"Bad Nanny," a new two-part documentary unravelling the story of Samantha Cookes - serial scammer, master manipulator, and at one point, a trusted nanny – debuts on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player today, Monday, May 12.
Carrie Jade Williams appeared on social media in 2022, telling her ‘heart-wrenching’ story of living with the degenerative Huntington’s disease. Her emotional videos and pleas for understanding struck a chord with many people.
But when one of these posts went viral, questions started to be asked about the truthfulness of Carrie Jade Williams’ story.
Before long, some social media ‘sleuths’ discovered that ‘Carrie Jade’ wasn’t this person’s real identity. And much else of what they uncovered was even more shocking.
Samantha Cookes’ story was first told in great detail on RTÉ in the podcast series "The Real Carrie Jade" from the award-winning Documentary on One team. Documentary maker Ronan Kelly from the podcast features in this new series, and an update to the podcast series was published on May 1.
The new two-part series "Bad Nanny," a co-production for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland produced by Alleycats TV, tells the story of the real person behind the name Carrie Jade – a serial con-artist with multiple assumed identities.
The series features interviews with the online investigators who discovered that the woman’s real name is Samantha Cookes and that she wasn’t just faking illness but had a hidden past, filled with deception and troubling claims dating back more than a decade.
Samantha Cookes had also posed as a nanny, often for vulnerable families, as well as a child therapist and even a surrogate mother, all while hiding her true identity.
The series hears from the victims who were conned by Samantha’s fraudulent identities and scams across the UK and Ireland. Some of them had welcomed her into their homes, including a couple from North Yorkshire who talk for the first time about how Samantha posed as a surrogate mother to defraud them of their savings.
A mother of three tells the programme how she believed she was hiring a ‘Mary Poppins-like au-pair’ at their home in Co Offaly. She explains how Samantha (using the alias ‘Lucy Hart’) offered a desperately needed childcare solution, before disappearing and leaving an ominous note that left her fearful for her children’s safety.
"Bad Nanny" also includes three women from Dublin who describe how Samantha posed as a therapist for children with additional needs under the alias ‘Lucy Fitzwilliams’. They tell how ‘Lucy’ earned their trust by seeking donations for a women’s refuge and collecting money for a bogus trip to Lapland. When they discovered that ‘Lucy’ wasn’t who she said she was, she fled.
A neighbour and Samantha’s landlord explain how she moved to Co Kerry, where she adopted another identity - a terminally-ill author with only months to live. She received support, sympathy, and even financial aid, including welfare payments from the Irish state.
Through first-person testimony from Samantha’s victims, the UK police, those who knew her, and the social media ‘sleuths’ who exposed her, "Bad Nanny" shows the making and unmasking of a modern-day imposter.
"Bad Nanny" debuts on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Monday, May 12.
Gráinne McAleer, Head of Documentaries and Series at RTÉ, said: “The shocking story of Samantha Cookes and her long list of scams and aliases is an intriguing story that needs to be told on screen.
"The two-part documentary series lays out this timeline of deceit brilliantly and captures the collective power of ordinary people. From the TikTok sleuths to the victims of Samantha’s scams that came together to expose her story, 'Bad Nanny' is a story of the power of ordinary people working together. It is also cautionary tale for anyone hiring someone to look after their nearest and dearest."
"Bad Nanny" is a co-production between RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland produced by Alleycats TV. It will be available on RTÉ Player and BBC iPlayer from Monday, May 12.
The first installment of "Bad Nanny" debuts on Monday, May 12 at 9:35 pm Irish time on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, with the second installment set for Monday, May 19.
Comments