“Gripping” British drama depicting “controversial” interrogation of Kate McCann gets release date

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Channel 5, now known simply as 5, has revealed the release date for its new 90-minute film, Under Suspicion: Kate McCann. The broadcaster describes the film as a compelling drama that explores a particularly shocking and controversial part of the case.

The film will be shown on Wednesday, May 20th at 9pm, marking 19 years since Madeleine McCann went missing while on vacation with her family in Portugal.

Okay, so this is going to be about the really tough part of the case – when things shifted and Kate McCann, Madeleine’s mom, went from helping the police to actually being considered a suspect herself. It’s a pretty wild turn of events, and I’m really interested to see how it all unfolded.

The story starts three months after the child goes missing, as the public begins to question the investigation because of a lack of clues and no arrests made.

The upcoming film, Under Suspicion, will show a shortened version of the 11-hour questioning Kate faced from Portuguese police. The interrogation concluded with police informing her she was a formal suspect and could be arrested if she didn’t confess. Despite this, Kate has never been officially charged with any crime related to her daughter’s disappearance.

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The production claims the script is based on official statements and recorded testimony. It was written by Philip Ralph, a writer who previously worked on the BBC soap opera Doctors.

Laura Bayston, known for her role as Cathy Jenkins in the TV show Doctors between 2021 and 2022, now plays Kate McCann.

Director Paula Wittig, known for her work on Andrew: The Problem Prince, explained that she and Laura felt a strong obligation to portray the story accurately and honestly, relying on the available source material.

We both started this project because we wanted to share a hidden but significant aspect of a famous story. Our main goal was to realistically portray Kate’s perspective, and we made a conscious effort to avoid getting sidetracked by outside opinions or drama.

Ralph explained that the 2007 interrogations weren’t recorded. Instead, detailed notes were first taken in Portuguese and then translated into English for Kate’s approval.

To ensure accuracy in the dramatization, the team first wrote the police questioning and Kate’s responses in English, carefully matching the official records. They then translated this dialogue into Portuguese for the actors playing the police.

The documentary ‘Suspect: Kate McCann’ will premiere on Channel 5 on Wednesday, May 20th at 9 PM. It will also be available to stream on Channel 5’s online platform.

The latest issue of Living Legends is now available! This 100-page, full-color magazine celebrates the life and work of Sir David Attenborough. You can find it at newsstands or order it online.

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2026-05-11 13:49