Alleycats examines serial scammer for RTÉ and BBC NI

The story of serial con artist Samantha Cookes is the subject of a two-part documentary from Northern Irish indie Alleycats TV for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland.

Bad Nanny recounts Cookes’ 10 years of moving around Ireland and the UK, using a roster of aliases to manipulate and deceive everyone from vulnerable families to online communities.

One of her personas, Carrie Jade Williams, a supposedly ill, award-winning author, gained internet fame after Cookes posted a TikTok claiming ableism from AirBnB guests.

The documentary begins with her Williams alias being exposed, before working back through Cookes’ cons, uncovering how they became increasingly audacious, including working as an au pair. Through this role she gained the trust of several families, before betraying them.

The doc features unseen archive footage of Cookes, alongside exclusive interviews with her victims – some of whom have never spoken publicly – who tell how they came together to take Cookes down. Their work ultimately led to her conviction earlier this year for fraud, for which she is currently serving a three-year prison term.

Williams’ story has been the subject of RTÉ Documentary on One podcast The Real Carrie Jade and Sue Perkins-hosted podcast Carrie Jade Does Not Exist.

Bad Nanny is directed by Alan Bradley and will TX on RTÉ1 and iPlayer on 12 May.

Gráinne McAleer, head of documentaries and series at RTÉ, said: “The shocking story of Samantha Cookes and her long list of scams and aliases is an intriguing story that needs to be told on screen.

“The two-part documentary series lays out this timeline of deceit brilliantly and captures the collective power of ordinary people. From the Tik Tok sleuths to the victims of Samantha’s scams that came together to expose her story, Bad Nanny is a story of the power of ordinary people working together. It is also cautionary tale for anyone hiring someone to look after their nearest and dearest.”