Richard Gadd plays a fictionalised version of himself in Baby Reindeer (Picture: Netflix)
Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd has issued a stern warning to internet sleuths hoping to track down the real people who inspired characters.
The Netflix drama is based on Richard’s real-life experience with a stalker, an ordeal he first dramatised in a one-man show of the same name.
Since the series landed on the streamer, viewers have been trying to work out the real-life identity of stalker Martha (played by Jessica Gunning) and rapist Darrien (played by Tom Goodman-Hill).
However, Richard, 34, has urgently asked his fans to stop the speculation because that’s ‘not the point’ of the show, adding that innocent people have also been ‘unfairly’ getting caught up in the rumours.
On Instagram, the comedian wrote: ‘People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.
‘Please don’t speculate on who the real life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.’
Internet sleuths have been trying to find the real ‘Martha’ (Picture: Ed Miller/Netflix)
Richard has urged his fans to stop looking for the real people (Picture: Ed Miller/Netflix)
Richard, who plays a fictionalised version of himself, Donny, a struggling stand-up in Baby Reindeer, previously told Metro.co.uk he wanted the series to be ‘three-dimensional.’
He continued: ‘I wanted it to be nuanced. I just remember my idea of stalking in life was so different to what actually happened.
‘My idea of what a stalker was, was that they are fundamentally, sort of, psychopathic characters. But it just wasn’t that case. I saw someone very vulnerable, really.’
Richard added: ‘I never want Baby Reindeer to have a moral point for people to take away. It’s not about anything, but I think there is a subtle reference to the fact that this is a vulnerable person who needs help.’
In a statement on Instagram, he said it was not the point of the show (Picture: Instagram)
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Martha actress Jessica also previously spoke to Metro.co.uk and said the character was constantly in her head even once filming had wrapped.
She said: ‘Even when there were days I wasn’t in, I was thinking of Martha and the story, just wanting to do the best I could do.
‘In that aspect, I didn’t really let go of her until we finished filming. I couldn’t really put her to bed.
‘When you do a job like this as well, it’s long hours, and you’re there, and you’re in it. With this, emotionally, everyone was really invested… it does dominate your life… it took a while to, kind of, say goodbye in a way.
‘I was really sad when it finished, to say goodbye to her.’
Baby Reindeer is available to stream on Netflix.
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