Where is Chloe Ayling now? Subject of BBC Three's Kidnapped
What happened to the model at the centre of the shocking true crime case?
Oftentimes, there's no need for fictionalised drama in the TV schedules, as the wealth of true crime content at our fingertips is captivating enough.
That's the case with the intriguing real story of Chloe Ayling, who is at the centre of a brand new BBC Three factual drama series.
Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is based on Ayling's true story of being kidnapped in Italy in 2017, when she had travelled there thinking she was partaking in a photoshoot.
Written by Killing Eve's Georgia Lester, the new six-part series is based on in-depth research, interviews, documented legal proceedings and Ayling's own book, Kidnapped.
While the drama explores the events of the kidnapping, as well as the media storm fallout from it all, viewers will likely be wondering just what happened to Ayling. Well, read on to find out.
Where is Chloe Ayling now? Subject of BBC Three's Kidnapped
New series Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story has been made in cooperation with Ayling herself, and is also based on Ayling's book, Kidnapped.
In the run-up to the release of the series, Ayling was interviewed by BBC Breakfast, and when asked how she's doing seven years on from the kidnapping, she said: "I'm fine in myself. I'm happy, I've moved on. I'm happy that the drama is being made because, as you just said, still, seven years on there's still criticism.
"I feel like my voice was never heard back then, it was really overpowered by negativity on maybe how I dressed or how I presented myself, or the fact I wasn't emotional.
"So I'm glad that it can be just laid out and the facts can be shown visually, so that people can understand such a complex story."
Ayling was 20 years old at the time of her kidnapping, and began modelling when she was 18. Originally from Croydon, London, Ayling had a child when she was in college.
She was hired to do the Milan-based photoshoot by Lukasz Herba, who turned out to be her kidnapper, and she was freed after six days - but was subject to media scrutiny due to her appearance and details that emerged.
As an example, CCTV footage of Ayling holding Herba's hand while out shoe shopping received great attention. She was infamously grilled by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain following her ordeal.
As of now, Ayling is a public figure and currently boasts over 200,000 followers on Instagram. She is still a model and posts regular content to her Instagram and OnlyFans accounts.
Ayling previously appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, and the media doubt over her case grew after her appearance, as well as the release of her book.
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The new drama - which stars Nadia Parkes (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) as Ayling - hopes to shift the attention away from the rumours and allegations, instead painting a picture of the events that actually occurred and alleviate any further doubts over the legitimacy of Ayling's experience.
Speaking to The Times, Ayling said of the series: "Seeing it gave me chills because it’s such a relief. People will see all the evidence against [the Herbas] laid out word for word, without bias.
"At the time, everything was so focused on me and no one was interested in how the brothers were changing their story every second to completely contradictory ones."
Kidnapped will air on BBC Three on Wednesday 14th August at 9pm, with all episodes available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am the same day.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
