BBC announces Kidnapped drama based on true story of Chloe Ayling

Ayling was abducted in Italy in 2017 after travelling there for a photoshoot, and the series promises to go "behind the headlines" to tell her personal story of both the kidnap itself and the subsequent court case that put the perpetrators in jail.

According to a BBC release, the six-episode series will also explore the headlines that accused her of faking her own kidnapping and ask why she was blamed for her kidnappers’ crimes.

Speaking about the series and her collaboration with Ayling, Lester said: "Every moment that I have spent researching this series and spending time with Chloe, learning about the ordeal she suffered both by the men who abducted her and the people who doubted her, has been shocking and infuriating.

"It’s been an honour to work with Chloe and I can’t wait for audiences to finally see her courage, her charm and her unwavering resilience."

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Ayling herself said that she was "excited that BBC Studios are telling my story and that the wider world will get to know the truth about what happened to me". She added: "Georgia Lester and the team have been incredibly supportive in our conversations, and I couldn’t be happier that they are making this series."

Meanwhile, Fiona Campbell, controller of youth audience for BBC iPlayer and BBC Three, said: "Many of us remember Chloe Ayling’s story and the headlines that followed.

"Drama on the BBC has a unique and exceptional ability to bring human stories to life and to show what happened from the inside out, to allow audiences to assess their own responses and make up their own minds.

"We’re hugely appreciative to Chloe for sharing her story, and to the team at BBC Studios who are bringing it to the screen with the sensitivity and insight that it deserves."

The series will film later this year and air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, with casting news and further details to be announced in due course.

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