Who is Fiona Harvey? Meet the woman accused of being real-life stalker Martha from Baby Reindeer
FANS of Baby Reindeer have become obsessed with tracking down the ‘real life’ woman that stalker Martha Scott is based on.
The Netflix smash is based on a true story inspired by the ordeal suffered by the show’s creator and leading man, Richard Gadd.
In the show, his barman character Donny Dunn becomes the object of obsession for loner Martha, played by Jessica Gunning.
Richard claimed he went to great lengths to conceal the identity of the woman who stalked him in real life and has begged fans not to search for her.
But last week, law graduate Fiona Harvey spoke out, claiming fans of the show has accused her of stalking Gadd in real life.
And she vowed to sue Netflix, claiming she will “kick their asses” in court.
Who is Fiona Harvey?
Fiona, 58, is from Fyvie, Aberdeenshire and says she met Gadd years ago when he was a bartender at The Hawley Arms in London’s Camden.
She admits to befriending him and claims she gifted him a pair of “tartan M&S pants” to congratulate him on one of his comedy shows.
But she denies she stalked him.
“I am very attractive. He’s not Brad Pitt,” she told The Scottish Sun.
“I have a claim against Netflix as this is being billed as part of a true story.
“There’s a fat actress that’s supposed to be me.
“I’m a highly competent lawyer. I’d have to do it myself. I’m very good.
“I have a photographic memory and can memorise huge files. I was top in my school at everything.
As for how she discovered the show, she says she first became aware of it when Gadd took it to Edinburgh Fringe Festival as a one-man show.
She said: “He’s come up with this character called Martha and he has put me right in the frame.
“This is a programme for the 20-somethings. The people with no lives, no jobs, whatever. I don’t want to be a celebrity.”
What is Baby Reindeer about?
The seven-part series follow Gadd’s character Donny as he works behind a bar while struggling to make it as a comic.
One day an emotional Martha walks in and he offers her a free cup of tea when she says she has no money.
She tells him she is a lawyer, but it soon becomes clear there is more to Martha than meets the eye.
Over the coming episodes, Donny finds himself sent thousands of emails and texts from Martha, who affectionately refers to him as ‘Baby Reindeer’.
The series takes many dark twists and turns as it delves into the trauma from Donny’s own past, as well as confronting Martha’s demons.
The show has become a huge breakout hit for Netflix, garnering millions of viewers across the globe and topping the chart in more than thirty countries.
It has even won praise from the master of horror, bestselling author Stephen King.
What has Richard Gadd said?
Richard has opened up about how important it was for him to tackle the tough themes highlighted in the autobiographical series.
“When a man gets stalked, it can be portrayed in films and television as a sexy thing. Like a femme fatale who gradually becomes more sinister,” he told The Times.
He continued: “It doesn’t carry as much threat of physical violence, is less common and can be trivialised.
“I was physically scared because I didn’t know how far she could take it.”
He has admitted that some elements of the show have been dramatised to create added suspense.
And he has urged viewers not to target or look for the real life woman that made his life so uncomfortable.
BABY REINDEER BY NUMBERS
The Netflix series has become quite the breakout smash hit...
- 13.3 million Number of viewers who tuned into the show during its first week
- 7 Number of episodes in the series
- 41,071 Amount of emails Richard claims he was sent by the real life Martha
- 64 Percentage increase in viewers the show earned in its second week, compared to its first
- 97 The show’s percentage score on industry bible Rotten Tomatoes
- 30 Number of countries the series has topped the Netflix chart in
Taking to social media this week, he wrote: “People I love, have worked with, and admire… are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.
“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard.”
