ITV viewers already obsessed with new ‘must-watch' thriller based on a true story

Daily Mirror

28-04-2025

ITV has quietly released an incredible new thriller and viewers can't get enough of it
ITV has subtly dropped an incredible new thriller, and the eight-part series has been met with rave reviews from viewers.
Fake is an Aussie gem that's been dubbed a "romance-scam thriller", revolving around a young woman who suspects there's something off about her new beau.
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The show, which landed on ITVX on 27th April and is slated to air on Saturday nights starting from 3rd May, has received a warm welcome, even smashing records as Paramount+'s biggest release in Australia following its initial launch.
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The synopsis reveals: "The series stars Asher Keddie (Nine Perfect Strangers) as Birdie Bell, a magazine features writer who thinks she's found her perfect match when she meets successful rancher Joe (David Wenham, Pieces of Her), on a dating app. But as the relationship intensifies, Birdie is torn between Joe's magnetic pull and the instinct that her boyfriend isn't all he has led her to believe."
Speaking about the show, ITV's Head of Content Acquisitions Sasha Brelau said: "We've got a great track record with Australian drama on ITVX, Anya Beyersdorf's work on The Twelve is a shining example of how well it resonates with our audiences, so we're really looking forward to bringing her newest offering Fake to the UK in 2025. It's a gripping thriller, made for binge watching."
Contrary to its title, Fake is actually based on a true story. The TV show is an adaptation of the memoir by Stephanie Wood, who opened up about her personal experience.
She shared her experience of a distressing relationship with a con artist, saying: "I met Joe through an online dating app and spent 15 months with him. He told me he was a former architect, farmer and property developer. He seemed to be compassionate and decent and to share my values. He led me to think we might have a future together.
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"But his increasingly erratic behaviour, his constant cancellations and contradictory stories, left me in a state of high anxiety and self-doubt. Eventually, for the sake of my mental health, I ended the relationship. I am a journalist and that's when I started to investigate him.
"I did title deed and bankruptcy searches and spoke to people who knew him. I discovered he had been with another woman for the duration of our relationship, had a criminal record, was bankrupt, and had left a trail of grief and broken relationships behind him."
She continued: "For anyone who has been in one of these relationships, I hope that Birdie's story will comfort them, help them realise that they were not foolish and that these type of abusers are clever manipulators. I would like them to feel less alone."
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Viewers have taken to social media to discuss the show, with one fan posting: "I'm beyond grateful for the portrayal as it helps with me knowing that behaviour is not my fault and I didn't ask for that to happen to me."
Another viewer chimed in: "It was hard not to binge the whole series in a sitting. Had us hooked from the start and it's been so good to see a quality Australian production again"
While another chimed in: "This is a must watch. I wasn't a fan of either main actors but I love a bit of Australian production, Fake does not disappoint."
Fake is available to stream on ITVX.