BBC Three and BBC Scotland have commissioned a major three-part true crime series that will explore the case of a British “catfish” whose serial cyberstalking saw her sentenced to a third jail term last year.
Produced by STV Studios Factual, The Catfish Next Door (w/t) will tell the story of Adele Rennie, a former NHS nurse from Kilmarnock, who was revealed to be behind a string of meticulously crafted aliases. Over a ten-year period, Rennie targeted a number of local women with sophisticated stalking campaigns, which all began online but had far-reaching consequences for her victims.
At Rennie’s first court trial in 2017, Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane described the case as “the most astounding narrative of facts I think I’ve heard in my entire career”. But that was just the start of the story, which saw multiple aliases, hundreds of alleged victims, and the most unlikely of perpetrators.
The series will include testimony from many of Rennie’s victims, who will share their experiences as they piece together the truth of the story for the first time. The series will seek to understand what motivates a cyberstalker to offend, the drive behind escalating crimes, and why there’s been such a stark increase in “catfishing” – a practice that is still not considered a crime under UK law.
The Catfish Next Door (w/t, 3 x 45’) is a BBC Documentaries co-commission for BBC Three, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland and Nasfim Haque, Head of Content for BBC Three. The Commissioning Editor for BBC Factual is Tom Pullen and the Commissioning Executive for BBC Scotland is David Harron. The series is produced by STV Studios Factual – with Craig Hunter, Wendie Ottewill and Rosy Marshall-McCrae as Executive Producers. Alana McVerry is Series Director.
International distribution is handled by Hat Trick International.
Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, said: “This series will take us into the modern phenomenon of catfishing and internet crime in a fresh and creatively distinctive way and through the prism of the Scottish community in which it takes place.”
Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Scotland said: “This is a remarkable story which will intrigue and fascinate audiences. The scale and impact of this crime and its twists and turns will make compelling viewing.”
Craig Hunter, Executive Producer and Creative Director of STV Studios Factual, said: “The case of Adele Rennie is truly astonishing, but behind the headlines lies a complex and thought-provoking story that speaks volumes about the nature of cybercrime – how quickly it has evolved; the profound impact it can have on victims; and what it tells us about modern society.”
On 13 September 2024, Adele Rennie was sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment and made subject to a 12-month Supervised Release Order. She was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of 10 years.
Jon Creamer
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