One of the UK’s top pastry chefs, Graham Hornigold, was shocked and delighted when he was contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be his long-lost mother. However, this unexpected reunion would ultimately leave him with thousands of pounds of debt and a nasty taste in his mouth. The Netflix documentary Con Mum explores the extraordinary tale of a mother and son’s reunion and the resulting anguish when it all falls apart.
Directed by BAFTA-nominated Nick Green and produced by the UK independent company Forest, Con Mum reveals how Hornigold’s life was turned upside down after meeting a woman named Dionne, who claimed to be his biological mom. Jez Lee, Forest’s co-founder and executive producer, described the film as “an unbelievable, never-told-before tale of love and loss” that would keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Born in 1974 on a British Army base in Germany, Hornigold was fostered at the age of two before eventually living with his father and stepmother in Hertfordshire. He grew up under challenging circumstances with a father described as “ex-army, classic 1970s” who exhibited violent tendencies. An incident in his childhood left him with a scar from when his father kicked him at the age of seven.
Hornigold pursued a culinary career after landing a Saturday job at Ushers Bakery in St Albans, where the owners bought him his first set of knives and chefs’ whites, sending him off to catering college. Eventually, he became executive pastry chef at The Lanesborough Hotel and gained accolades such as the Tea Guild’s Award of Excellence and being named the UK Pastry Chef of the Year in 2007.
However, everything changed dramatically in July 2020. Hornigold received an email from Dionne, claiming to be his mother. After verifying her identity through a series of personal questions, they arranged to meet at a hotel in Liverpool. Dionne presented herself as a wealthy businesswoman from Singapore with fruit farms and palm oil plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia. She claimed to be the illegitimate child of the former Sultan of Brunei and revealed that she had terminal illnesses, giving her only six months to live.
In September 2020, shortly after the birth of Hornigold’s son, Dionne moved in with the family, showering them with expensive gifts and luxuries. However, it was later discovered that Hornigold was financing her lavish lifestyle, running up debts of nearly £300,000. Friends began to question Dionne's true motives, suggesting she might be scamming him. Hornigold's worst fears were confirmed when he found signs that she was faking her terminal illness.
Eventually, the façade crumbled and Dionne returned to Malaysia, leaving Hornigold with substantial debts and emotional scars. Despite attempts to involve law enforcement, Hornigold said, “Essentially they call it a bad business decision because you know where the money is going and who to.” His belief in Dionne and his longing for maternal love and validation, he reflected, was his downfall.
Heather Kaniuk, Hornigold’s partner, described Dionne’s actions as going “against everything you think a mother should do – loving and protecting a child.” With accusations of manipulation and deceit, Kaniuk left Hornigold to move back to New Zealand with their child. In the aftermath, Hornigold struggled to recover both financially and mentally, admitting he faced the prospect of bankruptcy and sought therapy.
Today, Graham Hornigold continues to run his small-batch bakery Longboys, which specializes in gourmet finger doughnuts. He has also launched a patisserie wholesale business and a consultancy firm called Smart Patisserie. Despite the scars of his past, he hopes that the documentary will help raise awareness about mental health. Hornigold’s life story, shared through Con Mum, serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that can arise from seeking connection and love.
Available on Netflix starting March 25, Con Mum promises to capture viewers’ emotional and psychological struggles as it unravels Hornigold's tumultuous story filled with hope, betrayal, love, and loss.
