Calling all true crime fans! There’s a compelling new drama series on the way, and it has a royal twist. ITV has released first-look images for The Lady, which comes from creators of The Crown and centres around Jane Andrews, the former dresser of Sarah Ferguson, formerly known as the Duchess of York.
Based on true events, the partly fictionalised drama paints the picture of the children’s clothes designer who rose to the highest of social circles when she secured a job in the royal household. But after losing her role nine years later in 1997, Jane fell from grace when she was found guilty of murdering her lover in 2001. It was revealed that she hit Thomas Cressman with a cricket bat and stabbed him. She then went on the run.
You know you’re in safe hands when The Crown talent is behind a project, so the fact that Florence Haddon-Cave (Everything Now, Quiz, The Crown) is producing alongside Left Bank Pictures promises the kind of prestige storytelling and emotional depth that made the royal hit so successful. Meanwhile, acclaimed writer Debbie O’Malley (Payback, Humans, Harlots) pens the script, while Lee Haven Jones, known for bringing real-life stories to screen in Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, directs.
Plus, the cast promises a plethora of rising on-screen talent, with Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials star Mia McKenna-Bruce, Outlander‘s Ed Speleers and Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer, who brings Sarah Ferguson to life.
Intrigued? Keep scrolling for a first look at the new series, which is set to hit screens in 2026.
© Jonathan Ford/Left Bank/Sony Pictures TelevisionMia McKenna-Bruce plays Jane, Sarah Ferguson’s (Natalie Dormer) dresser
What is The Lady about?
The crime drama charts the rise and fall of the former royal dresser, who lived a “rags to riches fairy tale” before it all fell apart when she was convicted of murdering her partner, Thomas.
The synopsis reads: “Once a young working-class girl from Grimsby, Jane answered an advertisement in the magazine The Lady and to the astonishment of her friends and family, became the Duchess of York’s dresser at Buckingham Palace.
© James Pardon/Left Bank/Sony Pictures TelevisionJane later meets Thomas Cressman
“Moving amongst the highest social circles in Britain, Jane managed to secure a place in the upper-classes, only to lose her job with the Duchess after nine years of service.
“Still reeling from her fall from grace, Jane went on to meet charismatic businessman Thomas Cressman and fell deeply in love. Soon cracks began to develop in the romance Jane had pinned all her hopes on, with disastrous consequences.”
© James Pardon/Left Bank/Sony Pictures TelevisionThe show is based on real-life events
Who stars in The Lady?
Mia McKenna-Bruce (Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials) leads the gripping drama as Jane Andrews, while Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) plays Sarah Ferguson and Ed Speleers (Outlander) plays Jane’s partner, Thomas Cressman.
Rounding out the cast are Philip Glenister (Bergerac), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered), Laura Aikman (This City Is Ours, Gavin & Stacey), Ophelia Lovibond (Minx), Mark Stanley (Trigger Point), Daniel Ryan (Innocent) and Sean Teale (Doctor Odyssey).
© Jonathan Ford/Left Bank/Sony Pictures TelevisionEd Speleers (Outlander) plays Thomas Cressman
What has the creative team said about The Lady?
ITV’s senior commissioner Helen Ziegler praised the show’s writer. “Debbie’s compelling and brilliant scripts re-evaluate what we think we know of Jane Andrews and the events that led to the tragic end of Thomas Cressman’s life,” she said. “We are thrilled to be working with the Left Bank team to bring this complex exploration of class, celebrity, ambition and identity to ITV and ITVX.”
© James Pardon/Left Bank/Sony Pictures TelevisionWill you be watching The Lady?
Meanwhile, Debbie herself added: “When Jane Andrews was tried for the murder of Thomas Cressman in 2001, it made headlines around the world. But behind those headlines lay a much more complex, painful and thought-provoking story – an exploration of female ambition and human frailty and a devastating chain of events that ended in the taking of a man’s life.
“And this story, tied up with our national preoccupation with class and our ongoing obsession with the Royal family, feels every bit as relevant now as it did twenty years ago.”
The Lady will air on ITV1 and STV and stream on ITVX and STV Player in the UK and BritBox in North America in 2026.
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