’ by offering a drugged drink under duress.
In 2008, senior investigating officer Tim Grattan-Kane pieced together the testimony of several women claiming to have been given drugged champagne and assaulted, leading to Worboys’ arrest.
He was ultimately jailed for the assault of 12 women in 2009, although police believe his victims could number over 100.
When he was first convicted in 2009, he was given an indefinite sentence for public protection with a minimum term of eight years.
In 2018, a parole board determined he was safe to be freed after serving only 10 years, but the High Court overturned it after challenges from two victims and the decision was eventually reversed.
His sentence was changed to life with a minimum of six years after further victims came forward from the 2000 to 2008 time period.
In 2019, the court heard that Worboys had admitted to a psychologist that he plied a total of 90 women with alcohol, and drugged a quarter of them, after being inspired by pornography, according to ITV reports at the time.
The new ITV show focuses specifically on the struggle of two of the women failed by the Metropolitan Police when they first came forward, with crucial evidence overlooked.
In 2019, Sarah and Laila (the names used in the ITV series) won their compensation case under the Human Rights Act after the Supreme Court ruled the Metropolitan Police had failed to carry out an effective investigation.
Overall, they were given £41,000 compensation between them.
After the victory, one of the victims said in a statement: ‘Had you [the police] done your job properly, there wouldn’t be 105 victims, there would be one. I can take the one. I can’t take the 105.’
What are fans and critics saying?
The series has profoundly moved fans, with viewers praising the show for its handling of the subject matter and focus on the empowerment of the women whose lives were forever changed.
‘I’ve just binge-watched Believe Me, and I’m sitting in tears. Male violence against women and girls should make everyone wake up and believe women,’ Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi wrote.
‘Just watched all episodes, very harrowing and never realised Carrie Symonds was a victim. Great acting from all involved, what a monster he was!’ Melanie Clarke shared.
Danny Mays on playing prolific sex offender John Worboys
‘When I first read the scripts, they absolutely terrified me because I’m a father myself,’ he says.
‘My mind went to my daughter, who’s 13. She’s a teenager now, and she’s venturing out on public transport with her mates, so it was a terrifying read.
‘But you have to sort of absorb that and let the writing conjure those emotions up inside of you, and you use that to fuel the fire and to shape the performance,’ he told Metro.
‘I know the Warboys case, but watching Believe Me on ITV is making me really angry all over again,’ Jo added.
‘Binge-watched every episode of Believe Met. The police should be ashamed of themselves. It made me feel physically sick how close he came to being released was it not for the strength of the survivors,’ Vicki B reflected.
‘Some people don’t like true crime dramas, thinking most are prurient and exploitative. This is not one of those shows. It’s a must-watch,’ The Times shared in their five-star review.
‘Worboys is given only enough space in the story as is required. A punchy, intelligent script makes it a compelling as well as non-exploitative drama that others would do well to learn from, and which makes Pope’s next project, about the murder of Sarah Everard, one not to fear,’ The Guardian said.
Showrunner Pope is well known for his true crime drama adaptations, including shows like Four Lives, The Walk In and The Reckoning, with his upcoming drama about the real-life Sarah Everard Case coming to the BBC.
Discussing what he imagines the audience reaction will be to the show, he told RTS: ‘It’s extraordinary. One half of the viewing public – the male half – will be really shocked. The women watching will be very angry but – terrifyingly – not as shocked as the men.’
Believe Me is available to stream on ITVX now.
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