Horrifying doc about children poisoned in an NHS scandal is on TV tonight

Daily Mirror

20-05-2025

Imagine going to a school where you thought your medical needs would be cared for, but in actual fact you were being poisoned… The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned At School, airing on ITV1 tonight (Tuesday 20 May) at 9pm, tells just one shocking story from Britain's biggest medical disaster in NHS history, charting a catalogue of medical failures and a government cover-up.
In the 1970s and 1980s more than 30,000 people across Britain were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products and blood transfusions in a hushed-up scandal. This moving documentary tells the tragic personal stories of the haemophiliac children at the Lord Mayor Treloar College in Hampshire, which has since apologised. These 122 kids went to the specialist boarding school with the promise of a 'normal childhood', but instead pupils were used for medical research and given a 'wonder drug'. This drug was infected with Hepatitis and HIV.
Around 90 of these people have now died, and this film follows some of the few remaining survivors. Now in their 50s, the men return to the school together and open up about their experiences, recalling how an NHS haemophiliac unit was opened on site so they could rapidly receive a revolutionary treatment called Factor VIII. For many, it was a death sentence.
Gary Webster says: 'We were told this was a wonder drug and would change our lives and make me like a normal little boy. I was sticking needles in my arm four or five times a week. If you did miss it, you got punished.' A devastating, largely untold story of resilience and a fight for justice.
From Kate Bush to Taylor Swift, Game Of Thrones to Saltburn, the Brontës sisters have influenced culture across the centuries. The original disruptors, these sisters were uncompromising feminist trailblazers - rebels with a literary cause. Anita Rani presents this exploration of the sisters, tracking the impact Anne, Charlotte and Emily have had on millions of readers.
The documentary also explores Anita's own relationship with the Brontës as she heads back to her hometown of Bradford to recall the first time she read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights at school and the sense of identification she felt, especially growing up with the stunning Brontë landscape of Haworth and the Moors on her doorstep.
She also meets fellow fans and literary experts to explore why their work still feels relevant today. Anita says: 'These strong, unearthly sisters fed into my psyche and made me think anything was possible. I'm going to explore how these women - so full of rage - changed my life, and the world.'
Over twenty years since it first graced our screens, this award-winning show is back and putting a new generation of fakers to the test. Each episode sees a brave volunteer dropped into an alien world and given just four weeks to master a new skill. With help from a few mentors, after the time is up they must convince a panel of experts that they are the real deal. Can a fish fryer become a sushi chef or a painter and decorator a make-up artist or will they spot the imposter?
As worlds collide and tempers rise, it's an emotional journey for fakers and mentors. First up, posh Surrey estate agent Rex swaps his refined world of million pound properties, wine bars and polo matches for the chaos and crowds of northern street markets, as he tries to become a meat trader. Rex tries to blend in, ditching his posh accent and preppy looks and swapping his Hugh Grant haircut for tattoos. But is it enough?
Moira is stressed just as Ross arrives explaining that Lewis, the long-lost son of a woman she killed, is waiting outside for her. Moira braces herself for the encounter. At the Fertility Clinic, despite the doctor's concerns, Sarah's determined to fulfil her dream of motherhood. She's all hellbent on keeping it a secret. Tracy is still secretly using Nate's credit card, until it is unexpectedly declined. Mack is doing everything he can to make amends after his apparent mistake with the slurry.
Tensions are running high between Lauren and Peter ahead of their appointment with the health visitor Belinda. Peter is worried when Belinda privately suggests to him that Lauren may be experiencing symptoms of postnatal depression. Kat takes control at the Slaters and calls a family meeting. They all discuss sharing childcare, but worry that Stacey might need professional help. Zack gathers more evidence that Barney isn't safe with Nicola and Teddy. Yolande gets on the wrong side of Nigel.