Topics: Madeleine McCann, UK News, TV And Film, Channel 5, True Crime
Kate and Gerry McCann claim they had 'no involvement' in a 'disappointing' Channel 5 drama depicting their daughter Madeleine's disappearance.
In a scathing statement, the couple took aim at producers of Under Suspicion: Kate McCann, which aired on Wednesday (20 May).
The 90-minute drama is set three months after the British toddler went missing from her family's Praia da Luz hotel apartment in 2007, when onlookers began to question whether Madeleine's parents had any involvement.
For reference, Kate and Gerry have always denied playing a part in their three-year-old daughter's disappearance, despite allegations still appearing in both Portuguese and UK press after almost two decades.
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Killing Eve actress Laura Bayston takes on the role of Kate, while James Robinson plays Gerry.
An interpreter who translated between Kate and Portuguese police officers is depicted by Doctor Who star Joanna Borja, and The Musketeers actor Hugo Nicolau plays real-life senior investigator, João Carlos, who led the disappearance case in its earliest days. Miguel Freire also plays Ricardo Paiva, a Portuguese police force detective who was heavily involved alongside Carlos.
The one-off programme's official synopsis read: "After 11 hours of questioning, Kate is told that the next day she will be named 'arguida' - a formal suspect. What’s more, the police want a confession, and without one, they may charge her with her daughter’s murder."
Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry, have since shared a statement, branding the series 'disappointing'.
The message was shared on their official Find Madeleine website, beginning with a reminder that this May would have marked the child's 23rd birthday.
"Thank you to everyone who has offered support & kindness this month," the couple began. "May is never the easiest. We usually start to feel a bit 'lighter' at this stage of the month."
They went on to add: "We are disappointed, however, knowing that a Channel 5 ‘docu-drama’ will air tonight.
"We have not given, or been asked for, our consent and have had no involvement whatsoever in its making. We fail to see how it will help. Programmes like this always have a negative impact on our family."
They signed off the statement: "Kate, Gerry & Family."
Prior to the McCanns' response, bosses at Channel 5 acknowledged the sensitive subject matter that would be depicted in the drama.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster shared in a statement: "We informed the McCann family of both the production and the transmission date.
"The film is grounded in source material, including official police documents, interview transcripts, court records and publicly available accounts."
They added: "The production team worked carefully to ensure accuracy, restraint and fairness, particularly given the sensitivity of the subject matter."
