Cries of Silence - UK Talent and Entertainment Sexual Predator Gossip Sphere
Three part conspiracy-mapping narrative and a documentary treatment draft.
Sidenote, this article secondarily serves as a creative way of delivering a book and documentary synopsis. Do not steal!
Abstract
This is a speculative narrative and partially “fictionalized” exposé designed to explore emerging patterns of abuse in the UK talent industry and to be used as a creative piece of work.
You should worry about the content of this three part article. You should try to work out who the sexual predator is. You should support victims and people coming forward.
You shouldn’t use my articles to point the blame. You shouldn’t publicly accuse, it’s not safe, nor fair for you to do so. You shouldn’t claim that I placed the blame on any man nor monster.
I’m merely playing “say what you see,” because we should speak about these horrible crimes to help spread awareness and to show support and caring to the victims.
There is an aging charismatic prolific sexual predator at the top of the UK and perhaps global entertainment and talent industries who is profiling and targeting young people, with a thirst for young bisexual and gay men who are aspiring creatives. This sexual predator has been active for decades, he has a Modus Operandi of meeting and grooming his victims in isolated settings, such as online or away from home, at conventions, on tour or at talent festivals. He uses promises of mentorship and fame, then drugs to entice then subdue and rape his victims. His behaviours seem to be increasing or unravelling, suggesting he is losing control over his urges and wicked vices, which of course increases the risk to his victims. Many in these industries know who he is but he is too well connected and too powerful for them to whistle blow to the police.
Legal Disclaimer – I write this blog not as any type of law enforcement or legal interests, but as a concerning UK citizen with an opinion and a moral compass. This blog is not connected to any blog I have written before or any legal matters I am currently embroiled in.
Please do not harass or blame me on my webpage or do not blame or target anyone else for that matter. I am merely stitching together my concerns and worries. However, if you do want to chat about any of the themes, topics or information in this blog, in a sensible and sincere manner, you can reach out to me via the contact form on my website. No shocker, I cannot reply to fake email addresses and I’m logging all information related to harassment and abuse so save your energy.
The UK Police
The UK Police are not inept, they are underfunded and underpaid. They do not have the resources to tackle high profile abusers with powerful connections. If they try, like the victims, they too will find themselves under investigation from complaints and in the crosshairs of expensive legal dilemmas designed to twist them up and warn them off. The same textbook tactics and rule books are used all the way up the chain to evade justice and exposure. Thus, for the police to even open a file on said abuser, they need a shit load of evidence, and many accusers plus backing from higher officers, who may or may not have spent the weekend in the Good Old Boys lodge with the abuser.
Thus it must be terrifying for officers to even receive these complaints. They pose a horrible moral dilemma for the police, and a personal burden on the officers’ minds, hence why vicarious trauma is rife in the police services and wider public Services.
One or two victims isn’t enough, not because the officers do not care. It’s because of the simple fact that they have no hope of conviction and very high chance of vicious backlash. Thus more people need to speak out and more victims need supporting so they can feel safe to come forward.
Thus I write this article in support of these victims and in the hope that something is done before said abuser causes more damage to people and industries.
The Stories of Three Men: Richard Gadd, Levi Davis, and Aljoscha Quooss.
I may add more victims, but we’ll see how the story evolves first. Please note, I did plan to get this article finished tonight, but after writing all day with much already planned, I only managed to scribe Richard Gadd’s story. The other two will follow in good time. Then we’ll connect them, with a little extra.
Richard Gadd
Gadd is a Scottish writer, actor, and comedian known for his work in theatre and television, including the critically acclaimed Netflix series Baby Reindeer, based on his real-life experiences of abuse and stalking. His work has sparked global conversations about trauma, power, and survival.
Levi Davis
Davis was a professional rugby union player and former contestant on The X Factor: Celebrity. In 2022, he disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Barcelona after reportedly fleeing threats of blackmail involving intimate material. Prior to his disappearance, Davis had spoken about being targeted by organized groups. His case remains unresolved, with growing concern that he may have been the victim of grooming and extortion.
Aljoscha Quooss
Quooss is a model and digital artist with a presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. In 2024–2025, he publicly alleged that he had been groomed and manipulated by a powerful British media personality, strongly suggesting a connection to the real-life inspiration behind Baby Reindeer. He also suggested that there is a death in the past of this abuser. He has since launched a campaign for justice and support, including a GoFundMe and viral awareness efforts. Quooss has spoken about the psychological toll of adult grooming and the fear of being silenced.
Show your support to Aljoscha, as I will be shortly.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-was-groomed-by-a-celebrity-help-me-get-justice?attribution_id=sl:f465f5e9-42d7-4f2b-ae93-af76c332f1ab&lang=en_GB&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp13_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link
Aljoscha Quooss, Levi Davis and Richard Gadd= There is a filthy predatory abuser at the top of the Uk talent and entertainment industry, and everyone knows jew he is.
Timeline of Richard Gadd’s Horrific Ordeal.
In the article "The Timeline of 'Baby Reindeer' Explained" by Dusty Baxter-Wright (April 19, 2024), the journalist - with an awesome name, Dusty Baxter-Wright - explains that The Guardian places the ordeal with “Martha” around 2013. At that point, Richard Gadd had already been groomed and raped by his abuser. He was an aspiring talent in his early 20s.
Gadd began performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010, debuting with 6 And Half A 7. Over the following years, he developed a reputation for inventive and intense comedy, with shows like Cheese & Crack Whores (2013) and Breaking Gadd (2014). In 2015, he presented Waiting for Gaddot at the Banshee Labyrinth, a high-concept performance where he delayed his appearance on stage, winning the Amused Moose Comedy Award and earning multiple nominations for innovation.
In 2016, Gadd debuted Monkey See Monkey Do at the Fringe, a harrowing, cathartic exploration of the sexual assault he endured earlier in his career. The show, performed entirely on a treadmill, a powerful gimmick, symbolized his inner turmoil and the relentless pace of trauma. It won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show and marked a turning point in Gadd's public confrontation of his abuse.
Though Gadd has not publicly identified his abuser, he has described the man as a powerful older mentor in the television and writing industry who drugged, groomed, and raped him. The trauma led to years of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, which he has since addressed openly to help reduce stigma around male sexual assault.
Critically, Gadd has stated that the assault occurred roughly five years before the stalking by “Martha.” Since the “Martha” storyline began around 2013, this places the assault around 2010–2011, when Gadd was first entering the entertainment industry.
Thus Gadd was likely 20 to 21, not yet “broken-in” to the industry and self-reported as sexually confused at the time of meeting his abuser. This matches the timeline when Richard was very early in his career, just starting out as a young comedian and actor in London. He was especially vulnerable back then, desperate for industry connections, which sadly made him an easier target for abuse, which is a profiling target for the abuser.
In Baby Reindeer, Gadd is very careful not to identify his abuser, and the story mixes real facts with fictionalization to protect identities (and for legal reasons). Yet we can try to build a picture and timeline and MO of the abuser from what we can safely garner.
Timeline and Locations
In 2010, Richard Gadd performed his debut solo show, "6 And Half A 7," at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show was a blend of character and musical comedy, marking his entry into the Fringe circuit. While the exact venue for this performance isn't specified in the available records, it's worth noting that Gadd has a history of performing at the Banshee Labyrinth, a well-known venue in Edinburgh's Old Town. He chose this venue for his 2015 and 2016 shows, "Waiting for Gaddot" and "Monkey See Monkey Do," respectively, due to its intimate setting and unique atmosphere. Given this preference, it's plausible that he may have performed his 2010 show there as well, but without concrete evidence, this can't be confirmed.
In 2011, Richard Gadd performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a show titled "Gadd, Kirk and Winning: Well, This is Awkward...". This collaborative stand-up comedy show featured Gadd alongside fellow comedians James Allenby-Kirk and Matt Winning. They performed at Bannermans, a well-known pub and live music venue located in Edinburgh's Old Town.
Banshee Labyrinth and Bannermans are 60 metres apart, effectively on the same row on Niddry Street. Bannermans is on the corner with Cowgate Street. The famous VIP George St is around 700 metres walk away. The spiritual heart of the Fringe is around The Royal Mile and High Street, just over 100 metres or 2 minutes’ walk from where Gadd was performing.
In Baby Reindeer (both the play and the Netflix series), Richard Gadd's character Donny Dunn first meets the older man (based on his real-life abuser) in a VIP bar in Edinburgh. The man ("Darrien" in the show) is a wealthy, powerful figure in the entertainment industry, very charming, sophisticated, influential. Darrien approaches Donny kindly, offering help and advice about how to "make it" in comedy and television. Their early relationship seems mentorship-like, Darrien flatters him, offers career opportunities, and acts supportive. Later, after gaining Donny’s trust, Darrien sexually assaults him.
Richard has said in real life that it was very similar, he met his abuser at a place where he worked when he was very young and vulnerable. It started under the guise of mentorship and gradually turned into exploitation. Thus we can deduce that Gadd either met his abuser at the pub mentioned in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer, The Hawley Arms in Camden Town, London, where Gadd worked, or at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In real life: Richard Gadd has mostly said he met his abuser early in his career in London, but there are strong hints (especially in early interviews) that the very first meeting or early "connection" could have been during the Fringe.
In Baby Reindeer (Netflix), the VIP bar where they meet is set in Edinburgh during the festival. It’s a "high-end" bar where lots of industry people hang out (agents, producers, etc.). The specific VIP bar has never been named. However, In Edinburgh there are several famous George Street venues where rich, powerful people gather during the festivals. The George Street crawl venues include The Dome, Tigerlily, Le Monde and Opal Lounge. Thus if Gadd did meet his abuser in a VIP haunt, which is likely, it is likely to have been on Geroge Street in 2010 or 2011.
At the same time as the Fringe Festival in both 2010 and 2011 the Edinburgh International Book Festival was simultaneously held. From 1983 until 2020, Charlotte Square Gardens was the longstanding home of the book festival. The private garden square located in Edinburgh’s New Town, is just off George Street, literally at the end of the road. For the duration of the festival each August, the park is transformed into a public festival site.
Tigerlily and The Balmoral are two of the most popular hotel choices for high-profile Book Festival attendees. Tigerlily is a very fashionable, VIP-style bar and hotel with the Lulu Nightclub under it, at 125b George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JN. Tigerlily is 1 minute walk from the book fair, around 90 metres. It’s known for attracting celebrities, media professionals, and industry insiders, especially during festival season in August. Directly underneath, Lulu Nightclub is a stylish, exclusive venue with bottle service and a velvet-rope vibe.
The Balmoral, 1 Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 2EQ, is further from the Book Festival at Charlotte Square Gardens, around 800 metres, but just 400 metres down one road to Bannerman's Bar where Gadd worked.
The proximity of these venues suggests a vibrant intersection of literary and performance arts during the Edinburgh festivals. It's plausible and common place, that industry professionals, including those from literary and talent agencies, frequented establishments like Tigerlily for networking and relaxation. While specific details about individual stays or meetings are private, the overlapping presence of agents, authors, and performers in these venues underscores the interconnected nature of the festivals.
At the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Curtis Brown client, playwright Tim Cowbury (Who isn’t the abuser before people wrongly suspect him as he is around the same age as Gadd and same standing in prominence) and his theatre collective Made In China presented the performance piece Stationary Excess. This production featured a woman on an exercise bike, exploring themes of love and loss. The use of exercise equipment as a storytelling device or gimmick is reminiscent of Richard Gadd's later show Monkey See Monkey Do, where he performed on a treadmill, symbolizing his internal struggles.
While there's no direct evidence linking the two, the thematic and stylistic similarities are noteworthy. Made In China was performed for four weeks at The Underbelly, a well-known venue at the Edinburgh Fringe, located in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh. It's renowned for hosting a variety of performances, including theatre, comedy, and live music, making it a central hub for festival-goers. Just 300 metres away from his place of work, it’s possible Richard Gadd saw the show and adapted the Gimmick. Yet in Baby Reindeer we see the older abuser teaching Gadd many gimmicks and tricks of the trade. It’s also possible that someone with high-up involvement with the production of Made In China, or someone who had seen the performance, gave Gadd this idea during the grooming stages of the relationship, during the festival in either 2020 or 2011, or thereafter.
We can then deduce from locations and crossovers, that Gadd’s location of work sits in the hub between the Book Festival at Charlotte Square Gardens, and festival performances linked to many talent agencies including literary agencies, and that the people behind the scenes, say agents and managers, would have crossed from the Book Festival to the Fringe Festival to see and support their performers.
Merely as a reference, let’s use CBG to elaborate and explain the crossover, as we have already used them. In 2010, Curtis Brown clients were active participants in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Notably, playwright Tim Cowbury and his theatre collective Made In China, as we have already covered.
In August 2011, Curtis Brown had a significant presence at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, held at Charlotte Square Gardens. Agents such as Jonny Geller, Kate Cooper, Karolina Sutton, Jonathan Lloyd, Steph Thwaites, Daisy Meyrick, Katie McGowan, Melissa Pimentel, and Felicity Blunt were involved. They represented authors like Hari Kunzru, David Lodge, and Jennifer Egan, who participated in various talks and discussions.
Thus the crossover of literary and talent, Book Festival and Fringe Festival is overwhelming, and Gadd was in the hub of both, and both are located around Edinburgh Waverley train station, yet as shown, it is likely that he met, or had contact with, the agent or older mentor like figure, who is sometimes depicted as a writer, or someone involved in writing, on George Street in a VIP bar, and I’d go so far as to say I believe there is a high probability of the location being the Lulu Nightclub under Tigerlily bar, as all the pieces fit for the Geographic profiling and the "predatory close to home" theory where by close to the venue would be a safe anchor point, away from the “true home” in London.
“The initial hunt and criminal acts are most likely to occur relatively close to the location of the offender's home or workplace (anchor point). As the success rate increases, there will be a greater sense of confidence in travelling greater distances and seeking victims further from their anchor point. Crimes that are suitable for analysis are those that are predatory in nature and exercise some spatial decision‐making process such as the area for hunting targets, travel routes, mode of transportation and even body dump sites (Dion Glass & Friedo Herbig, 2024, Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling).”
Additionally, prominent novelist and British television presenter Richard Osman says "everyone" in the industry knows the real identity of the abusive producer from Baby Reindeer. Osman of course is very successful in both TV and literary domains and is privy to the UK Talent and Entertainment Sexual Predator Gossip Sphere, hence the title. Osman is a brave man for speaking out, God bless you good man.
I personally believe, for the reason and connections stated and for other reasons unstated including his behaviours, that Richard Gadd’s abuser is a high profile literary and TV industry influencer and not just a writer, comic or celebrity.
Sidenote, I ask, if this man can not keep his hands off the actual flesh of vulnerable young men and it’s so widely known, what do you think he does to the work, say manuscripts or TV scripts and so on, of people he has never met? Why do people in the industry keep protecting him and working with him?
Silence is compliance. To ignore is to be a direct accomplice. If I had direct evidence, I’d be screaming it from the rooftops. If that evidence lands, I’ll let you know. If it’s in the public’s interest, it is not liable, it’s crime prevention. But please be careful, he’s well connected and protected. Perhaps Like Jimmy Savile was!
Aftermath
Richard Gadd has never publicly detailed a specific date or moment when the sexual abuse formally ended, but from his interviews, shows, and Baby Reindeer, we can piece together a rough understanding of how and when the abuse stopped. Gadd has said in multiple interviews and in Monkey See Monkey Do that the relationship with his abuser gradually faded, rather than ending with a dramatic confrontation. The older man (referred to as “Darrien” in the Netflix series) slowly lost interest once Gadd began pulling away emotionally and developing self-awareness about the abusive dynamic. Gadd realized the relationship was exploitative, and he began to distance himself. He did not fight back physically or report it at the time, instead, he described feeling frozen, confused, and unable to process what had happened until later.
In Baby Reindeer and Monkey See Monkey Do, Gadd suggests the sexual abuse occurred over a period of months or maybe a year, rather than many years. By 2013, Gadd had started to speak about his trauma obliquely in his work, and by 2015–2016, he was directly confronting it in his writing and stage shows, suggesting that by 2016 he had had time to process his trauma to a level in which he felt able to confront it. The abuse likely stopped sometime in 2011 or 2012, as Gadd began to pull away and mentally detach, and perhaps realised that the abuser had groomed him with drugs, industry connections and fame, but the psychological trauma continued for many years after.
The abuser likely heard about Gadd’s early disclosures through performance and probably distanced himself to protect himself from exposure and criminal complaints. Possibly hoping that it would wash away… Again, like many of the other victims. Or that Gadd would move on, and the traumatic expressions and agency would fizzle out of Gadd’s performance.
So we fast-forward to 2016, Gadd debuts Monkey See Monkey Do at the Edinburgh Fringe. It's his first major show addressing the sexual assault but not the stalking yet. He wins the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show. It’s a huge moment for him artistically but also personally: publicly confronting his trauma. Gadd tours Monkey See Monkey Do, winning more awards and acclaim. He begins working on Baby Reindeer, combining his experiences of stalking and earlier assault into a theatrical piece.
Now there is no going back. no putting the lid back on this bottle of abuse. It’s catching fire, it’s coming. If you are the abuser what do you do? You take control of the flames and the narrative to make sure that you remain protected and unrevealed. Abusers like to control their victims, and they like to subliminally and covertly tell people, they love to brag about their crimes. It makes them feel powerful, clever and invincible. They relive the thrill of the crimes. Thus it’s likely that the abuser enjoyed reading about Monkey See Monkey Do or perhaps even went to see the performance, maybe he took his wife and kids to feel even naughtier. Abusers love to gloat and taunt their victims.
Then when things began to get a little heavy, he probably first threatened libel litigations, then when that didn’t work he likely blamed his victim with counter allegations, like you’re exploiting me or blackmailing me I’m going to tell my friends and you’ll never work in the industry again, then when none of that worked, he was probably fake sorry and played the victim card.
His victim card excuses included… sorry probably included,
1, I don’t understand social ques because of this underlying condition which means you should feel sorry for me, that I drugged and raped you.
2, I can’t come out as gay or bisexual because I have a family and I can’t lose them, so I’m sexually repressed and it just comes out, I’m so sorry, it wont happen again, and it’s a crime to expose another person’s sexual orientation so you can’t tell anyone anyway, but no but. And it’s even more significant because I’m a so very, very important person in the public eye and I’m famous. I’m famous, remember who I am and what I can do.
3, I had a harsh religious upbringing, gays are banned from my belief system or cultural background, and I can’t let down my faith and family and other secret societies.
Then when all that finished and didn’t quite hit the spot to justify drugging and raping multiple young and vulnerable bisexual and gay men, they “Probably,” in my conspiracy-mapping narrative, offered Gadd lucrative deals and representation so long as they could control certain details and so long as he made public statements such as “Please don’t speculate who my abuser is.”
For all we know, with multiple victims, he might be way past the pantomime of fake sorry, thus he just skips right to the P Diddy style post assault pre-printed NDA, then the offer of representation came later when the trauma started to spill from Richard Gadd, as trauma does tend to spill, it does so viciously, and it manifests in strange and twisted ways. Like sexual confusion, which Gadd so talentedly and bravely articulates in his works of cathartic healing.
Alas, in my narrative, Richard hasn’t yet escaped the clutches of those devilish claws. Because, if he excepted the hush deals of representation, he is still under the coercive control of the abuser, just at a distance.
Obviously, if this happened, the abuser wouldn’t directly represent Richard, that’s too close to home, and home is where the wife knows nothing, rather like John Snow. Richard would have to be placed with a bunch of sister companies or subsidiaries or other global partnerships, perhaps with strong ties to Netflix to distribute Baby Reindeer. What better way to hide in plain sight?
Richard Gadd's critically acclaimed show Monkey See Monkey Do was produced in collaboration with Soho Theatre, United Agents, and Berk's Nest. United Agents served as his representation during this period, supporting the show's development and performances. Yet post Monkey See Monkey Do success and disclosure of sexual abuse, maybe early 2020 or after, dates undisclosed, Richard seemingly switched up his representation.
Presently, for acting, Richard is represented by Markham, Froggatt & Irwin, which was acquired by Curtis Brown on March 10, 2020. For writing, Richard is represented by Abby Singer at Casarotto Ramsay & Associates. In the U.S., Richard is represented by Dan Erlij, senior partner and long-time agent in the Television Literary Department at United Talent Agency, who acquired Curtis Brown Group in 2022. Erlij likely made the Netflix deal for Baby Reindeer in collaboration with a UK Agent. For voiceover work, Richard is represented by Sue Terry Voices. Sue Terry Voices (STV) is a prominent London-based voiceover agency established in 1999, specializing in representing British actors, comedians, and broadcasters for voiceover work. While STV operates independently, there are strong ties and instances of collaboration with Curtis Brown Group (CBG). For example, actor Jack Barry is represented by CBG for acting and comedy, and by STV for voiceover work. Similarly, actress Sarah Solemani lists CBG for her UK writing representation and STV for UK voiceover representation. Others such as Ella Purnell, who voiced Jinx in Arcane which I allege is directly stolen from my manuscript of Bloodborg after I submitted it to Jonny Geller and Felicity Blunt at CBG, is also represented by STV, CBG and UTA. Same pattern of three lettered jumble. These examples indicate that while STV and CBG are separate entities, they often represent the same talent in different capacities, suggesting a collaborative relationship in managing artists' diverse careers.
Appearance of the Abuser.
“Darrien” in Baby Reindeer does not resemble the real man, this was one of the reasons they chose the actor Tom Goodman-Hill, who by the way was great in this role, and in Braveheart. No just kidding, he looks like a strong ginger Scotsman, but he isn’t, and he wasn’t in William Wallace’s fight for freedom onscreen re-enactment. Tom is great though; he has been in endless TV and film projects since the early 90s. He hasn’t always sported a trendy beard. He was once clean cut and looked a lot like Chris Evans, or Gordon Strachan. Tom has a strong and memorable face.
Thus we can deduce that the real abuser hasn’t got long and glorious ginger hair and trendy beard like Tom, although in the show Darrien’s hair is cut short. Seems as hair darkens as we age, in the UK, only about 2–5% of middle-aged men retain naturally blond hair, so it’s unlikely to be blonde. So the chances are, the abuser has dark hair. Moreover, like me, around 40–60% of UK men in this age range will have visible male pattern baldness.
We know from interviews that the real abuser is scruffier, or more common dressing and less well kept. He likes a drink and frequence bars (perhaps in Camdan, SoHo and Edinburgh) and VIP nightclubs and seems to like to talk shop over drinks… and perhaps over drugs. He has a home away from home in London, or perhaps an apartment which visiting talent can use.
Some sexual predators, particularly serial groomers or manipulators exhibit defensiveness, control, or careful management of their physical appearance, but it varies depending on their psychology and intent. It is common for some types of predators, especially those operating in the media/arts/talent industry, to carefully manage their appearance to maintain access to victims, reduce suspicion, and preserve a public persona. His victims are not wealthy, and they are young men, thus when the abuser is on the prowl, we can expect him to dress down in jeans, open shirt untucked, perhaps un-ironed, and perhaps aged shoes, and trainers at a stretch. This is because sexual groomers try to mirror their victims’ interests or aesthetics and will laugh at their jokes and compliment their casual looks and even strategically tailor their looks and behaviour to appeal or build trust with the victims. They often appear disarming, “normal,” or even physically unimpressive, precisely because their danger lies in manipulation and drugs, not intimidation. This management might include grooming, dressing well, appearing supportive or progressive, or looking like “someone you’d trust.”
Public-facing predators (e.g., in media, entertainment, clergy) may carefully cultivate a harmless, uber liberal or even benevolent persona. They will appear friendly, eccentric, or avuncular, disarming traits that reduce suspicion. Think Jimmy Savile, Rolf Harris, both eccentric but “trusted” due to appearance and status. Yet once they are ousted, the vail is broken, the spell is lifted, and it seems so obvious.
Yet sometimes, the predators are less concerned with appearances because they operate in private, online, or behind power structures and are already shielded by institutional authority or gatekeeping. They can sometimes rely on coercion, not charm.
Conclusion: Richard Gadd’s Ordeal: Patterns, Power, and a Profile of His Abuser
Richard Gadd’s story is not just about a single act of abuse, it’s about the systemic grooming of vulnerable young creatives by powerful men in the entertainment industry. His show Monkey See Monkey Do and the Netflix series Baby Reindeer opened a rare window into the psychological horror of being targeted, manipulated, and raped by someone older, respected, and professionally influential.
What makes Gadd’s account uniquely haunting is not just the trauma he endured, but how closely it mirrors tactics seen in other abuse cases such as slow trust-building, false mentorship, exploitation under the guise of opportunity, and the survivor’s confusion and silence.
Gadd’s decision to explore the experience through art, first in 2016, and again on a global platform in 2024, wasn’t just catharsis. It was a coded call to other victims, and a rare act of public resistance in an industry still mired in silence and complicity. It maybe still controlled by his abuser, who knows? But it also maybe the catalyst to take him down and to end is Reign of Terror over young impressionable and innocent creatives.
In many ways this overt, smug and protected predatory abuser and his crimes echo those of Harvey Weinstein, who is now rotting in a cell for his crimes. Let’s hope we can cut this rot out of the U.K literary, film and talent industries before this abuser retires on a fat pension built on the theft of endless shattered souls and dreams.
Richard Gadd’s Abuser (Based on Gadd’s Accounts)
While Gadd has never publicly named the man, we can draw a composite profile from his interviews, shows, and script details.
Trait Details
Estimated Age- Likely born in the 1960s. Gadd was ~21; the man was described as significantly older, already “established and powerful.”
Profession- In the TV, film, and writing industry. Described as a respected script editor, mentor, or producer type, possibly a writer or agent with connections.
Physical Appearance - Gadd has explicitly said the actor who plays “Darrien” in Baby Reindeer does not resemble the real man. Darrien in the show is dashing, elegant. In reality, the man was described as less polished, potentially older, plainer, and not publicly visible.
Living Location- Most likely London-based, where Gadd lived and worked. However, they may have met during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, then continued the “mentorship” in London.
Modus Operandi (M.O.) - Targets young male creatives (especially confused or bisexual men).
Other Traits of Gadd’s Abuser
1. Begins with flattery and mentorship offers.
2. Offers career help (scripts, gigs, introductions).
3. He is well known and well connected in the industries.
4. Uses drink, drugs, or emotional pressure to gain sexual access.
5. Exploits ambition and confusion, grooming the victim over weeks/months.
6. Has multiple victims but remains protected due to connections.
7. Closeted bisexual or gay, perhaps has reasons to remain so, such as family or religion or other.
8. Attended the 2010 and/ or the 2011 Edinburgh Festivals.
9. Likely stayed on, or frequented George Street during the festivals.
10. Is perhaps 20 or so years older than Gadd who is now 35 years old, thus the abuser would be like 55, give or take.
11. Probably has dark hair, might be grey or balding.
Past Victim Profile
1. Young (18–25)
2. Male (bi/gay/closeted)
3. Ambitious, newly entering creative industry
4. Often isolated away from home, or under pressure
5. Possibly from working class or non-metropolitan backgrounds
6. Link to Older Cases - This M.O. echoes known cases like Kevin Spacey (young male actors, mentorship offers).
7. Echoes patterns in the Savile case, though more industry-focused and psychologically manipulative than opportunistic.
8. Suffered trauma or hardship
9. Lean, fit and healthy, well kept young men.
10. Perhaps had unpolished promise and talent.
Richard Gadd didn’t just perform his trauma, he mapped it. Through his meticulous artistic work and carefully chosen words, he has documented a pattern of abuse that reaches beyond his own experience. His story contains enough coded warnings and forensic clues that, if connected with other victims or whistleblowers, could potentially unmask the man behind it.
What we see is not just one abuser. It’s a method, a playbook, and a network of silence. Gadd, whether intentionally or not, may have done more to expose that than anyone else in British entertainment in the last decade or more.
Psychological Profile of the Abuser: A Groomer in the Industry
The individual Richard Gadd describes, and others like him, fits the psychological profile of a dressed down but charismatic, high-functioning serial groomer. These predators differ from impulsive offenders; they are calculated, strategic, and socially integrated, often operating within creative or hierarchical industries where youth, ambition, and blurred boundaries are common.
Modus Operandi (MO)
Charm, later coercion: The abuser gains trust through flattery, career advice, and apparent generosity, not threats.
Position of influence: He holds real or perceived power in the entertainment or literary industries (agent, producer, writer, mentor figure).
Emotional manipulation: Victims are often isolated, insecure, or confused about their sexuality, states which the abuser exploits under the guise of mentorship.
Incremental boundary crossing: Physical contact escalates slowly and deliberately, often under the pretense of affection or support, perhaps a father figure.
No visible violence: The abuse is psychological, emotional, and sexual, but not physically violent, designed to maintain secrecy and control.
Behavioural Traits
Highly self-controlled in public, often described as “professional,” “intellectual,” or “eccentric but respected.”
Likely has a charming or persuasive persona, which masks exploitative intentions.
Frequently exhibits compartmentalization, appearing nurturing in one context and predatory in another.
Shows emotional detachment after abuse, victims report being discarded or ghosted once the abuser loses interest.
Appearance and Presentation
May manage appearance deliberately:
Maintains an unthreatening, sophisticated, or “mentor-like” look.
May disguise signs of ageing (e.g., greying or thinning hair) to remain attractive or “relatable” to younger targets.
Avoids extremes, neither too glamorous nor too sloppy, often blending in among media or creative professionals.
Target Victim Profile
Young (18–25), male, often bisexual or sexually uncertain.
Ambitious but insecure, craving mentorship or validation.
Often working class or socially mobile, with something to prove.
Operating in isolated creative environments (festivals, training programs, talent schemes, etc.).
Comparative Cases
Behaviour mirrors known patterns in predators like:
Kevin Spacey – powerful older male, groomed younger aspiring actors under the guise of career advancement.
Historic BBC/Savile structures – institutional silence and enablers who “didn’t see” the warning signs.
Also draws clear psychological parallels with “mentor-abusers” in the clergy, education, and arts sectors, where power, trust, and ambition intersect dangerously.
End of Part 1
