ITV Commissions True-Crime Titles from Wag Entertainment

Wag Entertainment, an Asacha Media Group company, has been commissioned to produce two new true-crime programs for ITVX and ITV1.

In Search of Instagram’s Worst Con Artist tells the story of Belle Gibson, a 21-year-old social influencer who claimed she cured her terminal cancer through wellness and healthy eating. Her story brought her fame and money, but when journalists started to investigate, it was revealed that she lied about everything and never had cancer.

The two-part series includes interviews with friends and family who speak on the record for the first time. It explores whether Gibson was a manipulative, compulsive liar or a damaged young woman exploited by big brands. Chelsea Randall produces and directs, while Bridget Boseley and Eliya Arman serve as executive producers.

The one-off documentary The Real Fatal Attraction centers on an affair that led to revenge. A married barrister was seduced by a woman online, leading to a real-life meeting and a full-blown affair. When his lover discovered he was married and wanted to call it off, she began an elaborate revenge plot. Falsely accused of rape and suspected of conspiracy to murder, he discovered the price of his affair and was faced with losing his family, his job and his liberty.

The Real Fatal Attraction is produced and directed by John Holdsworth and executive produced by Boseley.

In Search of Instagram’s Worst Con Artist and The Real Fatal Attraction are set to launch on ITVX and air during peak time on ITV1 in 2023.

Nicola Lloyd, factual commissioner at ITV, said, “In Search of Instagram’s Worst Con Artist is an extraordinary story of our time that highlights the complex world of social media, in which we create a profile and can choose how we want the world to see us, but how far will we go for likes? There is so much more to Belle Gibson than meets the eye. We may be familiar with the shocking fraud she committed but, by delving into her childhood and backstory, these films aim to tackle the truth regarding who Belle really is, and the revelations are shocking. Belle may have shocked the world with her lies but these films reveal we’ll see it’s not for the first time.”

“The Real Fatal Attraction is a jaw-dropping and shocking tale of how an infatuation quickly turned into revenge,” Lloyd continued. “It illuminates our two most primal emotions: love and hate, demonstrating how one mistake can have devastating consequences. You’ll find yourself questioning and re-questioning your own judgment as the shocking twists and turns in the story unfold.”

Boseley, creative director of Wag Entertainment, added, “There’s a huge amount of interest in contemporary true crime in the U.K. at the moment, and these two stories are some of the most jaw-dropping you can imagine. As Wag pivots toward producing more content for the U.K., we’re thrilled to be producing these shows for ITVX on top of our recent true-crime series for Netflix and Paramount+, and with several more in production for other networks.”