BBC unveils a new drama for BBC Three and iPlayer, "Kidnapped"

The BBC unveiled the new drama, "Kidnapped" for BBC Three and iPlayer. The series will film later this year, and BBC Studios will distribute the series internationally. “Many of us remember Chloe Ayling’s story and the headlines that followed," Fiona Campbell, Controller of Youth Audience, BBC iPlayer and BBC Three said. "Drama on the BBC has a unique and exceptional ability to bring human stories to life and to show what happened from the inside out, to allow audiences to assess their own responses and make up their own minds. We’re hugely appreciative to Chloe for sharing her story, and to the team at BBC Studios who are bringing it to the screen with the sensitivity and insight that it deserves.”

A working title, "Kidnapped" is a BBC Studios production for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. The six-part series is written by Georgia Lester, directed by Al Mackay and produced by Clare Shepherd. The executive producers are Priscilla Parish, Michael Parke and Andrew Morrissey for BBC Studios, with Lucy Richer executive producing for the BBC, and Georgia Lester.

"Kidnapped" is based on the true story of Chloe Ayling, a British model who was abducted in Italy in 2017, having travelled there for a photo shoot.  Written by Georgia Lester, the six-part factual drama is based on detailed research, extensive interviews, documented legal proceedings and Chloe’s own book "Kidnapped." It will tell Chloe’s personal story in full for the first time, going behind the headlines to shine a light on the emotional truth. “Every moment that I have spent researching this series and spending time with Chloe, learning about the ordeal she suffered both by the men who abducted her and the people who doubted her, has been shocking and infuriating," Lester said. "It’s been an honour to work with Chloe and I can’t wait for audiences to finally see her courage, her charm and her unwavering resilience.”

The series is being made in full cooperation with Chloe Ayling. “I am excited that BBC Studios are telling my story and that the wider world will get to know the truth about what happened to me and learn of the many details that weren’t brought to light originally," Ayling said. "Georgia Lester and the team have been incredibly supportive in our conversations, and I couldn’t be happier that they are making this series.”

The series showcases the sequence of events that led up to her kidnapping, her bravery and resilience in captivity, and the subsequent court case that put her kidnappers in jail. Yet despite their convictions, Chloe faced headlines accusing her of faking her own kidnapping, and found herself at the centre of a media storm. The series asks why Chloe was blamed for her kidnappers’ crimes. “This is a jaw-dropping true story of a woman who survived a horrific ordeal using her wits, but was vilified in the aftermath. Georgia’s scripts are exemplary in their treatment of this highly topical subject matter," Priscilla Parish, Head of Drama for BBC Studios and executive producer, said.