The Lady drama brings family tears as ITV retells Jane Andrews case
The Lady has prompted an emotional response from the brother of Tom Cressman after the four-part ITV series premiered on Sunday night and revisits the 2000 killing and its aftermath.
The Lady and a family's reaction
Rick Cressman, a business owner from Warwickshire and the brother of Tom Cressman, said the drama brought him to tears more than 25 years after the killing: "By the time we got into the final episode, I was feeling very, very tearful. " The mini‑series premiered on Sunday night and follows the life of Jane Andrews, who was Sarah Ferguson's personal dresser.
What the series shows about Jane Andrews
The four episodes depict Andrews's rise from a working life in Grimsby to life at Buckingham Palace and her nine years working for Sarah Ferguson, with Natalie Dormer playing Ferguson and Mia McKenna‑Bruce as Andrews. The drama is billed in its opening credits as "inspired by a true story" and the makers say some names have been changed and some scenes created or merged for dramatic purposes.
Details of the crime and legal aftermath
In September 2000, Jane Andrews murdered her partner, Thomas Cressman, an ex‑stockbroker, at their Fulham flat; he was attacked with a cricket bat and fatally stabbed. Andrews went on the run and was found days later in Cornwall after overdosing in her car; she survived and was arrested and charged following police interrogation. At her trial she denied killing Tom Cressman because he would not marry her. The then‑34‑year‑old was convicted and in 2001 was ordered to serve at least 15 years in prison.
Prison escape, appeals and legal representation
After a life sentence in 2001, Andrews began her term at HM Prison Bullwood Hall in Hockley, Essex, and after nine years was transferred to HM Prison East Sutton Park, a women's open prison, where she escaped. She was found three days later in a hotel room and was not charged with absconding. Harriet Wistrich, CEO of the Centre for Women's Justice who represented Andrews during her appeal, has said Andrews did not contribute to The Lady and has never contributed to other documentaries about her. Wistrich added that the public are presented with a one‑sided view that fails to explore why a vulnerable woman in her circumstances may have been driven to kill.
Family concerns and wider media portrayals
Rick Cressman said he had been concerned when ITV commissioned the drama and that the broadcaster gave him a private screening; he has cooperated with media over the years out of a sense of duty to his brother and to protect Tom's memory and legacy. "I can't have my brother's memory and legacy being besmirched by people just creating stuff, " he said. He also noted that other TV productions are in the works, naming an ABC News and Disney Plus project that he said would be the 12th TV production related to the case. Rick said the announcement in December of 2024 that a four‑part fictionalised drama was planned had been a major issue for him.
