Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story – Release date, cast and latest news

The series has been written by Killing Eve's Georgia Lester and is based on in-depth research, interviews, documented legal proceedings and Ayling's own book, Kidnapped.

Starring Nadia Parkes (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) as Ayling and made in cooperation with Ayling herself, the six-parter is set to be an intriguing insight into how the case was handled and the media storm that ensued. But when does Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story air? Read on to find out.

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story release date

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story will premiere on Wednesday 14th August on BBC Three at 9pm with a double bill.

All episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story cast

The role of Chloe Ayling will be played by Nadia Parkes, who is known for her roles in The Spanish Princess and Domina.

The full cast list for Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is as follows.

• Nadia Parkes as Chloe Ayling
• Adrian Edmondson
• Nigel Lindsay
• Olive Gray
• Eleonora Romandini
• Julian Swiezewski
• Christine Tremarco

What is Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story about?

The new series is based on the real-life abduction of model Chloe Ayling, who was kidnapped upon travelling to Italy for a photoshoot.

As per the synopsis: "From burgeoning glamour model to vilified victim, this is the unbelievable, and often unbelieved, story of Chloe Ayling's terrifying kidnap and the media frenzy that followed."

The official synopsis states that the series "will tell Chloe's personal story in full for the first time, going behind the headlines to shine a light on the emotional truth".

It continues: "This factual drama follows her terrifying kidnap, her bravery and resilience in captivity, and the subsequent court case that put her kidnappers in jail.

"Yet despite their convictions, Chloe faced headlines accusing her of faking her own kidnapping, and found herself at the centre of a media storm.

"It asks why Chloe was blamed for her kidnappers’ crimes? How do we relate to survivors of crime who make the front pages? And how does it feel to be an ordinary person, caught up in events so extraordinary that you aren’t believed?"

Is Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story based on a true story?

It is.

Ayling, a British glamour model, was kidnapped in Milan and held captive for six days. She travelled to Italy for a photoshoot which ended up being a fake setup and was instead drugged and driven 120 miles in a car boot to a remote farmhouse near Turin.

She was told that she would be auctioned as a sex slave on the dark web for €300,000 (£265,000) but was freed after six days, driven to the British embassy in Milan on 17th July by her kidnapper Lukasz Herba.

Ayling then spent three weeks in Italy afterwards while the police investigated her case, and later returned to her home in South London. Back home, she was subject to media scrutiny due to the nature of her story and the details that emerged of the tactics Ayling had to employ in order to secure her safety with her kidnapper. For example, Ayling was seen on CCTV holding Herba's hand while out shopping for shoes.

On being the subject of a media storm and people not believing her, Ayling told The Guardian in 2018: "I don’t think people believed me because I wasn’t in tears. But I was happy, as you would be, seeing your family after a month when you thought you weren’t going to again. Also, because cameras are an everyday part of my life, I probably reacted differently from how most people would if they had been through the same thing."

She went on: "I think if you’re a glamour model, you’re bound to be portrayed in that way. It’s just the stereotype, I guess ... That we just want fame and publicity."

Is there a trailer for Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story?

There is! The trailer for Kidnapped can be found below.

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.

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