From Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Four Lives to I Fought the Law, British television really knows how to deliver gripping true-crime drama. And ITV’s latest series, Believe Me, is no exception.
Told over four binge-worthy episodes, the new series recounts the real-life story of a group of women who fell victim to John Warboys, one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders, and how they were failed by the system that was supposed to protect them.
One of the women portrayed in the series is Carrie Johnson, formerly Carrie Symonds, who was spiked by taxi driver John Warboys in 2007 after a night out in Chelsea.
Carrie later became one of the 14 women who testified against him at trial and played a key role in keeping him behind bars by using her experience and influence as a member of the Conservative Party press team. She later went on to marry former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Carrie Johnson’s ‘extremely crucial’ role in Believe Me
Speaking to press ahead of the show’s release on Sunday, Miriam Petche, who plays Carrie, said: “She became so involved in an extremely crucial point in this parole decision and she used her background in communication to help bring attention to this case, support this legal challenge and bring wider awareness, which is so crucial in this decision-making and took so much bravery and effort.”
She added: “I think it’s a very important aspect of the story to be spoken about.”
© Simon RidgwayMiriam also praised Carrie’s decision to waive her anonymity following Warboys’ trial, highlighting how she gave interviews encouraging other survivors to come forward and helped fundraise to challenge the Parole Board’s 2018 decision through judicial review.
Speaking to ITV, the actress said of Carrie: “She must have had an incredible amount of courage to risk her career and use the tools at her disposal to support these women and make sure they were able to convince a judge to overturn the parole decision.”
Miriam explained that she researched how Carrie viewed the situation, studying previous interviews and conversations that had been directly put into the script. “She believed he was unassuming, not quite aware of the possibility of what he could do,” Miriam said.
“The shock came later on when she found out who he turned out to be after reading the newspaper about what was happening in London.”
© Simon RidgwayWhat has Carrie Johnson said about the show?
In a post on Instagram, Carrie posted a screenshot of the show on ITVX and reflected on her real-life experience. “Nearly 20 years ago, I got into Worboys’ cab but I was one of the luckier ones,” she wrote.
“The talented Miriam Petche plays me in this series and the small part I had to play in helping Sarah and Laila keep Worboys behind bars. We hope this might act as a wake up call to the police, the CPS and the Parole Board.”
What is Believe Me about?
Believe Me has already shot to the number one most-watched show on ITVX, with early viewers hailing on Instagram: “Very well done! Excellently depicted. Fantastic cast and very emotive.”
The series synopsis reads: “We see what countless women say they have to go through after reporting being raped, the indignity of multiple interviews and intimate evidence gathering, and how they can face sceptical lines of questioning from the police.
© Simon Ridgway“Believe Me will relate how the Met’s failings effectively left Worboys free to commit assaults undetected for many years; following his trial came the realisation that he was linked to allegations of further sexual offences against over a hundred women.”
All four episodes of Believe Me are available to watch on ITVX now.
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