ITV ‘nervously’ releases controversial Sarah Ferguson drama days after Andrew arrest

ITV are reportedly feeling ‘nervy’ ahead of the Sunday night premiere of their Sarah Ferguson drama, The Lady.

This partly fictionalised four-part series follows the rise and fall of former royal dresser Jane Andrews (Mia McKenna-Bruce), who was convicted of murdering her boyfriend, Thomas Cressman, in 2001.

The show features Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer as Andrews’ employer, Sarah Ferguson – who was, at the time, serving in her capacity as Duchess of York.

One member of the Royal family who will not appear in the show is the former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The former Duke of York – who was stripped of his titles by brother King Charles in 2022 – was arrested earlier this week under allegations of misconduct in public office.

With The Lady set to air mere days after his release, ITV are said to have their lawyers ‘on standby’ should any new information come to the fore.

A source close to the show told GB News: ‘ITV is very nervy about The Lady going out on Sunday.’

They continued: ‘It’s not a flattering portrayal of Fergie at all but they’ve got duty lawyers on standby in case of more spectacular royal revelations.’

Meanwhile, the brother of Thomas Cressman has also shared his thoughts on this dramatisation of real-life events.

‘It feels that Tommy can never rest in peace,’ Rick Cressman said in 2022, sharing how he had ‘one week’s notice,’ after being informed about plans for the drama.

He told Daily Mail: ‘It’s a very cruel thing that ITV have commissioned a drama about it. It gives licence to say or do anything they like – true or not. It’s an abuse of my family. My mother’s now 97.’

Brother Thomas (played by Downton Abbey star Ed Speelers in the TV show) was murdered by Andrews in the year 2000 – violently killed with a cricket bat and a knife as he lay in bed, sleeping.

While Natalie Dormer’s Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson features heavily in the programme, there is no depiction of her husband.

‘Andrew does not feature,’ show writer Debbie O’Malley told Radio Times earlier this year.

This is because, according to O’Malley, the story is specifically ‘about the female, domestic world of Sarah and Jane’s part in it.

‘We only ever see the Sarah that Jane got to see.’

O’Malley went on to add that the show, while being ‘transparent’ about what happened, strives for ‘integrity’ in its portrayal of a real-life tragedy.

‘There was no way we could necessarily please everyone, but we weren’t setting out to upset anyone,’ the writer said.

She continued: ‘When you’re trying to understand a complex protagonist, it’s easy to lose sight of the victim.

‘And that was something that was important from the beginning – to remember that a man lost his life and his family and his friends are still grieving that loss. You just have to approach it with integrity.’

The release of The Lady comes in the aftermath of Andrew’s arrest on Thursday, February 19.

Andrew was arrested by officers in relation to allegations surrounding the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, and held for 11 hours.

As detectives continue to search Andrew’s former home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor, Berkshire, he is believed to be staying in a cottage on the King’s Sandringham estate.

A source close to the family told the Daily Mail that Andrew ‘hardly seemed bothered’ about the Epstein scandal, and had ‘done nothing but complain’ prior to his arrest.

‘It’s extraordinary. He hardly seemed bothered about the Epstein scandal. He was much more worried about where he was supposed to keep his horses,’ they said.

‘He is in another world.’

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of his former wife and daughters – Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – are currently unknown.

Friends of the former Duchess of York described her as feeling ‘very, very down’, telling Daily Mail: ‘She feels deeply depressed and that the world is out to get her.’

They added: ‘What she doesn’t appear to feel is remorse for what has happened. She just wants this to all go away and allow her to get on with her life.

‘Her head is in the sand.’

Metro has contacted ITV for comment on this story.

The Lady airs tonight on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm.

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