A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story

6.545m20251 season

DramaCrime

A 1950s true crime drama about Ruth Ellis, the last woman in Britain to be hanged. This startling story reveals hidden truths about Ruth's murder of her lover, the legal case surrounding it and those who were also complicit.

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Cast

Lucy Boynton

Ruth Ellis

Toby Jones

John Bickford

Laurie Davidson

David Blakely

Mark Stanley

Desmond Cussen

Arthur Darvill

Victor Mishcon

Bessie Carter

Carole Findlater

Joe Armstrong

DCI Davies

Nigel Havers

Cecil Havers

Toby Stephens

Melford Stevenson

Juliet Stevenson

Dr. Charity Taylor

Ed Sayer

Anthony Findlater

Tony Wadham

Arthur Neilson

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Episodes

Season 1 — 0 / 4 watched

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Episode 1

2025-02-17 · 48m

Ruth Ellis is arrested for killing her lover, David, with a gun in her hand. While the police see an open-and-shut case, her solicitor, John Bickford, suspects there’s more to the story.

Episode 2

2025-02-17 · 46m

At the Old Bailey, Ruth faces judgment shaped by British class and legal biases. Bickford fears she’s withholding vital details that could save her. Outside the courtroom, we uncover her sacrifices for David and a toxic love triangle.

Episode 3

2025-02-24 · 47m

Found guilty and sentenced to hang, Ruth reflects on her relationship, lost dreams, and pregnancy, as her lawyer pressures the Home Office for a reprieve. Desperate and reliant on Desmond for her son, Ruth faces the weight of her looming fate.

Episode 4

2025-03-05 · 45m

The day before Ruth's execution, she finally agrees to tell her new lawyer, Victor Mishcon, the full story, the whole truth. Mishcon has twenty-four hours to save her life.