David Farnor | On 14, Mar 2020

Zara McDermott caught the nation’s eye on Love Island in 2018, and the series propelled her to instant fame. But as soon as she left the villa, Zara was told that naked photos of her had been posted online and had gone viral. She had become a victim of revenge porn. The incident left Zara devastated and looking for answers.

Revenge porn – the sharing of explicit or sexual images or videos without consent – is a growing problem in the UK. Cases reported to police have more than doubled in the past four years, according to figures from 19 police forces in England and Wales, yet from 2017 to 2018 only 7 per cent of reports resulted in a charge. A recent study found nearly 10 percent of people in the UK have experienced this invasive and deeply personal humiliation. Nearly all the victims are women.

Zara McDermott: Revenge Porn (working title) is a one-hour documentary for BBC Three that will see Zara seek to understand the motivation behind it, aiming to make a difference for the thousands publicly victimised across the country.

It was commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three, Clare Sillery, Head of Documentaries Commissioning and Max Gogarty, Commissioning Editor. The Executive Producers are Lucy Hillman and Sam Whittaker and the director is Angela Byrne.

Zara says: “I feel passionate about helping other people in the situation I was in, so I’ll be sharing my story in detail for the first time. Confronting issues head-on is the only way we can make change and I am putting my heart into this documentary in the hope that it will make people think twice about revenge porn.”

Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three, says: “With thousands of women across the country having faced injustices as a result of revenge porn, it’s more important than ever for BBC Three to be exploring this issue. We’re grateful to Zara for sharing her story with us and hope it will make a difference to young lives around the UK.”

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