Yahoo News Chloe Ayling says nothing is fake in chilling drama Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story
Chloe Ayling speaks about the true events behind BBC drama Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story
What did you miss?
Chloe Ayling said there are no "fake additions" to BBC drama series Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story.
Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is a six-part BBC drama that tells the terrifying true story of a model who was drugged and abducted but when she is freed no one believes her.
When she arrived for a rescheduled photoshoot in Milan, the model was drugged and kidnapped by masked men before being taken to a remote farmhouse where she is held prisoner for seven days. What is even more frightening is when Ayling is freed no one believes her. Shot to international fame, she grapples with an onslaught of headlines calling her a liar – claiming it was an elaborate publicity stunt.
Her kidnapper Lucasz Herba was eventually put behind bars for 16 years and nine months in 2019. However, he had his sentence reduced to 12 years in 2020. Seven years on from the abduction, Ayling has the chance to tell her story in the form of the BBC drama.
Appearing on This Morning, the Big Brother star put her heart on the line as she talked about the true events behind the chilling BBC drama.
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What, how and why?
Watching the drama back really struck a chord with the model. "It really did give me chills," Ayling told Rylan and Josie Gibson on This Morning on Wednesday of seeing the drama. "A lot of dramas are not always what actually happened. Everything that happened [in Kidnapped] there. There are no fake editions. Everything happened."
Highlighting a particularly poignant moment in her life that plays out in the show, Ayling recalled: Especially episode six, the court proceedings, the amazing evidence against him. Him basically admitting it on a call to his mum from jail. All of that is included. No one knew it."
Ayling admitted she thinks people didn't believe her because she didn't cry in public about the horrific ordeal. The Big Brother star was razor focussed on sharing the facts of the case, rather than getting emotional in front of the cameras.
She said: "I feel like I was in defence mode. I was answering questions about what happened and being as factual as possible. To tell what had happened. People didn’t like that. They expected me to cry. I don't cry in public. I don’t like it. I hate it."
Getting to know the real Chloe Ayling
Nadia Parkes who plays Ayling in the drama also joined the model on the This Morning sofa. She spoke about developing a bond with the star behind the scenes of the drama.
Getting to know Ayling, who she really is behind the headlines, was something Parkes wanted to be able to do so she could bring the emotions to the screen. She said: "It was really important to me i told this story in most accurate and authentic way."
The actor said they met three or four times throughout. She explained she wanted to ask all the questions about what happened. As well as finding out the details of the ordeal, she "got to ask questions like what kind of music you listen to". She added: "There’s so much research I could do. I needed to get to know Chloe and pick up her mannerisms."
Earlier this week, Ayling said she has moved on and she's happy in herself. "I'm just happy the drama is being made," she told BBC. "Because, as you just said, seven years on there is still criticism. I feel like my voice wasn't heard back then. It was really overpowered by negativity, on maybe how I dressed or how I presented myself or the fact I wasn't emotional. I'm glad it can be laid out and the facts can be laid visually."
This Morning is on every week day from 10am. Watch Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story on BBC Three and iPlayer from Wednesday 14 August.
