Royal Drama
ITV commissions new four-part drama on Duchess of York’s killer royal aide Jane Andrews
The drama is set to be partially fictionalised and is penned by ' Debbie O'Malley
A NEW true-life royal drama that tells the story of a murderous royal aide has been commissioned by ITV.
Gripping drama, The Lady, tells the story of Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson’s killer former aide Jane Andrews, who was convicted of murdering her partner in 2001.
4
4
The ITV drama is set to be partially fictionalised and is penned by ' Debbie O'Malley.
Based upon true events, The Lady charts Jane’s rise to becoming Fergie’s dresser over four episodes, only for her to lose her job with the Duchess after nine years of service.
The show’s synopsis says: "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.
"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.
Read more on Duchess of York
"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."
Jane worked for Fergie for nine years until 1997.
4
4
A few years later, she stabbed her lover, Thomas Cressman, to death with a kitchen knife at their west London home and was jailed for life in 2001.
Most read in News TV
Her compelling story is set to be produced by highly acclaimed makers of The Crown, Left Bank Pictures and will air on ITV1 and stream on ITVX in the UK.
Producer Helen Ziegler said, “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.
“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.”
Writer Debbie O’Malley said, "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."
A similar documentary based on Jane Andrews was released in 2021 and was named Fergie’s Killer Dresser: The Jane Andrews Story.
We are yet to find out who will play Jane, but casting is set to kick off early next year so it won’t be too long until we find out.
Topics