August 12, 2024 — Interview with Nadia Parkes who plays Chloe in Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story

Can you tell us what the series is about and the real-life events that took place in 2017.

Chloe is a glamour model from London, originally from Croydon. In 2017 she was abducted on a photoshoot in Milan and held captive in the middle of nowhere for a week. She was told that there was a massive crime organisation called Black Death who were after her and her family. She was released by her captor and then she found out in during the investigation and in court that it was actually just one man and his brother. When she got back to the UK many people didn’t believe her and she received a lot of hate in the media.

Why do you think Chloe wasn’t believed?

I think as a society there was a lot of judgement on the way she presented herself, what she wore and the fact that she was unapologetically herself. She decided she wouldn’t let these events change who she was in the media and stayed true to the person she was before she was kidnapped.

What was the process of being cast like?

I got the script through and instantly looked up the GMB interview. I actually got goosebumps all the way through my body. I watched loads of interviews – I watched everything on her! And as soon as I met the production team I knew that I could trust them to tell the story in the way it should be told – fairly and with empathy. So I got the call to say I’d got the part and I was very excited, but then I had an absolute panic about being able to play her.

Talk us through the research you did to prepare for this role.

I prepared for the role by doing as much research as I could on Chloe. There were a lot of public appearances and interviews available to me, so I had direct references to how she looks and how she holds herself and how her voice sounds in the moment. And then I met her. I think there was a certain amount of research I could do and public appearances I could watch, but it was meeting her and getting to have a conversation with her that changed my ability to transform into her because I got to pick up on her energy.

What was the process of transforming into Chloe like?

The hair and makeup team were unbelievable on this job. I dyed my hair and we did lots of nails because they can help you hold your hands differently. We have different body types and the costume department made my body shape match hers more and make it look so authentic. And then Al [Mackay] directed me in a way to help Chloe come out of me more.

What was it like when Chloe came to visit set?

I was really nervous – a lot of the time when people play real-life people they’re often older and playing a younger version of themselves or have sadly passed away. So it’s quite scary having the person you’re playing on set with you. I think it’s the best compliment I ever got because after she watched a take she said to me ‘That sounds just like me. And your walk is just like me and you’re holding yourself like me. And even your hands’.

Why is this such an important story to tell?

It’s important because it’s about a bigger question to society – about how lots of people perceive women in the media and how trauma can be perceived. It also has a really clear message about social media. We look into a lot of the hate that she was receiving and the downside of the world of social media. It’s such a great platform in so many ways but it can also be so damaging. I think people can hide behind these screens sending hateful comments and messages to people and they fail to remember that there’s a human sitting behind that.

How will Kidnapped differentiate from traditional depictions of kidnapping and violence against women?

It’s very different because it was such a complex story. I think depictions of kidnappings and violence towards women can come across quite gratuitous, and this was anything but that. It was always Chloe’s point of view at the heart of it, at the centre of it.

What was it like filming out on location?

It was quite eerie at times shooting in Italy because we didn’t use the exact locations, but we shot in similar locations to where some of the events happened. It was beautiful and eerie all in one.

Are there any moments on set that stand out to you?

There were so many memories. Some incredible highs and some really moving moments. They’re the ones that really stick out for me. The farmhouse scenes were difficult to film. I couldn’t stop thinking about Chloe going through it alone and in real life. But because I was acting I could come out of the scenes, take a beat and remind myself it’s not real.

MORE CHOLE AYLING PRESS RELEASES & INTERVIEWS BELOW:

July 6, 2023: Nadia Parkes to portray Chloe Ayling in upcoming BBC Three and iPlayer factual drama Kidnapped https://bit.ly/44eg71J

August 1, 2024: BBC releases first trailer for new factual drama Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story
https://bit.ly/3Yth1r7

August 12, 2024: Interview with Chloe Ayling on Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story which airs August 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yDnvJz

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is based on the true story of Chloe Ayling’s abduction in Italy in 2017, when she travelled there for a photoshoot.

This factual drama follows her terrifying kidnap, her bravery and resilience in captivity, and the subsequent court case that put her kidnappers in jail. Yet despite their convictions, Chloe faced headlines accusing her of faking her own kidnapping, and found herself at the centre of a media storm.

It asks why Chloe was blamed for her kidnappers’ crimes? How do we relate to survivors of crime who make the front pages? And how does it feel to be an ordinary person, caught up in events so extraordinary that you aren’t believed?

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is a 6×30’ River Pictures production for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in association with ZDFneo. The series is written by Georgia Lester, with individual episodes written by Nessa Wrafter (Early Days, Smother) and Tolula Dada (Grantchester, Red Rose). It is directed by Al Mackay (Without Sin, COBRA) and produced by Clare Shepherd (Viewpoint, The A Word). The executive producers are Michael Parke and Andrew Morrissey for River Pictures alongside Georgia Lester, Al Mackay and Priscilla Parish, with Lucy Richer executive producing for the BBC. River Pictures is part of BBC Studios, who are distributing the series internationally.

Watch Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three on Wednesday 14 August at 9pm.