Ayling was kidnapped in Italy in 2017; this is her first documentary interview since her abductors’ conviction

The BBC has greenlit a new, three-part documentary about the kidnapping of model Chloe Ayling in 2017.

Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping features Ayling as she recounts the ordeal and the aftermath, including the media reaction and the reluctance of some people to believe her story. It is Ayling’s first documentary interview since her abductors’ conviction.

In the days following Ayling’s release by her captors, and with the police investigation ongoing, the kidnap became the subject of intense worldwide media speculation, with some questioning if the whole event had been a publicity stunt to further the model’s career.

Her kidnappers, brothers Lukasz and Michal Herba, were subsequently found guilty by an Italian court and jailed.

The three-part series is for BBC Three and produced by BBC Studios Documentary Unit. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, head of commissioning, BBC Documentaries and Fiona Campbell, controller for youth audiences; the commissioning editor is Tom Pullen.

The executive producer is Katharine Patrick; the edit executive producer is Magnus Temple and series editor is Vivienne Perry. The series is directed by Stuart Bernard and Miles Bladen-Ryall and will be distributed internationally by BBC Studios.

Ayling said: “I’m delighted BBC Studios are telling my story – not only in my own words, but also through the voices of those directly involved. For years, people have doubted me, often because they don’t understand what really happened — or who I am.

“I think this documentary truly unravels and dives deep into who I am, the events of the kidnapping, as well as the intense media aftermath that tried to define me. I think people will finally see through the headlines.”

Executive producer Patrick added: “This series enables Chloe to unpack the truth of what happened to her eight years ago, allowing her to process the ordeal she’s been through in an honest and unflinching way, and make sense of the person she is now as a result.”

Campbell stated: “Chloe presents a brave and compelling perspective of her highly publicised case through this documentary which I hope will provide viewers with a new understanding of the real person behind the headlines.”