While the primary focus of new ITV drama The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe are John Darwin and his wife Anne, many viewers are appalled at the fact that, as well as lying to police, employers and authorities, the scheming couple deceived their own children. And the scandal has been thrust back into the spotlight this week, with a repeat of the three part drama.
Before its first episode has even started on ITV last Easter, The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe, had already become a real talking point online with ITV answering a burning question from viewers about why John Darwin decided to fake his own death. And, another huge issue had by many people who tuned in, was just how the couple could lie to sons Anthony and Mark, who were led to believe by Anne, that their dad had vanished, with a coroner eventually ruling he was missing presumed dead.
In episode two, viewers saw Mark Stanley and Dominic Applewhite, the actors in The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe cast starring as Mark and Anthony, throw wreaths out to sea close to the family home in Seaton Carew, in honour of their dad who they thought had disappeared after going out in his kayak.
READ MORE: What happened to 'canoe man' John Darwin after prison stretch
Later episodes will show the anger the two sons have when they realise they've been lied to by their own parents. Part two goes out on ITV at 9pm on Monday, with the remaining episodes on at the same time on Tuesday and Wednesday.
What happened to John and Anne Darwin's sons?
Anthony was in Canada with his wife when dad John disappeared and, explaining how he felt when he saw the infamous photo of his parents in a Panama property office, which led to lies being exposed, Anthony said: "My initial reaction was that someone had stuck it together on Photoshop," he said.
"The following day I read about it in the paper. I felt upset, betrayed, I don’t know. I had no inkling that he was still alive."
Both sons were at at court in Teesside to give evidence in their mum's trial in 2008, seeing her sent down for six and a half years and, speaking in 2016 about whether or not he's ever been able to forgive her, Mark said: What I have gone through to get to a stage where I can forgive has been tough. It’s taken deep thought and a difficult process of accepting her faults."
A documentary about the crime, which aired on ITV last year, claimed that Anne had 'reconciled' with her sons, but there is no mention of John's relationship with them.
It was reported earlier this year that one of the sons had 'sneaked' onto the set of The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe set in disguise. His appearance was discussed by Eddie Marsan, who plays John in the drama, who said: "We had no idea until a few weeks later. He had come in with a baseball cap and a Covid mask on to watch. We didn’t get any feedback."
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