Baby Reindeer: Why is Baby Reindeer controversial and why has an SNP MP written to Netflix about the programme?

Netflix programme Baby Reindeer has sparked questions over what is and isn’t true

Scottish MP John Nicolson has written to Netflix, asking the streaming company to expand on what it told a Parliamentary committee about the woman alleged to have inspired the character Martha from hit show Baby Reindeer.

Released on April 11, 2024, the show is a dramatised account of the the stalking its writer and star, Richard Gadd, says he suffered. But why is the show controversial and what have MPs said about it?

Why is Baby Reindeer controversial?

Richard Gadd (centre), the star and creator of 'Baby Reindeer', poses with cast members Jessica Gunning (left) and Nava Mau at a photo call for the Netflix miniseries at the Directors Guild of America on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Picture: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Watched by 65 million people worldwide, the programme is a screen adaptation of Gadd’s one-man show of the same name.

Playing a fictionalised version of himself called Donny, the show focuses on his relationship with a stalker called Martha, played by Jessica Gunning. It is based on real experience from 2015, where a woman who can’t be named began stalking Gadd.

However, Baby Reindeer's popularity led to internet sleuths looking for the real life Martha, before settling on Fiona Harvey, who then identified herself as the woman alleged to have inspired the character. After being named, she appeared in a lengthy interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored and described the "absolutely horrendous" situation she finds herself in as a result of the programme.

Why has an SNP MP written to Netflix about it?

Jessica Gunning and Richard Gadd, the stars of Baby Reindeer.

Giving evidence before the Culture Media and Sport Committee last week, Netflix executive Benjamin King said the show was "obviously a true story of the horrific abuse that the writer and protagonist Richard Gadd suffered at the hands of a convicted stalker".

Mr King also insisted Netflix had taken "every reasonable precaution in disguising the real-life identities of the people involved in that story".

However, Mr Nicolson, a SNP MP, has now raised concerns due to a lack of evidence that Harvey was ever charged. Knowingly misleading a committee is a contempt of Parliament.

The SNP MP said "it's clear that the evidence given by Netflix to the select committee is disputed". He added: “The charge made – of a conviction – is very important. Journalists can find no evidence to back up the Netflix claim."

What have other people said about Baby Reindeer?

Mr Morgan has defended his interview with the alleged inspiration, insisting it was justified. He said: "I felt there was enough of a question mark surrounding that part of the story.

"She is emphatic that there was no court case. There was no conviction. She certainly never pled guilty, she says, and there was no prison sentence."

The Doctor Who and It’s a Sin writer, Russell T Davies, said the BBC's editorial compliance processes would have been "much stricter", suggesting he’d have never been able to get the show on air. He said: “Compliance and editorial policy drives us mad here, but I sleep at night.”

Chris Banatvala, former head of standards at Ofcom, also appeared to raise concerns.

He said: "Has she been portrayed in a way that is unfair to her … did she or did she not go to prison?

"In traditional broadcasting, there's a very good set of rules around fairness, what you can and can't do". However, he also noted Netflix was not governed by Ofcom regulatory codes.