News

Karen Matthews documentary BLASTED by viewers for being misleading

It wasn't popular

| Updated:

It was back in 2008 when Karen Matthews staged the disappearance of her daughter, nine-year old Shannon.

And a new documentary, shown last night, looking at what really happened has really got viewers’ goat.

Read more: Scarlett Moffatt reveals regrets over Gogglbox comments

After a 24 day investigation, Shannon was found safe and well under a bed at the home of Karen’s boyfriend’s uncle, Michael Donovan.

It was alleged that Karen and Michael had cooked up the scheme to get the hefty financial gain she believed the parents of missing Madeleine McCann were getting.

The story has been back in the public consciousness recently after Sheridan Smith starred in a BBC drama, The Moorside, about the staged kidnap.

And now Channel 5 have screened a documentary, Shannon Matthews: The Mother’s Story.

It featured Karen’s close friend, and the character Sherdian played in The Moorside, Julie Bushby, as well as others including Julie’s daughter, wanting to find out what really happened.

Using clips, footage and interviews it picked over the full 24-day investigation.

Read more: EastEnders viewers baffled by fried egg gate

But viewers weren’t impressed as they felt the title of the show had been misleading. Karen Matthews didn’t appear, and watchers weren’t happy as many had believed she would be interviewed to tell her side of things.

They went on Twitter to vent their frustration, with some saying the documentary was “just like every other” one covering the subject, and others commenting they didn’t “see the point” of it.

https://twitter.com/EastLondonBaby/status/850100040890806272


Carena Crawford
Associate Editor (Soaps)