Is The Stolen Girl based on a true story? The real-life inspiration behind ITV’s gripping thriller
As The Stolen Girl lands on ITV, here’s what parents need to know about the real story behind the drama.
When your child heads off on their first sleepover, it’s meant to be a milestone moment. In The Stolen Girl, it becomes every parent’s worst nightmare.
The psychological drama, which debuted on Disney+ in 2025 and now arrives on ITV1, follows mum Elisa Blix after her nine-year-old daughter Lucia disappears following an overnight playdate. As secrets unravel and suspicion deepens, viewers are left asking one big question, is it based on a true story?
Here’s what mums need to know.
What is The Stolen Girl about?
The five-part British drama stars Denise Gough as Elisa, a working mum whose life is turned upside down when her daughter vanishes.
After meeting fellow mum Rebecca at the school gates, Elisa agrees to a sleepover at Rebecca’s beautiful home. But when she returns to collect Lucia the next day, the house is empty. It turns out to be a holiday rental, and Rebecca, her daughter and Lucia have all disappeared.
What follows is a tense investigation that stretches across Europe, exposing buried secrets, fractured relationships and long-hidden truths.
The series is adapted from Alex Dahl’s bestselling 2020 novel Playdate and was written for screen by Catherine Moulton, with Eva Husson directing.
Is The Stolen Girl based on a true story?
The short answer is no, not directly.
The Stolen Girl is not a dramatisation of one specific real-life case. However, the story was partly inspired by a real child abduction from the 1990s.
Author Alex Dahl has previously drawn on the real-life case of Maureen Dabbagh when writing Playdate, the novel on which the series is based.
In 1993, Maureen’s two-year-old daughter Nadia was abducted by her ex-husband during a court-approved visit and taken to Syria. At the time, there were no extradition agreements in place. Maureen spent 17 years searching for her daughter before they were reunited in 2010, after Nadia made contact herself.
While The Stolen Girl mirrors some of the emotional themes of that case, including parental loss and cross-border complications, it is not a direct retelling. The ITV and Disney+ series creates its own fictional storyline, characters and outcome.
There has also been confusion with a separate 2025 film titled Stolen Girl, which focuses more closely on Maureen Dabbagh’s real-life experience. Despite the similar name, it is not the same project.
What have the cast said about the story?
Denise Gough, who plays Elisa, has been clear that the show should be viewed as a thriller rather than a factual retelling.
Speaking about the drama, she said: “I think it’s important to remember this is a TV thriller rather than a docu-series or a true story. So essentially, I want the audience to be entertained.
“I would like of course for them to feel empathy. But I hope it is a gripping ride for them and I hope they leave each episode wanting more. I’d like their loyalties to be switching constantly. I don’t want them to know whose side to be on at any stage!”
Her comments underline that, while the themes may feel unsettlingly real for parents, the series is designed first and foremost as a suspenseful drama.
Why does it feel so real?
Part of what makes The Stolen Girl so unnerving is how ordinary it all seems at the start.
A playdate arranged at the school gates. A glass of wine with another mum. A child excited for their first sleepover. These are everyday parenting moments, which makes the twist all the more shocking.
Sadly, child abduction is not purely fictional. In the UK, over 1,000 child abductions are recorded each year, though only a small proportion involve strangers. High-profile cases, such as Madeleine McCann’s disappearance in 2007, have also left a lasting mark on public consciousness.
By grounding its story in familiar parenting scenarios, The Stolen Girl taps into very real fears, even though its plot is imagined.
Where can you watch The Stolen Girl?
The Stolen Girl originally premiered on Disney+ in April 2025. It now airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX following broadcast.
The series stars Denise Gough, Holliday Grainger and Ambika Mod, and is produced by Quay Street Productions with Brightstar.
If you are planning a boxset binge, just be warned, you may find yourself double-checking the details of your next sleepover invite.
The Stolen Girl airs on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.