Viewers react to “exploitative” Piers Morgan interview with ‘Baby Reindeer’s ‘real Martha’

10 May, 2024

Piers Morgan and Jessica Gunning as Martha in 'Baby Reindeer'

Some viewers have expressed their concern at the “exploitative” nature of Piers Morgan’s interview with the ‘real Martha’ from Baby Reindeer.

Fiona Harvey, who is allegedly the inspiration for the stalker character in the Netflix drama, appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Thursday (May 9), her first television interview since confirming her identity earlier in the week.

Baby Reindeer is a semi-autobiographical series written by the comedian Richard Gadd that claims to tell the “true story” of a struggling stand-up (played by Gadd) who is maliciously stalked by an older woman named Martha.

In the interview, Harvey denied many aspects of the Netflix show’s narrative, saying that she did not stalk Gadd, attack his girlfriend, destroy the bar he worked in or contact his parents.

She was also asked what her message for Gadd is now. “Leave me alone please,” she replied. “Get a life, get a proper job.”

She added: “I am horrified at what you’ve done.”

Harvey also confirmed that she will “absolutely” be taking legal action against both Gadd and Netflix, saying that she is “exploring all the options out there”.

The interview has left many viewers with negative reactions. “I’m uncomfortable with how comfortable we are putting deeply unwell people in front of cameras,” wrote one person on X/Twitter.

Another user described the interview as “cruel”, “irresponsible” and “ghoulish”, while also admitting that “I could not take my eyes off for a second”.

One person claimed that Morgan was hypocritical to criticise the show’s “duty of care” while also “throwing” Harvey “in front of millions”, calling it a “dangerous situation”.

The interview, which has already been viewed over four million times on YouTube, was described by another social media user as “exploitation of a person who is in a vulnerable position. Clearly unethical”.

Another wrote: “Part of me doesn’t want to watch the interview but I can’t stop watching”.

Harvey herself has given her own reaction to the interview, telling the Daily Record: “I wouldn’t say I was happy. It was very rapid to try to trip me up. He did it fast paced to catch me off guard. It seemed to me that I was set up. I feel a bit used.”

Netflix or Gadd himself have yet to comment on claims the woman is the ‘real-life’ Martha. Netflix’s policy chief Benjamin King said that Netflix and the production company “took every reasonable precaution in disguising the real-life identities of the people involved in that story”.

Almost immediately after the show premiered on Netflix last month, some viewers attempted to uncover the real identities of characters in the show, including Martha. Gadd himself subsequently urged people to refrain from speculation, saying, “that’s not the point of our show”.

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