What’s Child Reindeer about? True story behind Netflix present defined

Child Reindeer cleaned up on the Emmys 2024, with the hit Netflix present selecting up 4 trophies on the occasion.

Three of these 4 awards have been for Richard Gadd and his function writing, performing and government producing the present, with Child Reindeer selecting up finest restricted or anthology collection, finest writing for an anthology collection or film and finest lead actor in a restricted or anthology collection. In the meantime, Jessica Gunning who performed Martha was named finest supporting actress in a restricted collection.

The present sees comic Richard Gadd flip his experiences with a feminine stalker right into a collection. Within the present, which started as a one-man present on the Edinburgh Fringe, Gadd explores his personal culpability and the way the regulation did not assist him or others like him.

That is amid information that the Metropolitan Police has reported a “stark rise” within the variety of stalking instances, and ONS statistics have estimated that 2.5 million individuals yearly expertise stalking in England and Wales.

So what’s Child Reindeer about and to what extent is it a real story?

Here is the whole lot to find out about Gadd’s story and the actual Martha Scott from Child Reindeer.

What’s Child Reindeer about?

The present sees Gadd’s fictionalised character, Donny Dunn, develop a warped and complex relationship with a lady named Martha after assembly her on the bar the place he works. Though she initially seems to be pleasant, her behaviour unravels into stalking – in actual life and over social media. What begins as an act of kindness quickly turns into into one thing far more sinister for them each.

Though the present definitely explores the darkish aspect of Gadd’s story, there’s additionally some comedy — in spite of everything, he’s a comic!

Ed Miller/Netflix

Is Child Reindeer a real story?

Gadd has been very open about the truth that he was stalked for 4 years by a lady who known as him “Child Reindeer”. Apparently, she continuously adopted him to his comedy gigs and even confirmed up at his home. She despatched Gadd a staggering 41,071 emails, 350 hours of voicemail, 744 tweets, 46 Fb messages and 106 pages of letters. She additionally despatched him an array of barely sinister items — sleeping tablets, a woolly hat, model new boxer shorts and a reindeer toy.