Richard Gadd has revealed there is one episode of Baby Reindeer that never made it to air.
The writer and actor, 36, was propelled to global fame last April when his seven-part drama series hit Netflix.
In a plot inspired by Gadd’s own trauma, the hit series follows struggling comedian Donny (played by the creator) and his encounters with a female stalker, Martha (Jessica Gunning), who, among other behaviours, sent him over 41,000 emails and 350 hours of voicemails.
The black comedy proved somewhat of an overnight success for the streamer, breaking into its all-time most viewed shows with 335.2million viewing hours in 2024 alone.
However, the series would have turned out very differently if not for Gadd insisting that one episode be removed.
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Appearing at the Future Visions conference in Melbourne, Australia, the star said he ‘fought hard’ for the ep to be cut as it would have—somehow—made Baby Reindeer even darker.
‘I remember when we were developing it, there was the note that kept coming in, and probably rightfully so, about “The show is just too dark. You need to give us a respite”,’ he revealed today.
Spilling details of the lost episode, Gadd said it showed his character ‘escaping’ Martha by visiting his parents outside of London.
‘There’s a whole episode where I go to the football with my dad, and I spend a day with my dad (played by Mark Lewis Jones).’
However, Gadd felt like Martha’s absence was felt the moment she left the screen.
He continued: ‘But I felt like a lot of the note that was coming in was that we needed a break from Martha because she’s so relentless.
‘But really, when we got to the edit, I thought, ”You miss her every time she’s not on screen.” And I thought, in a lot of ways, the sooner you get back to her, the better.’
Since its debut, Baby Reindeer and its cast have gone on to scoop several prestigious awards.
These include six Primetime Emmys, two for outstanding writing and outstanding lead actor for Gadd, and another being outstanding supporting actress for Gunning.
It also won two Golden Globes, again, with a best supporting actress gong for Gunning, and triumphed in major categories at the TV Baftas.
Although Gadd has not been able to ride the wave of success of the show as blissfully as he might have liked, as the ‘real Martha’, Fiona Harvey, launched a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against him and Netflix.
It didn’t take long for social media sleuths to uncover her identity and expose her old posts, with the woman claiming to be her later giving interviews and making public appearances.
She is now seeking monetary damages of at least $170million (£132m) for alleged defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and violations of her right of publicity.
The legal battle has been quietly rumbling on in the background of Baby Reindeer’s awards show glory, with Harvey claiming the show, billed as a ‘true story,’ portrayed Martha as a ‘twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison.’
Harvey herself has never been convicted of stalking Gadd, branding the show ‘the biggest lie in television history.’
The case is yet to reach court; however, US District Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled last September that Harvey’s case had legs, saying it was wrong to label Baby Reindeer a ‘true story’, with ‘no effort’ made to conceal Harvey’s identity.
Appealing in response, Netflix lawyers argued that Harvey ‘did not allege a provably false statement of fact was made about her’, saying damage had already been done to her reputation due to past news stories relating to her alleged hounding of other public figures.
In his own court filing, Gadd stated that Baby Reindeer is a ‘fictionalised retelling of [his] emotional journey through several extremely traumatic real experiences’.
He wrote that ‘the series is a dramatic work’ and it is ‘not a documentary or an attempt at realism’.
In May this year, the Scottish comedian opened up about the struggles of penning a smash hit show, comparing the aftermath to a ‘hurricane’.
‘There have been a lot of challenging moments,’ he confessed to The Guardian. ‘The show has reached such an extreme pitch—there have been times when I’ve felt like the pressure was intolerable.
‘It’s been a hurricane. I don’t think I’m at the point of reflection yet. I need some real time off to figure out how to get my feet back on the ground, because I feel very squeezed.’
Gadd said, over a year later, he is ‘still getting used to’ people knowing who he is, having had people ‘knocking on [his] door for autographs’ just days after Baby Reindeer premiered last spring.
‘I was an arthouse comedian, performing to five people every night, so it was a huge adjustment.
‘I’m still getting used to it. Going to the supermarket comes with a million caveats now.’
Following Baby Reindeer, Gadd is set to star in a new BBC series, of which he is the creator, writer, and executive producer.
Titled Half Man, the original six-episode drama series also stars Jamie Bell as Niall, while Gadd plays his ‘estranged brother’ Ruben.
When Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall’s wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults viewers back through 40 years, from the 1980s to present day.
Revisiting all the ups and downs of their lives, it aims to explore what it means to be a man.
A release date is yet to be announced.
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