Piers Morgan’s Baby Reindeer interview with “real-life Martha” Fiona Harvey is now out — here are the 5 biggest moments.
Since hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer was released, fans have been eager to unmask the real-life inspirations for the characters — particularly Martha (Jessica Gunning), a fictional woman convicted of stalking up-and-coming comedian Donny (played by series creator Richard Gadd).
Not only stating that the show is based on a true story but also using allegedly real emails in scenes, 58-year-old Fiona Harvey was hit with accusations of being the “real-life Martha,” something she has continually denied ever since.
Now, Harvey has chosen to “set the record straight” by sharing her side of the story on Piers Morgan Uncensored — here are the five most shocking moments from their interview.
“Richard Gadd is psychotic, he’s mentally unwell… I find the behavior outrageous”
Not only did Harvey describe Baby Reindeer as “a work of fiction and hyperbole,” she also slammed series creator Richard Gadd as being “mentally unwell” at multiple points during the 50-minute interview.
Harvey claims to have met Gadd no more than 5-6 times, with their first interaction happening at Camden pub The Hawley Arms. She also refutes attending any more than one of his previous comedy shows.
While watching BBC Breaking News when the stage version of Baby Reindeer was announced for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, she took note of the story, then again two weeks prior to the interview when the same story was a talking point on Netflix.
“I knew him for 2-3 months maximum,” Harvey claims, stating that she wishes she never set foot in the pub in the first place.
“Richard Gadd is psychotic, he’s mentally unwell… I find the behavior outrageous,” she adds in regards to how she has felt since both the play and show came out. This is a sentiment Harvey has echoed multiple times on her Facebook accounts.
“He’s been the ultimate misogynist,” Harvey continues. “He always wanted this to come out, persecute someone. Extreme psychiatric problems.”
Harvey also denies sending Gadd more than “a handful of emails” and a total of 18 tweets while they were in contact. She claimed never to have sent any voicemails, Facebook, or WhatsApp messages.
“It’s Hawley Arms banter”
“Nobody gets anything free from the Hawley Arms,” Harvey stated about the time she spent in the Camden pub, also mentioning that Gadd only worked there on certain days.
Throughout the interview, Harvey mentions something she terms as “Hawley Arms banter,” accounting for a number of jokes made during episodes of Baby Reindeer — but also explaining her own highly-publicized comments, such as the “my curtains need hung badly” tweet.
“It was a Hawley Arms joke, it was sexual innuendo,” she says of the truth behind the fictional scenes. However, Harvey also claims that the origin of some of these jokes, such as the curtains, came from Gadd pursuing her, not the other way around.
“I gave Gadd the brush-off big time… I don’t fancy little boys without jobs,” Harvey explains. When asked by Morgan if she was in love with him, she responds, “He asked me to sleep with him with a big green spot on his face one day, I said ‘No, sorry I’m not interested.’ He asked me ‘Would I like my curtains fixed, that’s a euphemism, do you want me to come home with you?’ and I said ‘I’ve got a boyfriend.'”
When asked about scenes depicting Gadd’s girlfriend (played by Nava Mau), Harvey added, “He didn’t have a girlfriend… I think he’s homosexual.”
This claim has never publicly been confirmed by Gadd.
“I’m not a stalker, I’ve not been to jail, I’ve not got injunctions… it’s complete nonsense”
Piers Morgan presses Fiona Harvey on her denial of sending Richard Gadd multiple voicemails."The only explanation would be him taping me in the Hawley Arms," she claims.📺 https://t.co/TSXzPg7TUK@piersmorgan | #MarthaUncensored pic.twitter.com/ZuBfX3K1O4
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) May 9, 2024
Harvey continues to deny that the events depicted in Baby Reindeer are true to life, claiming never to have stalked Gadd or have any inappropriate contact with him.
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“I’m not a stalker, I’ve not been to jail, I’ve not got injunctions… it’s complete nonsense,” she maintains.
Harvey did reveal that her actual name is Fiona Muir-Harvey, dropping the first half of her surname after her parents’ divorce. When questioned by Morgan about her thoughts regarding people checking her criminal record, internet history, or background, she maintains complete confidence.
“I appear to have written most of the show in my sleep,” she says of the Baby Reindeer scenes that did hold an element of truth, such as their time in the Hawley Arms. Harvey categorically denies sexual assault of Gadd, alongside scenes of Martha following Donny home.
“The only explanation would be him taping me in the Hawley Arms,” was Harvey’s explanation for why Gadd claims to have 350 voicemails from her. “It doesn’t mean the drama is true. I doubt he has that amount.”
When presented with Baby Reindeer’s final scene of Martha in prison, Harvey claims that the entire scene was a work of fiction. She also maintains that complaints of harassment made by Laura Wray, wife of former Glasgow MP Jimmy Wray, were also inaccurate, stating that they were out to get her because she had her eye on a parliament position.
“I think they’re milking it for all it’s worth for the money”
One of Harvey’s biggest claims throughout Piers Morgan’s Baby Reindeer interview is that the Netlifx show was engineered by Gadd in order to make as much money possible, particularly after the play’s run “didn’t generate anything.”
“Going to prison’s in vogue,” Harvey says. “I think they’re [Gadd and Gunning] milking it for all it’s worth for the money. They’re clearly very happy with themselves.”
Harvey also states that she hasn’t received an apology from Gadd or Netflix. “They’ve billed it as a true story, and it’s blatantly not.”
“I would like to see Netflix’s evidence,” she adds in regards to the use of emails in Baby Reindeer.
“Leave me alone, get a life, get a proper job — I’m horrified at what you’ve done”
As the interview wraps up, Morgan asks Harvey what her message for Gadd is, should he be watching. “Leave me alone, get a life, get a proper job — I’m horrified at what you’ve done,” she says.
Harvey confirms her plans to sue Gadd, Netflix, and the Daily Mail for defamation, implying that she has already enlisted legal help for this.
She also reveals she has a boyfriend of five years, who works as a lawyer. “My boyfriend thinks this is horrendous,” Harvey remarks.
As for the viewers at home, she tells them, “I can’t change your mind, I can just rebut what has been said. You can make up your own minds. My mind is made up that he’s a liar.”
The editor’s notes for The Real Martha Uncensored states: “Netflix and Clerkenwell Films were approached to respond to the allegations made in this interview. They chose not to comment.”
How to watch Piers Morgan’s The Real Martha Uncensored
You can watch Piers Morgan’s interview with Fiona Harvey, titled The Real Martha Uncensored, for free on the host’s YouTube channel.
The name of the channel is Piers Morgan Uncensored, where he hosts numerous debates and interviews on topical issues. First airing on May 9, 2024, you can catch up with the Baby Reindeer special now on demand.
For more on Baby Reindeer, here are TV shows and movies to watch next, as well as the best series of 2024 so far. You can also find all the new shows heading to streaming this month.