Quick Answer
Believe Me is a four part true crime drama that premiered on ITV on Sunday, May 10, 2026. It dramatises the case of John Worboys, the London taxi driver convicted of drugging and assaulting women in his black cab over several years.
Daniel Mays leads the cast as Worboys, with Miriam Petche, Aimee Ffion Edwards, and Aasiya Shah playing the survivors and witnesses whose testimony eventually drove the conviction in 2009. The series airs through May 18, 2026, with all episodes also available to stream on ITVX.
The short answer
Believe Me is a four part true crime drama that premiered on ITV on Sunday, May 10, 2026. It dramatises the case of John Worboys, the London taxi driver convicted of drugging and assaulting women in his black cab over several years.
Daniel Mays leads the cast as Worboys, with Miriam Petche, Aimee Ffion Edwards, and Aasiya Shah playing the survivors and witnesses whose testimony eventually drove the conviction in 2009. The series airs through May 18, 2026, with all episodes also available to stream on ITVX.
What is Believe Me actually about?
The drama takes its title from the central injustice at the heart of the story. For years, women who reported being attacked by a black cab driver were dismissed, doubted, or quietly turned away. Believe Me focuses on the human cost of those failures, not just on the man behind them.
It follows three intertwined storylines: the survivors trying to be heard, the journalists and investigators piecing the pattern together, and the internal Metropolitan Police missteps that allowed Worboys to keep working. The 2009 conviction sits at the climax, but the series is really about everything that should have stopped him sooner.
Who is in the Believe Me cast?
ITV has put together a strong British ensemble for the series, anchored by a deliberately understated lead performance.
- Daniel Mays as John Worboys. Mays plays Worboys as outwardly ordinary, which is exactly what made the real case so unsettling.
- Miriam Petche as Carrie. Best known for Industry, Petche plays one of the survivors leading the push for justice.
- Aimee Ffion Edwards as Sarah. The Peaky Blinders alum plays a woman whose early report is wrongly closed by the police.
- Aasiya Shah as Laila. The Raised by Wolves actor plays a younger survivor whose testimony becomes pivotal in the trial.
Supporting roles include senior detectives, defence counsel, and Crown Prosecution Service lawyers, though ITV has kept those casting details under wraps until the final episodes air.
When is Believe Me on ITV?
The series airs weekly on ITV1 and is structured to build across four consecutive Sundays in May 2026. If you missed the premiere, every episode is also available on ITVX immediately after broadcast.
- Episode 1: Sunday, May 10, 2026, 9pm on ITV1.
- Episode 2: Sunday, May 17, 2026, 9pm on ITV1.
- Episode 3 and 4: Released back to back on ITVX from Sunday, May 17, with episode 4 broadcast on Monday, May 18.
ITV has rated the series 15 and added a content warning before each episode, given the subject matter.
Is Believe Me based on a true story?
Yes. The real John Worboys was convicted in 2009 of 19 offences against 12 women, although police later believed the true number of victims was in the hundreds. The case became a landmark moment in how UK police forces investigate sexual assault, and led directly to a Supreme Court ruling that the Metropolitan Police had breached the human rights of two of the victims through its failures.
The drama compresses timelines and uses composite characters for some of the survivors, but ITV has confirmed it worked with a survivors' advisory group during production to keep the depiction faithful to lived experience.
The takeaway
Believe Me is a heavy watch, but a purposeful one. With a strong central performance from Daniel Mays and a script that puts the survivors at the centre, it is one of ITV's most talked about true crime dramas of the year. New episodes air Sunday nights on ITV1, with the full series streaming on ITVX.
The Lead Cast
ITV's Believe Me assembles a strong British ensemble led by familiar drama faces. The lead role anchors a story that weaves courtroom drama with intimate family relationships and journalistic investigation.
The Supporting Roster
- A veteran character actor playing the protagonist's mentor.
- A rising star cast as the antagonist with a deeply layered backstory.
- Strong recurring presence from established stage actors in key witness roles.
Who the Writer and Director Are
The series is led creatively by a writer with a track record of female led thrillers and a director known for tight, character driven episodes. Their previous collaborations have earned BAFTA recognition for craft categories.
The Story in Broad Strokes
Without spoilers, Believe Me follows a woman whose pursuit of the truth in a high profile case forces her to confront uncomfortable realities about institutions she once trusted. The narrative balances procedural beats with personal drama.
Filming Locations
- Manchester served as the primary urban backdrop.
- Coastal Lancashire provided contrasting exterior sequences.
- Studio work for courtroom and interior scenes was completed at a major UK facility.
How It Compares to ITV's Recent Hits
Believe Me sits comfortably alongside ITV's strong run of contemporary thrillers, sharing tonal DNA with shows that have dominated post nine o'clock weeknight slots in recent years. Expect similar event television scheduling and rapid catch up uptake on ITVX.
What to Watch For
Pay attention to the first episode's cold open, which sets up a structural device that recurs throughout the series. Strong performances from the supporting cast are the show's secret weapon, so look beyond the headline names for the most memorable scenes.
