Some of the most powerful TV dramas are rooted in real-life events, so when we heard about ITV's upcoming true-story drama Believe Me, we had to know more. Following in the footsteps of eerily real series such as Mr Bates vs the Post Office and Netflix's Toxic Town, the series spotlights the case of serial taxi rapist John Worboys. ITV’s Director of Drama Polly Hill has called it a “difficult but important” story and, with stars of Line of Duty and Slow Horses on board, it's set to be a tough, yet impactful watch.
In 2009, Worboys, who was dubbed the “black cab rapist” was convicted of assaulting 12 women in London between 2006 and 2008, following a harrowing fight by his victims to bring him to justice. Believe Me will tell the story of what happened, while exploring how the Metropolitan police failed to initially take the reports of female victims seriously. Worboys will be played by Line of Duty actor Daniel Mays, while Slow Horses’ Aimée Ffion-Edwards and Industry breakout star Miriam Petche are also part of the cast.
While we wait for Believe Me to land on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot, real-life story and how to watch it.
What is Believe Me about?
ITV's four-part series will tell the harrowing true story of the three victims of “black cab rapist” John Worboys. In the mid to late-2000s, the licensed taxi driver used his job to prey on women in London. He would tell his victims he had won money at a casino or on the lottery, then offer them a glass of champagne, which was laced with drugs.
Believe Me will tell the story of three of Worboys' victims (played by Aimée-Ffion Edwards, Miriam Petche and Aasiya Shah), but focus on the ordeal of two of them and how the Metropolitan Police failed to thoroughly investigate their allegations, leading them to feel that they weren't believed. All the while, Worboys was left free to commit assaults undetected for many years. And, following his trial came the realisation that he was linked to allegations of further sexual offences against over a hundred women.
ITV's official release continues: "The two women then joined forces with solicitor Harriet Wistrich and Phillippa Kaufmann QC, and decided to sue the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act for their failure to properly conduct investigations into their allegations of sexual assault, leading to them being subjected to degrading treatment and contributing to their distress.
"The drama highlights how these women fought against all odds to have their cases heard, whilst looming in the background was Worboys’ first parole hearing. Unbelievably, eight years after he was convicted for his crimes, his victims were made to fight again to keep him behind bars."
Screenwriter Jeff Pope has said of the series: “[It] goes on an emotional journey with the victims of Worboys’ attacks, showing what happened to them when they reported being raped and assaulted, the pain and indignity of the process and how this de-humanised them.
"But most shocking of all is how they felt that not being believed by the police and having the attacks recorded, essentially, as non-crimes, was as traumatising for them as the actual assaults.”
ITV's Director of Drama, Polly Hill, added: “We are really proud to be working with Jeff Pope to bring this important story to screen. For too long the women were not heard by the police, resulting in more victims and ultimately resulting in a landmark case brought against the Met. Jeff’s scripts as always are brilliant in bringing this difficult but important story to screen and I am delighted that Julia Ford will be directing the piece.”
What happened in the real-life John Worboys case?
Black cab driver John Worboys was convicted in 2009 for attacks on 12 women. The former taxi driver would pick up women late at night, telling them he was celebrating after coming into a large amount of money – either from a casino or lottery winnings. He would then offer them a glass of champagne to celebrate, which he had laced with sedatives, before raping or sexually assaulting them. Afterwards, the women often had little memory of the events.
In 2014, two unnamed women complained about being mistreated by the Metropolitan Police when reporting Worboys. They both received damages after it was concluded that the police’s treatment of them had caused mental suffering. The judge presiding over the case ruled that “systemic” failures in the investigation meant that Worboys was not stopped earlier. It said the police had failed to “join the dots”, despite Worboys using a clear modus operandi that could have linked reports.
Ten years after Worboys’ sentencing, four more women came forward to say that Worboys had attacked them, after a Parole Board had ruled that he was safe to be freed. Worboys was handed two life sentences. At the sentencing, the judge, Mrs Justice McGowan, said she didn't know when “if ever [Worboys] will cease to be a risk”.
Who’s in the cast of Believe Me?
The cast of Believe Me includes:
- Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Moonflower Murders)
- Aimée-Ffion Edwards (Slow Horses)
- Miriam Petche (Industry)
- Aasiya Shah (The Beast Must Die)
How can I watch ITV's Believe Me?
ITV hasn’t yet shared a release date for Believe Me, but given the drama has only just been announced, we'd expect it to air on ITV1 and ITVX at some point in 2026. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we’ll update you here.
What other true crime dramas can I watch now?
As we mentioned, Netflix's Toxic Town, which is based on the of the Corby poisonings of the ‘80s and ‘90s and stars Jodie Whittaker, is well worth a watch and all 4 episodes are available to stream now on Netflix. We'd also highly recommend the upcoming drama I Fought The Law, which will air on ITV this autumn. Starring Sheridan Smith, the series tells the true story of a mother fighting for justice after her daughter was brutally murdered, and is both a harrowing and inspiring watch.
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