With it's unbelievable plot, you could well be forgiven for thinking that new drama The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe is a total work of fiction, but the fact is it is in fact based on a string of staggering real life events centered on John Darwin and his wife Anne.
And, for those who were unsure about whether the ITV series was a true story or unfamiliar with why 'canoe man' John embarked on the shocking scam, the channel confirmed suspicions with a telling post on social media. The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe is a dramatization of the events of 20 years ago, when prison worker John paddled out to sea in a kayak, close to his home in Seaton Carew. While he was alerted as missing after he failed to turn up for work, John was in fact hidden away in a bed sit in one of his properties, with a seemingly devastated wife Anne, actually in on the wicked scheme.
After seeing teaser adverts for the four part drama, which debuted on Easter Sunday, many viewers were left with the same question: 'why would he do such a thing?' For those unfamiliar with the back story to The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe, ITV divulged a few details in teaser post for episode one. A post made on the channel's Twitter account on Sunday read: "With mountains of debt and the threat of bailiffs, there’s only one sensible solution… The shockingly true story of The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe starts tonight at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub."
