Baby Reindeer row explodes as viewers brand TV interview where Fiona Harvey ... trends now
A row has exploded over a 'highly irresponsible' TV interview with the 'real' Martha from Baby Reindeer.
Shocked viewers said they were 'disturbed' by the programme on Piers Morgan Uncensored, which they branded a 'painful watch'.
Baby Reindeer's 'Martha' tonight revealed her real name was Fiona Harvey - but furiously denied stalking comic Richard Gadd and said she would take Netflix to court over the drama.
In a bombshell interview Ms Harvey, 58, said she had only met the comedian three times and when quizzed on the content of some of the messages she admitted sending him called them 'jokey banter'
The Scottish woman went on to say she wanted to 'set the record straight' following the Netflix show's phenomenal global success and trolls contacting her online after it began streaming.
However, she denied sending him 41,000 emails and scores of tweets and claimed instead it was more like just ten messages and one letter sent by post.
In the wide-ranging interview with Piers Morgan, she revealed details of her 'impoverished' upbringing and that she was in a five-year relationship with a male lawyer.
Baby Reindeer's 'Martha' has said her real name is Fiona Harvey in a bombshell Piers Morgan interview about Richard Gadd's Netflix stalking drama
The 58-year-old alleged stalker is pictured on Morgan's programme
The show has been a global success and follows 'Martha' (played by Jessica Gunning) as she stalks aspiring comedian Richard Gadd - who is called Donny Dunn in the show
Piers Morgan has dropped the first trailer ahead of his interview with the 'real-life Martha' from Baby Reindeer, which is set to air on Thursday evening at 8pm
Shocked social media users slammed the programme on X, saying it was a 'painful watch'
One viewer, called Sarah Lucy, wrote on X: 'I'm disturbed watching the Piers Morgan interview with Fiona Harvey.
'It's deeply troubling to see her obvious mental health struggles exploited for sensationalism and poor taste.'
Another social media user, called Lucy, said: 'Fiona Harvey's fixed beliefs and delusions are clear signs of severe mental health issues to anybody that works within this field.
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I'm the real 'Martha' but I didn't do half of what Baby Reindeer accused me of! Fiona Harvey says she inspired Netflix stalker - yet insists she didn't send Richard Gadd 41,000 emails, only met him three times - and has a new lawyer boyfriend
'It's clear she's being exploited for financial gain.'
A third Twitter/X user added: 'It was highly irresponsible to put Fiona Harvey on TV!'
During the interview, Fiona Harvey also admitted she uses four phones as 'I like keeping people on separate phones'.
MailOnline had until now chosen not to name and picture her. But following her appearance with Piers Morgan we have decided to publish her picture.
The Scottish woman broke her silence in her first ever TV interview with Piers tonight at 8pm.
She said she met Mr Gadd 'two or three times' and said she did call him a 'baby reindeer'.
On being 'outed' within hours as the 'real-life Martha' online, she said: 'On the internet, sleuths tracked me down and hounded me and gave me death threats. So it wasn't really a choice. I was forced into this situation.'
She said: 'I think he [Mr Gadd] always wanted this to come out.
'I don't think I sent him anything. There may have been a couple of emails, jokey banter, but that is it.'
Asked if she had a message for Richard Gadd if he was watching, she said: 'Leave me alone, please. Get a life, get a proper job. I am horrified at what you've done.'
She said she would 'absolutely' be taking legal action against him and Netflix.
She admitted tweeting him 18 times, sending fewer than ten emails and sending him one letter but denied messaging him on Facebook.
Baby Reindeer, the extraordinary hit Netflix drama, has been viewed more than 60 million times in the past month
The chilling real-life drama was inspired by the ordeal suffered by Scottish creator and leading man Richard Gadd at the hands of 'Martha' (played by Jessica Gunning, right)
The clip of the interview sees Morgan grilling the alleged stalker on everything from her views on Richard Gadd to whether she has ever been to prison
She said she would happily open up her accounts to prove this.
She also refused leaving him voicemails.
She denied ever being charged with an offence or going to jail, as the show suggests the character Martha does.
She added: 'I think he's probably made it up himself.'
'Why now, why didn't he go to the police at the time?'
She said: 'I think anyone going along and doing this to anybody - I find the behaviour outrageous.'
Asked if she had watched the drama, she replied: 'Not at all. I've heard about the court scene, about the jail sentences and all this sort of stuff… I haven't watched any of it.'
'You're not curious, too?' Morgan asked.
She replied: 'No, I think I'd be sick. It's taken over enough of my life. I find it quite obscene. I find it horrifying, misogynistic.
Baby Reindeer delves into Richard's harrowing real-life stalking ordeal and brutal sexual abuse as he plays a fictionalised version of himself called Donny Dunn (pictured)
Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning attended a photo call for a screening in LA on Tuesday
'Some of the death threats have been really terrible online. People phoning me up. You know, it's been absolutely horrendous. I wouldn't give credence to something like that and it's not really my kind of drama.'
She said the interest in her was 'absolutely horrendous'.
She said: 'I couldn't believe he'd done that. And so long after the first meeting, you know, we're talking 10, 12 years ago, really horrendous.'
Speaking about her childhood, she said it was a 'standard Scottish upbringing' in the 'countryside'.
She said she was 'impoverished' but had a 'middle class upbringing' along with her sister.
