Is The Widower Series Based on True Events? Here's Where The Story Comes From

2014’s mini TV series The Widower gained a lot of appreciation for showing some grueling incidents about Malcolm Webster. But is that based on a true story? Read to know more.

By Ankita Mukherjee

Published on Jul 31, 2024 | 05:24 PM IST | 53.4K

The Widower (PC: IMDb)

In this Article

Is The Widower’s story true?
Intriguing cast of The Widower

One of the most spine-chilling thriller series aired on ITV, The Widower is a British mini-TV series that depicts the life and heinous acts of the criminal-minded Malcolm Webster. 2014’s series with three 1-hour long episodes delves deep into 13 years of him poisoning his wife and killing her eventually, along with destroying two other women’s lives.

With intricate descriptions, the second wife Felicity Drumm, the ex-partner Simone Banerjee and the detective Charlie Henry’s contribution prove this series to be based on real-life events. Malcolm Webster was a calm and composed manipulator who milked money from his wives in the most cruel ways.

Is The Widower’s story true?

Yes, it absolutely is. It shows the life story of the mild-mannered nurse, Malcolm Webster, and how he staged his first wife’s death to get 200,000 euros as life insurance which he further used to start his new life in New Zealand with his second wife, Felicity Drumm. He tried to kill her as well but couldn’t succeed. After his first wife, Claire Morris’s death in 1994, his real heinous acts started to take place.

Webster is known for being a nurse who committed cruel crimes for 13 years. He tried to extract money from Felicity Drumm as well, but her parents’ intervention led to a failed attempt. Then he moved on to his next target, Simone Banerjee.

He faked his cancer diagnosis and reached out to Simone to gain her sympathy and love. But in the meantime, Malcolm Webster was planning to kill her as well to gain her financial status. However, his manipulative behavior continued to torture her until Detective Inspector Charlie Henry took the case and arrested him.

Intriguing cast of The Widower

Reece Shearsmith plays Malcolm Webster’s character in the series. His intricate portrayal made Simone claim that it was 99% accurate. The series incorporated Simone, Felicity’s interview pieces which gave depth to the storyline and dynamics of the series. They also used real footage like Webster’s inaugural wedding to make it look more authentic.

Malcolm Webster’s second wife, Felicity’s character was played by Kate Fleetwood. James Laurenson portrayed Felicity’s father Brian Drumm’s role who intervened in their relationship and uncovered his truth. Federay Holmes can be seen as Felecity’s sister Jane Drumm.

Archie Panjabi as Webster’s third victim Simone Banerjee is also noteworthy. John Hannah played Charlie Henry who brought justice to Webster’s victims. Thriller series and true crime stories always have a separate fanbase. If you want to watch The Widower and Malcolm Webster’s Cruel Crimes, then this 3-episode mini-series is perfect. It can be streamed on Apple TV+.