Credit: Channel 5
Entertainment
Love Rat: the 4-part Channel 5 drama that shines a light on romance scammers
2 years ago
2 min read
Channel 5’s latest drama, Love Rat, explores the tale of recently divorced Emma, whose holiday romance with con man Niko leads to the loss of her life savings.
We love a British drama miniseries and the new four-part thriller series Love Rat is ticking all of our boxes. Iconic British TV actors? Tick. A good-looking and charming evil villain? Tick. A gripping storyline that will have us counting down the hours until the next episode? Tick.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Channel 5 drama.
What is the plot of Love Rat?
Newly divorced Emma heads for sunnier climes, jetting off to Cyprus for some much-needed ‘me-time’. While there, she meets charming Niko, the wealthy owner of the hotel she’s staying at, and the pair soon embark on a whirlwind romance.
Before we know it, Niko asks Emma to move in with him, but things aren’t all they seem when he asks Emma for a short-term loan to help him complete a villa purchase and then disappears – along with her money. Enlisting the help of her ex-husband to help retrieve her life savings, the four-part drama goes from escapist fantasy to psychological thriller.
Where is Love Rat set?
Love Rat was also filmed in Cyprus in 2022, becoming the first British TV series to be filmed on the island.
Credit: Channel 5
Who stars in Love Rat?
Leading the cast is Sally Lindsay as Emma, best known for her long-time role as Shelley in Coronation Street, as well as in roles in Mount Pleasant and BBC sitcom Still Open All Hours.
Alongside Lindsay, Neil Morrissey (Line Of Duty, Men Behaving Badly) stars as ex-husband Pete, while Gerald Kyd plays Niko, the Greek businessman with whom Lindsay’s character falls madly in love.
Where can I watch Love Rat?
Love Rat will play over four consecutive days on Channel 5, with the first episode airing on 11 March at 9pm.
If I like Love Rat, what other ‘scam’ dramas should I watch or read?
The Following Events Are Based On A Pack of Lies, BBC iPlayer
This dark BBC comedy follows the story of two women, Cheryl (Marianna Jean-Baptiste) and Alice (Rebekah Staton), who find themselves both being conned by ‘ecopreneur’ Rob, played by Sex Education’s Alistair Petrie.
The Tinder Swindler, Netflix
This binge-worthy documentary hit the headlines when it aired in 2022, telling the gripping story of scammer Shimon Heyada Hayut, who took on the persona of Russian diamond trader Simon Leviev and conned a number of women on dating apps.
Inventing Anna, Netflix
If you’ve yet to watch this gripping true-story, you should. Julia Garner brilliantly takes on the role of Anna Delvey, a New York socialite who manages to convince everyone she’s a German heiress.
The Dropout, Disney+
This 2022 mini-series starring Amanda Seyfried tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, and the rise and fall of her company Theranos.
Fake by Stephanie Wood
This emotional book details Wood’s experience of falling in love with former architect turned farmer Joe, but she soon becomes suspicious of his frequent cancellations, no-shows and bizarre excuses. Because Joe doesn’t exist. This leads Wood to embark on an investigation into romantic scammers, drawing on stories from other women who have been drawn into relationships based on duplicity and false hope.
Images: Channel 5
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