ITV’s latest true crime drama, The Lady, has taken viewers deep into the heart of one of Britain’s most sensational society scandals. This four-part series, produced by the same team behind The Crown, traces the extraordinary and ultimately tragic life of Jane Andrews, a woman whose journey from a troubled childhood in Grimsby to the gilded halls of Buckingham Palace would end in a murder conviction and a media firestorm that still resonates today.
The series premiered on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday, February 22, 2026, drawing immediate attention not only for its gripping narrative but also for its controversial timing and casting choices. Mia McKenna-Bruce takes on the challenging role of Jane Andrews, while Natalie Dormer portrays Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York—a figure herself recently embroiled in scandal due to revelations about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Dormer, aware of the sensitivities, made headlines by refusing to promote the series, stating to Variety, “Since completing the project, new information has come to light that makes it impossible for me to reconcile my values with Sarah Ferguson’s behavior, which I believe is inexcusable. For that reason, I will not be taking part in the promotion of the project.” Dormer also donated her entire salary to child abuse charities, underscoring her commitment to the wellbeing of children.
But at the heart of The Lady is the story of Jane Andrews herself. Born in 1967 to a working-class family in Lincolnshire, Andrews’ early life was marked by instability and hardship. Her parents, a joiner and a social worker, struggled financially and argued constantly. Andrews’ teenage years were fraught with depression, panic attacks, and an eating disorder. At just 15, after her mother discovered her truancy, she attempted suicide—a harrowing episode that would later see her diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Despite these struggles, Andrews displayed ambition. She left school to study fashion at Grimsby College of Art, then landed her first job designing children’s clothes at Marks & Spencer at 21. It was there she spotted an anonymous job advert for a personal dresser in The Lady magazine. Within six months, she was interviewed by Sarah Ferguson and, just four days later, began working at Buckingham Palace with a salary of £18,000—a sum equivalent to £62,000 today.
Andrews’ life changed overnight. Immersed in royal circles, she earned the nickname ‘Fergie’s bird’ and was soon described as a social climber obsessed with the upper classes. She mimicked Ferguson’s style, even adopting her red hair, and was affectionately dubbed ‘Lady Jane’ by the Duchess. The transformation was complete: a new flat in Battersea Park, new friends among the elite, and a marriage to IBM executive Christopher Dunn-Butler, who was 20 years her senior. Their union lasted five years before crumbling under the weight of work pressures and allegations of infidelity.
Following her divorce, Andrews’ personal life grew increasingly tumultuous. A relationship with Dimitri Horne, son of a Greek shipping magnate, ended bitterly and triggered another suicide attempt. Professionally, her bond with Ferguson also began to fray, reportedly due to a complicated love triangle involving Tuscan aristocrat Count Gaddo della Gherardesca. In 1997, Andrews was dismissed from her royal role—officially due to cost-cutting, though rumors of personal drama swirled.
It was in 1998, in the aftermath of her dismissal, that Andrews met Thomas Cressman, a stockbroker and high society businessman. Introduced by a mutual friend, Andrews saw in Cressman a chance to reclaim her lost status. She moved into his Fulham flat, took a PR job at Claridge’s (which she lost after two months), and became increasingly fixated on the relationship as her ticket back to the upper echelons.
But the fairytale was not to last. In September 2000, during a holiday at Cressman’s family villa in France, he told Andrews he had no intention of marrying her—a crushing blow for someone who had pinned her hopes on marriage and children as a path to security. The couple returned to London, and on September 17, a heated argument erupted. According to reports, Cressman even phoned the police warning, “somebody is going to get hurt,” but no officers arrived. That night, as Cressman slept, Andrews struck him with a cricket bat and stabbed him, then fled the scene. She texted friends in an attempt to create an alibi and went on the run for four days before being found overdosed in her car in Cornwall. She survived and was charged with murder.
The trial at the Old Bailey in 2001 captivated the public and press alike. Andrews claimed Cressman had been abusive and tried to injure her, but after 12 hours of jury deliberation, she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The case, as writer Debbie O’Malley told Tatler, was “a much more complex, painful and thought-provoking story – an exploration of female ambition and human frailty and a devastating chain of events that ended in the taking of a man’s life.”
Andrews’ time behind bars was no less dramatic. Nine years into her sentence, she escaped from East Sutton Park Prison in Kent, only to be found three days later at a hotel with her family. Remarkably, she was not charged for absconding, but her prospects for early release evaporated. In 2015, she was released on licence to a probation hostel, but was recalled to prison in 2018 after being accused of harassing a former lover. Finally, in 2019, she was released again and now lives under the name Jane Lamb.
The series has reignited public fascination with Andrews’ story, not least because of its parallels to Britain’s enduring obsession with class and royalty. As The Lady continues to air Sundays and Mondays at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX—with the full boxset also available for streaming—the conversation around ambition, privilege, and the sometimes devastating consequences of both, rages on. The show’s writer, Debbie O’Malley, summed up its enduring relevance: “This story, tied up with our national preoccupation with class and our ongoing obsession with the Royal family, feels every bit as relevant now as it did twenty years ago.”
For those looking to explore the complex layers of ambition, love, and tragedy that defined Jane Andrews’ life, The Lady offers a compelling—if partly fictionalised—window into a world where the boundaries of privilege and peril are sometimes perilously thin.