The real-life Darrien from Baby Reindeer is known to 'everyone,' claims Richard Osman

Richard Osman has claimed that "everyone knows" who the real Darrien in Baby Reindeer is.

The Netflix show follows writer-actor Richard Gadd's experience with stalking and sexual abuse.

In the fourth episode, which many have called a "tough watch" for the graphic portrayal of abuse, Gadd's character Donny recalls his traumatic experience at the hands of a TV writer. In the show, the fictional character is called Darrien, which led many viewers to try and unpick who the real Darrien is.

Former Pointless presenter Osman has since said Gadd has been "very open to people in the industry" in regard to who sexually assaulted him and "everyone knows who he [Gadd] is talking about".

Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, journalist Marina Hyde and celebrity author Richard Osman discussed the issues of turning trauma into art, with Hyde raising concerns on whether the streaming platform is doing enough to ensure people wouldn't be identified.

"Well, that's the interesting thing," Osman said. "As you say, there's a very, very serious thing that happens with a male comedy producer and Richard Gadd, who, as you say, did the show in Edinburgh and has been very open to people in the industry about who that person was, so people in the industry know who that person was."

"Now it comes out now and a completely different person is identified, someone who has produced Richard Gadd before, but is definitively not the person in any way," he continued.

"But the person they've cast in that role looks like this other guy, looks like the guy who's been falsely accused. And it's such a weird, bizarre thing to do because this poor guy has had death threats and he's had to issue a statement to say it's not me. And it is not him, but definitely not because people in the industry know who it is. And it definitely not him."

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