Stonehouse is the new ITV drama based on the unbelievable true story of MP John Stonehouse who faked his own death – but how true really is the new drama?
The series begins with the statement: “This drama is based on a true story. Some scenes and characters have been imagined for dramatic purposes.”
So, what has been changed and dramatised?
Here’s everything we know about how true episode 1 of Stonehouse is…
Stonehouse true story: Was John Stonehouse really a spy?
Episode 1 of Stonehouse focuses quite a bit on showing John Stonehouse as a spy for the Croatian government. So was this true?
Well, this is more of a speculation than a fact, and there is quite a bit of debate around whether or not John Stonehouse was actually a spy.
The first episode shows John Stonehouse when he was Aviation Minister on a trip to Croatia, where he was blackmailed with footage of him having sex with a Croatian woman.
In 1979, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic military intelligence revealed that John Stonehouse worked as a spy for them, and gave British government secrets.
The British government, however, made no prosecution, instead deciding there was insufficient evidence to bring him to trial.
John Stonehouse’s daughter, Julia, has desperately tried to clear his name as a spy, and runs a website called John Stonehouse – so where’s the evidence?
Matthew Macfayden, who plays, John Stonehouse had this to say about the dramatisation: “I enjoyed the idea, that we portray in this drama, that he relished the
glamour of it. In his mind’s eye he was Edward Fox, Roger Moore – one of those guys in an overcoat with the collar turned up.
“A case of, ‘Well, if I’m going to be a spy, I might as well enjoy it.’ I imagine he created his own James Bond soundtrack in his head.”
So while the series does very much depict John Stonehouse as a spy, Julia Stonehouse very much denies this and has spoken out against the creation of the drama series.
She wrote on her website: “I am now formally making the complaint to ITV plc that the proposed drama is not intending to present the actuality.”
Did Sheila Buckley have a speech impediment?
It’s not clear if Sheila Buckley had a speech impediment in real life. She has kept her life very private and we can’t find any evidence of this, but the ITV show depicts Sheila with a speech impediment.
Emer Heatley, who plays Sheila in the drama, shares: “She also has quite a pronounced speech impediment.
“I really enjoy working with accents and finding a character’s authentic voice – so that element was particularly exciting for me to work on.”
Were John Stonehouse and Sheila Buckley really having an affair?
John Stonehouse really was having an affair with his secretary Sheila Buckley, while married to his wife Barbara Stonehouse (Keeley Hawes).
Matthew Macfayden shares this about how their relationship was depicted in the drama: “In the drama, he interviews her for the job of his parliamentary secretary and they fall for each other. She was much younger than him.
“He was a handsome man working in the House of Commons with power and influence. It’s quite intoxicating all of that stuff. It appears that was part of the attraction for her.”
Sheila Buckley was 21 when she met John Stonehouse, 22 years her senior, and began working for him.
Sheila even moved out to Australia with John after he faked his death, and the pair later got married and had a son together.
They reportedly remained together until John’s death in 1988.
Did John Stonehouse get the idea to fake his death from a film?
A scene in the first episode shows John Stonehouse going to see the 1973 film The Day of Jackal.
In the film, Jackal gets a passport in someone’s else name by sending in the passport of a dead person. So was John Stonehouse really inspired by this?
Julia Stonehouse confirms this in her book on her father. But she suggests the 1971 book by Frederick Forsyth that the film is based on is what really inspired him.
Read more: Stonehouse on ITV: Keeley Hawes pairs with husband Matthew Macfadyen for real-life drama
Stonehouse true story: Did John fake a passport from one of his constituents?
Yes – John really did make a fake passport from one of his deceased constituents.
The show names the deceased man as Joseph Carey, but in real life, the constituent was called Joseph Markham.
In Philip Augar and Keely Winstone’s book about the case, Agent Twister, they say Joseph Markham’s wife later called John Stonehouse: “a scoundrel and a blackguard.”
Some reports suggest John Stonehouse found two recently deceased constituents Clive Mildoon and Joseph Markham and visited their widows. He then asked them for information which allowed him to apply for a birth certificate under Joseph Markham’s name.
A report from Time magazine in 1975 suggested: “He telephoned hospitals looking for a dead person about his own age with no relatives; finding one Joseph Arthur Markham.”
So although the ITV series depicted John Stonehouse finding a dying Joseph Carey on a visit to a hospital, it doesn’t appear this is actually how he found the deceased man.
Stonehouse continues with episode 2 on Tuesday January 3 2023 at 9pm on ITV1. All episodes will be available on ITVX from Thursday January 5.
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