Baby Reindeer star named ‘most influential person on TV'

Telegraph

05-05-2025

The creator of Netflix's Baby Reindeer has been named the most influential person in television by the Radio Times TV 100 list.
The hit series by Richard Gadd sees Donny, the main character, being stalked by a woman called Martha after he serves her a free cup of tea in the pub where he works.
However, the drama has since become embroiled in controversy over whether or not the events portrayed in the series were factual or fictional.
Fiona Harvey, the woman who claims to be the inspiration behind Martha, is suing Netflix for at least $170 million (£133 million) for defamation.
The dispute revolves around the show's opening statement: 'This is a true story.'
'Outside the industry'
In a document filed to a court in California last July, Gadd called the series a 'dramatic work'.
He wrote: ' It is not a documentary or an attempt at realism.
'While the series is based on my life and real-life events and is, at its core, emotionally true, it is not a beat-by-beat recounting of the events and emotions I experienced as they transpired.
'It is fictionalised, and is not intended to portray actual facts.'
Speaking to the Radio Times after topping the list, Gadd said: 'I've always felt outside of the industry in a lot of ways, always felt like I came up in a weird way, I've never really felt a part of it until now.
'I spent my whole childhood writing, I was always attempting to write comedy, trying to act and just doing silly stuff that would make my friends laugh.
'You'll never see me at the private members' bars or parties. I just work really hard all the time, I'm constantly doing stuff and there are exciting things happening right now that I'm working on.'
Jessica Gunning, who plays Martha, and One Day's Ambika Mod took second and third place respectively in the annual TV power list compiled by TV experts and executives.
Mod features on the list after starring in Netflix's One Day, based on the David Nicholls romance novel of the same name, and Disney+ crime drama The Stolen Girl.
In fourth place on the list is Leo Woodall, Mod's One Day co-star, who also appeared in The White Lotus. Rivals creator Dominic Treadwell-Collins made it to fifth place, and in sixth is Ruth Jones and James Cordon with a joint entry following BBC sitcom Gavin And Stacey's Christmas 2024 finale.
Claudia Winkleman, the presenter of The Traitors, is in seventh place, while Chris McCausland, who won last year's Strictly Come Dancing competition with dance partner Dianne Buswell, is in eighth, and Black Bag star Marisa Abela is in ninth.
Danny Dyer takes 10th place on the list after his role as Freddie Jones in Disney+'s Rivals.
Morgan Jeffery, digital editor of Radio Times, said: 'The Radio Times TV 100 is our definitive annual rundown of the most powerful and influential figures working in television today – a celebration of the talent shaping what we watch and why we watch it.
'And in 2025, no name loomed larger than Richard Gadd. His bold, unflinching series Baby Reindeer didn't just dominate the cultural conversation – it changed it, sparking global debate, critical acclaim and countless think-pieces.
'Gadd takes the top spot this year as a creative force who has redefined the boundaries of what TV can say and do.
'Close behind is Jessica Gunning, whose gripping performance has cemented her as one of the most talked-about actors of the year. Baby Reindeer wasn't just a breakout – it was a reckoning, and its impact is still being felt across the industry.'