RTÉ to release documentary on serial scammer Samantha Cookes
Bad Nanny tells the story of Samantha Cookes who, for over a decade across Ireland and the UK, used a revolving door of aliases including Carrie Jade Williams and Sadie Harris to weave an intricate web of lies, deceiving the public, from vulnerable families to online communities.
Her story was the subject of RTÉ podcast series The Real Carrie Jade, with documentary maker Ronan Kelly from the podcast featuring in the TV series and an update to the podcast series published today.
Gráinne McAleer, head of socumentaries and series at RTÉ, said: 'The shocking story of Samantha Cookes and her long list of scams and aliases is an intriguing story that needs to be told on screen. The documentary series lays out this timeline of deceit brilliantly and captures the collective power of ordinary people.
'From the Tik Tok sleuths to the victims of Samantha's scams that came together to expose her story, Bad Nanny is a story of the power of ordinary people working together. It is also cautionary tale for anyone hiring someone to look after their nearest and dearest.'
The documentary delves into Samantha's persona as Carrie Jade Williams, a supposedly terminally ill, award-winning author. Under that name in 2020, Cookes had won a prestigious Financial Times/Bodley Head £1,000 (€1,200) essay prize for writing about the difficulties she had being a writer with Huntington's disease.
She has since admitted she does not have this terminal illness.
The documentary also features the vulnerable families left emotionally shattered by Samantha's deceit. Viewers will watch exclusive interviews with victims of Samantha's scams who have never spoken publicly and includes unseen archive footage of Samantha.
In her most recent conviction, Cookes pleaded guilty to deception and theft of €60,000 in social welfare payments over a four-year period up to 2024. During this time she was also able to obtain two Arts Council grants using a slight variation on her real name.
Bad Nanny is co-production between RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland produced by Alleycats TV. It will be available on RTÉ Player and BBC iPlayer from Monday, May 12.
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