The woman who inspired stalker character Martha in hit TV show Baby Reindeer claims rival show Mr Bates vs The Post Office deserves to win big at this year’s TV Choice awards.
Fiona Harvey, 59, has previously hit out at Scots comic Richard Gadd’s “true story” mini-series for portraying stalker Martha as being convicted and sent to jail.
She is suing streaming giant Netflix for £130million saying the series has ruined her life.
Now she is fuming after Baby Reindeer was nominated for a string of gongs at Britain’s top TV awards.
And she says she wants a win for the harrowing true story of Alan Bates, who uncovered the Post Office Horizon computer scandal that saw hundreds of sub-postmasters being wrongly prosecuted for fraud.
Harvey, a law graduate from Aberdeenshire who admits she knew Gadd when they lived in London, said: “Richard Gadd shouldn’t be winning any awards. Baby Reindeer is up against Mr Bates vs Post Office and that is a good programme.
“Mr Bates is a hero. Young people should not take inspiration from Richard Gadd. He is no hero.
“He’s a disgrace to Scotland because of the lies he’s told. He’s also dragged a professional Scot like me and my name through the mud.
“I think he’s a complete and total chancer.”
Four programmes are up for the Best New Drama category at the TV Choice Awards including Nightsleeper, set on a train from Glasgow to London.
Bridgerton, House of The Dragon, Loose Women, Eastenders and Traitors are among the other shows nominated in their respective categories.
Harvey said: “I don’t watch crap on TV. My favourite show is EastEnders. I do watch that. I think it’s very well written. I’m completely addicted to it.
“No doubt Richard Gadd will be also strutting his stuff at these awards and making himself out to be a victim of stalking. But this case is not about stalking. It is about defamation of character.”
Netflix have vowed to vigorously defend Richard Gadd’s right to tell “his story” and have refused to enter mediation to settle Harvey’s lawsuit ahead of a jury trial in California.
Baby Reindeer has already won a plethora of awards including six Emmys and three Golden Globes.
“He shouldn’t be winning any awards,” Harvey said. “He should give those awards he has won back.
“We can’t compel Netflix to take Baby Reindeer off air at this stage, but I think he should be taken off the air.”
Harvey says her life was turned upside down after internet sleuths identified her as Baby Reindeer’s real-life Martha. She received death threats and has been inundated with malicious telephone calls and says he is afraid to step out her front door because of the Netflix show which appears to tell the story of Richard Gadd and his stalker as well as his experience at the hands of a theatre producer who rapes him repeatedly. The alleged rapist has not been identified.
Harvey said: “Gadd wanted me to be discovered because he is obsessed with me, yet he is obsessed with covering for this alleged rapist if it did happen.
“If you are making a big public point and not naming names the average mind is going to look for clues.
“If anyone is raped, my advice to go to the police. They will take samples. They are very discreet. The crown then has the option to prosecute if they think there is a chance of success.
“If Gadd’s rapist exists he should report him otherwise the guilty party will be doing the same thing years later.”
Hosted by Jason Manfred, the TV Choice awards will take place at London’s Hilton Park Lane hotel on February 10.
Harvey added: “Eastenders should win everything. It’s my favourite programme. I love it. The Post Office should be winning a lot. Alan Bates is a saint. I think Baby Reindeer should not be winning any awards.”
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