A highly divisive period drama starring Taylor Swift is currently available on Netflix as the hitmaker weds Travis Kelce in New York
Taylor Swift’s ‘painful to watch’ period drama is on Netflix (Image: GETTY)
It has its fair share of defenders but scored just 32 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
A 2022 period drama with an all-star cast including pop star Taylor Swift is currently available to stream on Netflix – but it’s not some of the star’s most acclaimed work.
The 1989 chart-topper has just tied the knot with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on Friday, July 3 at a lavish ceremony in Madison Square Garden in New York.
Attended by around 1,000 guests and officiated by Hollywood A-lister Adam Sandler, it’s become one of the most publicised celebrity weddings in history.
For those looking to Netflix for their Swiftie fix to mark the occasion, you can currently stream her acclaimed behind-the-scenes documentary Miss Americana, a Netflix Original released in 2020.
However, she is also known for infrequent movie roles, including the critically maligned musical Cats and lending her voice to animated film The Lorax.
Her only acting role currently streaming on Netflix in the UK may be a surprise to fans as it’s David O Russell’s critical and commercial flop Amsterdam, a mystery thriller set in the 1930s.
Based on the real-life Business Plot case from 1933, an investigation into the death of a retired US general, Swift has a supporting role as Elizabeth Meekins alongside an all-star cast that also includes Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Made on a budget of $80 million (£59 million), it was a box office bomb for 20th Century Studios with an estimated loss of more than $100 million (£74.9 million).
While it was critically panned, Amsterdam does have some defenders with one fan even claiming: “An instant classic. Given time, it will be regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. The cast is outstanding.
“I can’t remember ever seeing so many talented actors in one film like this before. Everyone brought their A-Game and absolutely nailed their respective performances.”
Unfortunately, not everyone shares their opinion as a Rotten Tomatoes user branded the film “A confused mess that was painful to watch”.
“An incoherent mess. A waste of the stellar cast,” another viewer slammed, and someone else wrote: “Honestly in contention for the worst movie of the 2020s.”
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The film continues to be eviscerated on IMDb, with one user slamming Amsterdam as “Quite literally one of the most worthless movies I’ve ever seen.
“The first few scenes set up what could only be anticipated as an action packed murder mystery type movie, only to be followed by a nearly pointless flashback with categorically pointless scenes attempting to make you feel something for characters that make absolutely no sense.
“This movie had serious potential, with an amazing cast. I took three friends and I feel like I owe them several hours of wasting their life.”
Swifties have been warned to stick with Miss Americana this weekend, or perhaps stream her concert extravaganza The Eras Tour, which was filmed and released by Disney+.
Worst Neighbor Ever is now available to stream on Netflix
Worst Neighbor Ever is available to stream on Netflix(Image: Netflix)
The chilling calls to emergency services after a huge insurance scam explosion have been revealed in a brutal true crime documentary series.
This week, Netflix dropped anthology series Worst Neighbor Ever, which follows on from Worst Ex Ever and Worst Roommate Ever.
This time, it explores real life neighbour disputes that take a fatal turn. Plunging viewers into a series of events including intimidation and violence, it uses real life bodycam footage and CCTV to highlight what occurred.
As well as hearing heartbreaking accounts from victims, the true crime series also stands out with its use of animated re-enactments to tell the stories.
An official synopsis reads: “You think you know your neighbors? Think again. This new series features firsthand accounts of violence, intimidation, and harassment that are more shocking than ever.
“Through compelling testimonials, startling body cam footage, and animated reenactments, Worst Neighbor Ever proves the people next door aren’t just a nuisance – they’re lethal.”
The second episode plunges viewers back to 2012 when a huge explosion wreaked devastation on one tight knit community in Indiana. On November 10, 2012, Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley’s home exploded, leaving two people in the vicinity dead and many others injured, destroying dozens of homes.
But when investigators find the real cause, lives were changed forever. The episode hears from the neighbours who were at home that evening as well as revealing what Moncy was really like, as well as her new boyfriend at the time Mark Leonard.
Following the huge explosion, one neighbour can be heard saying: “At first, we thought we were being bombed. Our whole house lifted up off the foundation.”
Another said: “It was like one of those mortar fireworks going off right next to your house.”
Showing chilling video footage of the explosion and the flames, the documentary also showcased some of the heartbreaking calls made to the emergency services.
In one phone call, a neighbour said: “Something literally just exploded”, as another asked: “What just happened?” A third said: “We had a large boom, I don’t know if it was a bomb, a gun went off or what.”
Detailing the aftermath, one resident said: “The flames were just massive. The street looked like it had snowed, but this bright light of fire is in the distance.”
A call between emergency services continued: “We’ve had an explosion at a house, we’re going to need medics, IFD, it’s going to be a major incident control.”
The episode explores how Moncy, her boyfriend Mark and his brother had plotted to start a fire that would result in an insurance payout, however, their plan resulted in a huge explosion that wreaked devastation for years afterwards.
BBC fans can catch this one-off special before tuning into tonight’s World Cup match.
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
16:21, 22 Jun 2026
Superyacht Bayesian’s former captain Stephen Edwards(Image: BBC)
A BBC documentary takes a deep dive into how seven people “tragically perished”.
Fifa World Cup 2026 continues with France vs Iraq coverage kicking off from 9.30pm this evening, Monday, June 22, but there is more than just football on tonight.
At 8pm, viewers can tune into the hour-long documentary Millionaire Superyacht: Why Ships Sink on BBC Two.
The special takes a look at the intense storms of August 19, 2024 when the 54m superyacht Bayesian mysteriously sank off the coast of Sicily where seven people onboard died.
“As search and rescue teams scoured the coast for survivors, questions were asked”, the synopsis continues.
“Why did a multimillion-pound superyacht sink when others nearby didn’t?
“This documentary investigates what went wrong and what needs to be done to keep ships safe at sea.”
When the incident was taking place, all other vessels in the area mysteriously remained afloat but in that same year, aSea Story, a Red Sea dive boat, also capsized without warning.
Why Ships Sink features interviews with experts, including Bayesian’s former captain Stephen Edwards and Dr Sarah Martin who survived the Sea Story.
This documentary is part of a wider anthology series which takes a deeper look at why certain events happen.
BBC states that it delves into the “mysteries and science behind the stories that hit the headlines”.
BBC Two has previously looked at other memorable events, including “South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster” and the three fatal shark attacks in Egypt in 2010.
Unfortunately, the “Why…?” franchise won’t be returning next Monday night as live coverage from Wimbledon will instead be shown.
Millionaire Superyacht: Why Ships Sink premieres on Monday, June 22, at 8pm on BBC Two.
Fans have been gripped by the latest dramatic season of Clarkson’s Farm, but where is Diddly Squat actually located?
Clarkson’s Farm location and how to get there(Image: GETTY)
Fans should definitely pay a visit to The Farmer’s Dog.
Clarkson’s Farm fans want to know exactly where the iconic Diddly Squat Farm location actually is.
Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson returned to Prime Video this year with another gripping instalment of the documentary series, which sees him taking on numerous farming challenges to highlight the insurmountable tasks facing modern British farmers.
However, Jeremy faced even more hardship in Season 5 as it kicked off with his emergency heart surgery in October 2024 and concluded with the announcement that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Thankfully, his cancer is now in remission and Diddly Squat is back in business for Season 6, which is expected to arrive on screens next summer.
Now filming is once again underway, let’s take a look at the precise location of Clarkson’s Farm.
Where is Clarkson’s Farm?
Jeremy’s Diddly Squat Farm is located in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in West Oxfordshire, England.
It’s just a short drive from the market town of Chipping Norton to the north, while to the south is the village of Chadlington.
Diddly Squat’s nearest major city is Oxford, which is about a 50 minute drive away.
The farm is also drivable from London in around two hours.
For visitors who want to reach the farm by public transport, the easiest route from London is the Great Western Railway from Paddington station to Charlbury.
From there, it’s just a 20 minute bus ride on the X9, which runs past the Diddly Squat Farm Shop managed by Jeremy’s partner Lisa Hogan.
If you’re travelling from Birmingham, it’s the Cross Country train to Worcestershire Parkway you want before getting the GWR to Charlbury and taking the same X9 bus. This can take around two and a half hours.
In addition to the farm itself, Jeremy also owns the iconic pub The Farmer’s Dog, which serves Diddly Squat’s very own Hawkstone lager.
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The pub is just a half-hour’s drive away from the farm by the Asthall Barrow roundabout on the A40, a few miles from the town of Burford.
While it’s definitely possible to visit both the farm and The Farmer’s Dog in the same day, those using public transport will find the journey a little trickier.
From the shop, you can take the X9 bus back past Charlbury and down to the town of Witney. This takes about 40 minutes.
Visitors can then take the shorter 234 bus to Burford and it’s then just a few minutes’ walk to the pub. All in all the journey should take just over an hour.
Clarkson’s Farm is available to stream on Prime Video.
TV presenter Ashley Cain has been accused of using sexual and misogynistic language to describe women in a series of historical social media posts and now the BBC has spoken out on the matter
TV presenter Ashley Cain has been accused of using sexual and misogynistic language to describe women in old social media posts(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The BBC says it is taking accusations that presenter Ashley Cain used explicit sexual and misogynistic language to describe women online in historical social media posts “very seriously”.
The broadcaster is thought to be unaware of the remarks prior to an investigation led by The Guardian which claimed the TV personality frequently referred to women on X, formerly Twitter, using abusive terms and sexualised language, including “sl*gs”, “sl*ts” and “psychos”.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We are very clear we expect the highest standards of behaviour from everyone who works with or for the BBC. “When allegations are brought to our attention we take them seriously. We will consider this information carefully and do not intend to comment further at this stage.”
The former Coventry City football player, 35, is best known for fronting the BBC Three documentary series Ashley Cain: Into The Danger Zone where he explores issues affecting young men born into a life of criminality.
The newspaper reported on Wednesday that before Cain worked for the national broadcaster he was a prolific user of social media. In 2014, in response to a since-deleted tweet he perceived to be homophobic, Cain is accused of telling a woman online that she should “go and choke on a c*** you sl**”.
Cain’s X account appears to have been removed from the platform. The broadcaster is understood to have asked the independent production companies that hired Cain to review the social media checks conducted at the time.
Cain appeared last year on the BBC’s spin off cooking programme, Celebrity MasterChef. Transmission details of Into The Danger Zone series two are yet to be announced.
The star also gained respect from the public following the tragic death of his daughter Azaylia, Ashley and his then-partner, Azaylia’s mum Safiyya Vorajee, documented their extraordinary efforts to try and save her life – including raising £1.5 million to fly her to Singapore for specialist treatment.
But sadly, the child died on April 25, 2021. Ashley and his former partner went on to form The Azaylia Foundation, which supports families dealing with childhood cancer.
Five years on from the devastating day of the youngster’s funeral, dad Ashley shared an Instagram post. Alongside solemn images from the funeral, Ashley wrote: “Today I cried for the first time in a long time. As soon as I turned into the cemetery and saw her resting place, I couldn’t control the emotions that had obviously built up inside me.
“The truth is, I cannot believe it has been 5 years since we laid her to rest, and I still can’t seem to accept it. “But my time spent with her today was peaceful, it was beautiful, and it was one of those moments where time stood still… where I could reminisce about all that she was, and every moment I was privileged and blessed enough to spend with her.”
He went on: “May you continue to rest in eternal paradise my princess, and until we meet again… I will love you with the entirety of my heart, forever and always.”
The Mirror has contacted Ashley’s representatives for comment.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders secured a significant boost to their salaries last season, but how much are they actually paid?
Inside the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders salary after pay dispute(Image: NETFLIX)
They still don’t get nearly as much as the Dallas Cowboys football players.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are back on screens this week with a thrilling third instalment of Netflix’s hit docuseries.
Each seven-episode season of the show created by Greg Whiteley chronicles the latest NFL season as both rookie and seasoned cheerleaders compete for a spot on the 36-strong squad.
The newcomers are guided by director Kelli Finglass, head choreographer Judy Trammell and a number of cheerleading veterans who have performed for DCC for up to six years running.
After the first season premiered on Netflix back in 2024, many viewers were shocked by how little the cheerleaders were paid compared to NFL players.
This led to a push for higher pay, spearheaded by a number of veteran cheerleaders, that played a major role in America’s Sweethearts’ second season. But was the dispute successful? And how much are they paid now?
How much are the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders paid?
Despite the Dallas Cowboys being valued at over $10 billion (£7.45 billion) at the time, their cheerleaders reportedly only earned between $15 and $20 an hour (£11.18 – £14.90) for practice and $500 (£372) per game before the 2025 season.
This all added up to a salary of around $75,000 (£55,890) a year for cheerleaders who made the squad, according to reports from NBC Boston.
However, this itself was an increase from even lower pay just a few years previously, following historical dissatisfaction with the cheerleaders’ wages.
In 2018, former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Erica Wilkins successfully sued the organisation, leading to a 2019 settlement that bumped up wages from $8 (£5.96) an hour to $12 (£8.94) an hour. Game day pay was also increased from just $200 (£149) to $400 (£298).
During the 2024-25 season depicted in the Netflix documentary’s second outing, the DCC squad was still unhappy with their income as many of them would have to take on second jobs to make ends meet.
Plus, even the Dallas Cowboys’ newest players were earning around ten times more than veteran cheerleaders, with salaries for rookies starting at $750,000 (£558,900) and veterans at $850,000 (£633,460). Quarterback Dak Prescott is the team’s highest earner, with a current average salary of $60 million (£44.75 million) a year after signing a $240 million (£178.83 million) four-year contract.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders held meetings to discuss the issue of pay and even considered staging walkouts during games, though this ultimately didn’t happen.
Jada McLean, who played an instrumental role in securing the squad’s new pay deal, told TIME magazine: “We didn’t want to let people down who were so excited to see the cheerleaders after supporting us through the first season of our television show.”
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In the final episode of America’s Sweethearts season two, four-year veteran Megan McElaney announces the squad has secured a “life-changing” salary increase of a staggering 400 percent, with cheerleaders reportedly earning around $75 (£55.89) per hour. Veteran cheerleaders can now earn around $150,000 (£111,770) a year.
However, the cheerleaders’ exact salaries are not disclosed in the series and there has been some dispute over whether the 400 percent figure is accurate.
Veteran Reece Weaver disclosed on the Unplanned podcast last November that the increase was “more like 300 percent”, though maintained the team is still “so grateful with the outcome”.
“I really don’t know all the behind-the-scenes on how it all works out, but what I can say is that it has been such an improvement and a very big increase [over] what we have seen in the past,” she added.
Importantly, the increase does not include a flat fee for game appearances, which Weaver says is a “huge improvement”, and the job has remained part-time and does not include health insurance for cheerleaders.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders season 3 is available on Netflix.
A TV critic has urged everyone to watch a new Netflix true crime documentary he claims is the best of 2026 so far and will leave viewers feeling a wave of emotions
15:50, 15 Jun 2026Updated 15:59, 15 Jun 2026
A new Netflix true crime documentary has been labelled ‘insane’(Image: Djavan Rodriguez via Getty Images)
For those who are passionate about true crime, one television critic has shone a spotlight on a brand new Netflix documentary that he insists is a “must-watch”.
Luke Eccleston went further, describing the programme as the finest of 2026 so far, and predicted it would soon become the “top trending” title on the streaming giant. “The documentary I am talking about is called Maternal Instinct,” he revealed in a TikTok video. Despite running at just 90 minutes long, Luke enthuses that it will have all viewers “hooked” from after just five minutes.
“This tells a story from back in 2020 where a young woman is driving down the highway, she gets pulled over by the police and she has a baby on her lap, which had just been born,” he continued.
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Expanding on the plot, Luke explained that once the woman and baby are taken into custody by law enforcement, tests quickly reveal the pair are not related. “What comes next is genuinely insane,” he declared.
Keen not to discourage his followers from watching, Luke pressed on: “The more you learn about the story, this woman and what happened… it is one of the most brutal, heartbreaking, emotional and horrible stories you will ever come across.
“Everyone is going to be talking about this documentary – I guarantee it.”
Netflix’s Maternal Instinct synopsis states: “In a small East Texas town, a young woman from a wealthy family falls for a local hog trapper. Their relationship appears perfect, and within months she’s pregnant and proudly showing off her baby bump all over social media.
“But when a state trooper pulls her over and discovers she has just given birth in her car, her story quickly falls apart, exposing the truth behind a terrifying and unthinkable crime.”
Helmed by Jessica Dimmock, Maternal Instinct chronicles the lives of Jessica Brookes, her boyfriend Wade Griffin, Taylor Parker and Reagan Simmons-Hancock.
On IMDb, the documentary has garnered an impressive rating of 7.4 out of 10 from almost 2,000 reviews.
One viewer confessed in a recent review: “I was not prepared! I went into this documentary completely blind, with no idea where the story was headed. It begins with a mystery. Something seemingly impossible has happened.
“But how? As the pieces slowly fall into place, the story takes an increasingly dark turn, far darker than I ever expected. And I have seen my share… the reveal is a complete and utter gut punch and at one point brought tears to my eyes. And I will have to leave it at that.”
And a second added: “I had never read anything about this case, so I went into this doc knowing nothing of the background or repercussions. I was horrified at how one person could destroy so many lives.
“The documentary pursues the whole journey of the perpetrator extraordinarily well, piecing together her journey for the past 10 or so years of her life where her lies keep getting worse.”
The award-winning journalist takes centre stage one last time in an extraordinary new film made for Channel 4
In the new film Jon uncovers one of the worst mining and ecological disasters of modern times.(Image: Channel 4)
Former newsreader Jon Snow Is now “living a quieter life” months on from filming a documentary with Channel 4 about having Alzheimer’s disease.
The 78-year-old cancelled a planned appearance on a panel at the Sheffield Documentary festival on Friday which coincided with a screening of Jon Snow : A Last Big Story which shows him navigating life with Alzheimer’s.
The film, which shows the beginnings of his memory fading, actually finished filming last year. Asked how he was now, the Executive Producer Ben de Pear who also worked with Jon for many years on Channel 4 News said: “He has been in Zimbabwe(on holiday) and I spoke to him recently. He was his usual self, he was feisty, funny and really excited about the film coming out. Jon is living a quieter life but I think he is still interested and engaged in the world and still fascinated by people. When he goes to the supermarket he still ends up speaking to people for 20 minutes each.”
On the original plan of him being at the event in person, Ben added: “To be honest some days it is good and he could have been on stage, we could have had a discussion and some days it’s worse. That is the nature of the disease.” He told the audience that Jon “sent his love” before the screening began.
Ben and director, Laura Warner also spoke about the unusual circumstances around making the emotional film and then showing it to Jon and his wife, Dr Precious Lunga.
Laura said she would start each day explaining who she was and what film she was making to make sure Jon was still happy. She added: “Every day we would have to re-consent Jon and he would ask why there were cameras and we would explain.
“He was extremely engaged and leading the story. But there would come a time every day, around about sort of sunset, I think it is called sundowning where Jon would really start to struggle. The cameras went down at that point every day and we would look after him.”
On the final edit, Laura recalled: “Jon and Precious watched it several times in terms of giving it send off. It was really important to Precious that he viewed it by himself the first time, so he wasn’t influenced by her reaction too it or anyone else’s.
“He had a really emotional reaction to it because I think it was the first time he had seen himself with the condition.”
Ben added: “Precious loves the film, she thinks it is really important.”
The film also sees Jon discover a news story whilst on holiday in 2025, which leads an investigation into a Zambian community whose land and water were impacted by a mining disaster.
As the Mirror previously reported, he speaks in the film about his own mortality, and seems happy with the life he has.
Jon says: “A strange old business life. I had a good innings of it. It’s understandable, you can be worried about death, but to be worried about growing older is irrelevant. It’s absurd. How old is older? You’re going to die tomorrow or the next day. Stop worrying and get on with it.”
His wife Precious says of the film: “I want it to be a story of love, laughter, acknowledging that times are hard. I don’t shy away from the fact that it’s hard caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. But we can also be on the lookout for opportunities that would lessen that burden. And yeah we do that by having our little adventures.”
* Jon Snow: A Last Big story will be available to watch and stream on Channel 4 on Sat June 20 at 8pm.
The inmate’s story is explored in viral documentary The Crash, which takes viewers through the tragedy that put Mackenzie behind bars.
Mackenzie was just 17 years old when she crashed her car into a brick wall at 100mph. Passengers Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19, sadly died at the scene. The driver survived, but she was left seriously injured.
What originally seemed like a devastating accident, though, soon turned into a murder investigation.
The teenager was later found guilty on all counts and received two 15-to-life sentences with the possibility parole.
While the documentary offers an in-depth look at the case and trial, fans have been left wondering when exactly the crime took place.
When did the Mackenzie Shirilla crash happen?
Mackenzie crashed her vehicle into a brick wall in the early hours of July 31, 2022.
Her bench trial, which means a trial ruled by a judge instead of a jury, took place a year later. She was found guilty on all counts on August 14, 2023 and later handed two consecutive 15-year sentences. She will not be eligible for parole until 2037.
The documentary explores Mackenzie’s relationship with the victims, as well as her wider friendship circle. Viewers also hear from her loved ones as they try to paint a picture of the days leading up to the tragedy.
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This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.
Netflix’s synospsis states: “A car carrying three young adults slams into a brick building at 100 miles per hour in Strongsville, Ohio, leaving two lives lost and one sole survivor. The driver, 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla, was driving her boyfriend, Dom, and his friend, Davion, home from a party when the unthinkable happened.
“But as detectives comb through the wreckage, what first appears to be a tragic accident begins to look like a calculated crime scene. The Crash takes a deep dive into the volatile relationship at the centre, examining the shifting narratives of that fateful night to explore where a fatal mistake ends and cold-blooded murder begins.”
Rachel Nickell’s horrific death sent shockwaves across the UK, but it took the police more than 15 years to solve her murder. As the case is explored in a new Netflix documentary, we speak to the expert who found a breakthrough clue after years of investigation failures
The Murder of Rachel Nickell teased in Netflix trailer
Rachel Nickell had her whole life ahead of her when it was cruelly stolen in a sickening attack – leaving her toddler son as the sole witness.
In July 1992, the 23-year-old mum was strolling through Wimbledon Common with her two-year-old son Alex Hanscombe, and their dog Molly. In a quiet, wooded area, she was ambushed, sexually assaulted and stabbed dozens of times.
Alex was later found by a passerby, desperately clinging to his mother’s body. In a heartbreaking attempt to help, the toddler had placed a piece of paper on her forehead as a makeshift bandage after pleading with her to wake up. Even at that tender age, Alex later revealed, he knew instantly that his mother was never coming back.
The brutal murder shattered the life of Alex and his father André Hanscombe. Yet, it would be 16 years for anyone to face justice. The haunting case is now the subject of a new three-part series for Netflix dramatisation, The Witness, alongside an accompanying documentary featuring never before seen archive footage, and deeply personal accounts from those who lived through the tragedy.
Among those interviewed is legendary forensic scientist Angela Gallop, whose work has helped solve many of the UK’s most high-profile murders, including the killings of Stephen Lawrence and Damilola Taylor.
Her team was handed the case in 2002, a decade after the murder, when the investigation had gone completely cold. They had agonisingly little to work with: a microscopic trace of male DNA recovered from the crime scene. To make matters even more difficult, forensic technology at the time was ill-equipped to handle such a minute sample. In order to find the killer, they had to pioneer an entirely new methodology to examine the sample.
Reinvestigating the decade-old DNA required immense precision. Describing the pressure and the patience required to manipulate the tiny shred of evidence, Angela said: “The technique that had been used at the time was a very new, sensitive method, but we had never particularly liked it in my laboratory.
“For Rachel’s case, we got hints of male DNA using our standard test, but we wanted to see if we could squeeze out some more information. By concentrating and purifying the DNA, we managed to achieve it, but it took two years to develop the technique properly.”
After a painstaking process, the team eventually got a strong enough DNA profile to add to their database – and it matched with a man named Robert Napper, a paranoid schizophrenic and serial rapist.
To ensure the case was ironclad, they raced back to the crime scene and analysed all the sample items that had been collected. Angela and her colleagues then went on to uncover footwear marks and forensic paint evidence linking Napper directly to Wimbledon Common.
His footwear was matched directly to the mud profiles taken from the area, and microscopic paint flakes matching Napper’s toolbox were discovered trapped in the hair of two-year-old Alex. The box, found in Napper’s flat, contained knives and other weapons.
The new DNA breakthrough was enough to convict Napper and exonerate Colin Stagg, the innocent man wrongfully targeted by a flawed police honey-trap operation. A new Netflix documentary will examine the botched investigation, which led to Stagg – a local resident who walked his dog on the common – spending 13 months behind bars in custody, and facing rampant speculation that he killed Rachel.
He was freed by an Old Bailey judge in 1994, who criticised officers for using a ‘honeytrap’ undercover policewoman to try to make him confess to the murder, branding the entrapment evidence as “reprehensible”
Mr Justice Ognall, who halted the trial, described officers actions as “deceptive conduct of the grossest kind” after undercover officer “Lizzie James” tried to seduce Stagg, promising a relationship in the hope of getting a confession. Stagg later received £700,000 compensation from the Home Office.
In 2008, Napper admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was detained indefinitely at Broadmoor. He was already incarcerated at the psychiatric unit, having been convicted in 1995 for the equally depraved double killing of single mother Samantha Bisset, 27, and her four-year-old daughter Jazmine.
Discovering the match provided a profound sense of justice for Angela’s team, particularly regarding the human toll of the investigation. “We had a DNA result that hit a match on the National DNA database, so the police have got something to investigate,” she said.
“There was an added level of satisfaction because Colin Stagg had been professing his innocence for all those years. We were able to show that he was telling the truth,” she said.
The new documentary about the 1992 murder features Alex describing the moment that he knew his mother had died after being stabbed 49 times.
A home video video captures him describing the moment his mother was killed on Wimbledon Common to his dad André, who gently discusses what his son saw on the day.
Now 36, Alex describes seeing Napper, telling his dad: “I saw him first,” he says, telling Andre that the man was carrying a bag which he opened. Asked what he took out, he replies simply: “A knife.”
He then tells his dad that the man “knocked me over” and that he witnessed his mum being stabbed. “There’s his knife,” the little boy tells his dad, indicating the picture he is drawing of his mother. “I saw the knife. I saw it, Yeah, I saw it all.”
Speaking in the trailer for the film, André explains: “My son saw his mother’s murder but nobody could have possibly known how long it was gonna take to find the person who did this.”
Ahead of the Netflix show, Angela is keen to emphasise that DNA evidence is rarely a simple “magic bullet.” Television would make people think that experts can simply swab a crime scene and receive a clear-cut result just 30 minutes later, Angela said, adding: “If it was going to be really straightforward, the original scientists would have discovered the truth a long time ago.
“You have to be much more clever. Sometimes you have to look for one type of evidence to find another. In the Stephen Lawrence and the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path murders, it was analysing textile fibres that led us to finding blood traces and therefore DNA.”
As well as the archive footage, the documentary will explore how Angela’s work led to justice for Stagg after her breakthrough solved the case.
The three part drama, The Witness, will follow Alex and André as they deal with the devastating impact of losing Rachel. Jordan Bolger plays André, while Max Fincham is the teenage Alex. Both men acted as consultants on the series.
The story aims to show how a father and son “moved through the aftermath of unimaginable tragedy, from darkness into light.”
The other cast include Kevin Eldon as DCI Mick Wickerson, Neil Maskell as DI Keith Pedder, Mark Stanley as DS Ivan Agnew, Jon Pointing as DC Nick Sparshatt, James Dryden as DC Paul Miller, Kerry Godliman as André’s mother June, James Bradshaw as DCI Tony Nash and Claire Rushbrook as Dr. Jean Harris-Hendriks.
In a joint statement released last month, André and Alex Hanscombe said: “Our life has been a battle. We can never express how indebted we are to everyone that’s been a part of this, for the kindness and generosity they’ve extended to us, for the chance they took with us in bringing our story to the screen, and for the care they have taken.
“Our journey has all been by the grace of God and a promise to go on together, and we feel incredibly blessed to be able to share our story in this way.
“We hope that audiences will be left with a testament to the tough battle of life we all face and to the power of faith, hope, love – and never giving up.”
Documentary The Murder of Rachel Nickell has been made to accompany the new drama about what happened that day, called The Witness. Both will be released on Netflix on June 4.
Vinnie Jones is best known for playing villains on screen, but the actor and former footballer has shown a touching side.
Vinnie Jones bought the land in 2022(Image: DISCOVERY+)
Fans of Vinnie Jones are not used to seeing this side of him in his documentary series.
Celebrated actor and footballer Vinnie Jones is primarily recognised for portraying violent offenders and hardmen, but he has subsequently revealed a gentler nature.
In the third series of the programme, which broadcasts on Discovery+, he discussed acquiring the estate from its former owner and the commitments he made to her.
He was filmed clearing the barn at the property’s perimeter when he discovered some vintage photographs which had been abandoned by the woman. He explained how the former owner acknowledged it was a “struggle” to maintain it, noting: “She was terrified of losing her legacy.
“She didn’t want people coming in and splitting it up,” he stated. Numerous individuals had expressed interest in the property, but the owner was determined to sell to Jones.
He purchased the property while she remained alive and promised she could reside there until her death.
Handyman Paul Worby remarked on his friend’s compassionate character, observing: “That is a side of Vincent that not a lot of people see. He has got a very kind side.
“You know, he was very good to me when I was down. He kind of resonates with people who are at a bad stage in their life and tries to give them a bit of a pat on the back.”
Jones revealed one of the touching gestures he made honouring the former owner, explaining: “Part of the deal was, there is a little field down there called Mum’s Field. Her mum is buried down there. I put the ashes down there with her mum.”
While Worby and Jones examined the woman’s belongings, Worby remarked: “It’s someone’s life isn’t it, it’s someone’s memories.
“That’s why I get emotional about it all,” Jones responded. The actor purchased the property in Petworth, West Sussex, in 2022, several years following the death of his wife, Tanya.
She passed away after a battle with cancer and Jones has previously spoken about how relocating to the countryside “saved him”.
Vinnie Jones in the Country is available to stream on Discovery+
