ITV quietly drops record-breaking thriller TV show - and viewers are obsessed

ITV has quietly released an amazing new thriller, and the eight-part series has received hit reviews from viewers. Fake is an Australian import that has been described as a "romance-scam thriller", following a young woman who thinks something is amiss about her new boyfriend. 

The show, which became available on ITVX on 27 April and is set to air on Saturday night from 3 May has had a great reception, and even broke records as Paramount+'s biggest release in Australia following it's initial launch. 

What is it about? 

The synopsis reads: "The series stars Asher Keddie (Nine Perfect Strangers) as Birdie Bell, a magazine features writer who thinks she’s found her perfect match when she meets successful rancher Joe (David Wenham, Pieces of Her), on a dating app. But as the relationship intensifies, Birdie is torn between Joe’s magnetic pull and the instinct that her boyfriend isn’t all he has led her to believe." 

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Speaking about the show, ITV's Head of Content Acquisitions Sasha Brelau said: "We’ve got a great track record with Australian drama on ITVX, Anya Beyersdorf’s work on The Twelve is a shining example of how well it resonates with our audiences, so we’re really looking forward to bringing her newest offering Fake to the UK in 2025. It’s a gripping thriller, made for binge watching." 

Is it a true story?

Despite it's title, Fake is indeed based on a true story. The TV show is an adaptation of the memoir by Stephanie Wood, who opened up about her personal experience. 

She explained: "Fake is a true story about a traumatic relationship I had with a con artist… I met Joe through an online dating app and spent 15 months with him. He told me he was a former architect, farmer and property developer. He seemed to be compassionate and decent and to share my values. He led me to think we might have a future together. 

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"But his increasingly erratic behaviour, his constant cancellations and contradictory stories, left me in a state of high anxiety and self-doubt. Eventually, for the sake of my mental health, I ended the relationship. I am a journalist and that’s when I started to investigate him. I did title deed and bankruptcy searches and spoke to people who knew him. I discovered he had been with another woman for the duration of our relationship, had a criminal record, was bankrupt, and had left a trail of grief and broken relationships behind him."

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© BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin

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The One That Got Away (2022) 

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Cheaters (2021) 

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Towards Zero (2022)

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Mr Loverman (2020) 

This dramedy focuses on Barrington, a Caribbean-British man in his 60s, struggling with his secret love life and coming to terms with his identity, family, and relationships.

Miss Austen (2025)

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She added: "For anyone who has been in one of these relationships, I hope that Birdie’s story will comfort them, help them realise that they were not foolish and that these type of abusers are clever manipulators. I would like them to feel less alone." 

Fan reaction 

Fans have taken to social media to discuss the show, with one writing: "I’m beyond grateful for the portrayal as it helps with me knowing that behavior is not my fault and I didn’t ask for that to happen to me." 

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Another person added: "It was hard not to binge the whole series in a sitting. Had us hooked from the start and it’s been so good to see a quality Australian production again (last one was The Twelve)," while a third added: "This is a must watch. I wasn’t a fan of either main actors but I love a bit of Australian production, Fake does not disappoint."