The story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain, continues to fascinate and disturb. This new ITV1 documentary, airing Wednesday, revisits Ellis’s tragic life and the events that led to her execution in 1955. The film explores not just the crime itself, but the social and cultural landscape of 1950s London that shaped Ellis’s path.
From her early life to her involvement in the city’s bustling club scene, the documentary paints a portrait of a complex woman. The film gives particular attention to Ellis’s volatile relationship with David Blakely, the man she ultimately murdered. Adding a deeply personal dimension to the story are interviews with Ellis’s grandchildren, who share their own perspectives on her life and the enduring legacy of her case.
To further contextualize the story, the documentary also features contributions from Lucy Boynton and Nigel Havers, stars of the companion ITV drama “A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story.” Boynton and Havers reflect on their roles in dramatizing this real-life tragedy, offering insights into the difficulties of portraying such a controversial figure. Havers’s connection to the story runs even deeper, as his own grandfather Cecil was the High Court Judge who sentenced Ellis to hang, Havers plays his own grandfather in the drama. Combining archival footage, contemporary interviews, and dramatic interpretations, “The Real Ruth Ellis” aims to provide a comprehensive and nuanced view of a woman whose life ended in infamy. It airs Wednesday, April 2 at 9:00 PM on ITV1.
