First look at Daniel Mays as evil personified in new true-crime drama

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Actor Daniel Mays plays a notorious British sex offender in the first images released from Believe Me, a new and disturbing true-crime drama expected to be a major television event.

The award-winning actor, famous for his work in shows like Des, A Thousand Blows, and The Long Shadow, will portray John Worboys – known as the ‘black cab rapist’ – in a new drama. The series takes a hard look at how the system designed to protect people failed the many victims of this dangerous predator.

In 2009, Worboys was found guilty of sexual assault and drugging twelve women between 2006 and 2008. However, investigators believe he harmed many more victims than those convicted for.

Mays has been open about how challenging the role was for him. He admitted he didn’t realize how deeply it would affect him. Receiving the scripts was frightening, especially as a father. He immediately thought of his 13-year-old daughter, Dixie, and her growing independence – taking trains and eventually traveling alone. He found the material deeply unsettling and scary to read from a father’s perspective.

The actor admits to often playing villainous characters during his 26-year career, but he found this particular role unusually lonely. He explained that the biggest challenge was making the character feel human, which he described as a deeply difficult and disturbing task.

He explained that when he was cast in the role, he received a lot of surprised and critical reactions from his family and friends, who found it hard to accept.

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The upcoming series, Believe Me, isn’t about the perpetrator; it focuses entirely on the experiences of his victims. Aimée-Ffion Edwards (Slow Horses, Peaky Blinders) plays Sarah, and Aasiya Shah (Raised by Wolves) plays Laila, two women who reported being assaulted to the police but were met with doubt and a system that failed them.

The series also follows their fight in court, with legal support from solicitor Harriet Wistrich (Philippa Dunne) and barrister Phillippa Kaufmann QC (Rachael Stirling). They took the Metropolitan Police to court, arguing their human rights had been violated, and ultimately won their case, even at the highest level – the Supreme Court.

I was really impressed by Miriam Petche’s performance as Carrie! She played this high-ranking Conservative Party press officer who was brave enough to put everything on the line to stop John Worboys from being released on parole. It was a really powerful portrayal of someone fighting for what’s right, even when it meant risking her job.

Believe Me will air on ITV1 and ITVX.

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2026-03-18 20:19