ITV's latest true crime drama, 'The Lady', tells the shocking story of Jane Andrews, a former dresser to Sarah, Duchess of York, who was convicted of murdering her lover. The series, which aired on February 22, stars Mia McKenna-Bruce as Andrews and Natalie Dormer as the Duchess.
Andrews, from a working-class background, struggled with mental health as a teenager and attempted suicide at 15. She later studied fashion at Grimsby College and worked at Marks & Spencer before landing a job as a dresser for Sarah Ferguson in 1988. The two formed a close bond, but Andrews was made redundant in 1997 during a cost-cutting exercise.
In 2000, Andrews began a relationship with businessman Thomas Cressman. Just weeks after a holiday to Italy, she attacked him with a cricket bat and stabbed him to death. Four days later, police found her in Cornwall after an overdose. She was arrested and charged with murder.
At her trial in 2001, Andrews claimed Cressman had been abusive, but prosecutors argued she acted out of jealousy. After 12 hours of deliberation, the jury convicted her of murder, and she received a life sentence. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, she escaped from prison in 2009 but was recaptured three days later.
Andrews was released on licence in 2015. She briefly returned to prison in 2018 over harassment allegations, which were later dropped. She now works for a charity-funded animal hospital. 'The Lady' is available to stream on ITVX.
