New documentary Bad Nanny tells the story of serial scammer Samantha Cookes
Exclusive interviews and un-seen footage feature in new two-part series
A jaw-dropping new two-part documentary unravelling the astonishing true story of Samantha Cookes – serial scammer, master manipulator, and at one point, a trusted nanny – comes to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player this month.
Bad Nanny tells the story of Samantha Cookes who, for over a decade across Ireland and the UK, used a revolving door of aliases including Carrie Jade Williams and Sadie Harris to weave an intricate web of lies, deceiving everyone from vulnerable families to online communities. Her story was the subject of RTÉ podcast series The Real Carrie Jade.
This two-part film, Bad Nanny, is a co-production between RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland from Alleycats TV, directed by Alan Bradley. It debuts on Monday 12th May at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
With gripping first-hand accounts, chilling insight into psychological manipulation, shocking revelations, and raw emotion, the TV documentary series is a must-watch exposé on one woman’s decade-long con and the strength of those who brought her down. It features exclusive interviews with victims of Samantha’s scams who have never spoken publicly and includes unseen archive footage of Samantha.
Episode one of Bad Nanny introduces the audience to one of Samantha Cookes’ most brazen personas – Carrie Jade Williams, a supposedly terminally ill, award-winning author. From this shocking disguise, the documentary traces back through the years to uncover how Samantha’s cons became increasingly audacious, building up to her role as a “nanny” who was hiding a troubling secret. The documentary shows how she gained the trust of families, only to betray them in devastating ways.
In the second part of the series, airing on Monday 19th May at 9.35pm on RTÉ One, the spotlight turns to the vulnerable families left emotionally shattered by Samantha’s deceit. With the help of relentless TikTok sleuths and first-time interviews with those closest to her story, these women come together and turn detective to expose the truth, ultimately leading to Samantha’s dramatic downfall and conviction in 2025.
Head of Documentaries and Series at RTÉ, Gráinne McAleer said:“ The shocking story of Samantha Cookes and her long list of scams and aliases is an intriguing story that needs to be told on screen. The two-part documentary series lays out this timeline of deceit brilliantly and captures the collective power of ordinary people. From the TikTok sleuths to the victims of Samantha’s scams that came together to expose her story, Bad Nanny is a story of the power of ordinary people working together. It is also cautionary tale for anyone hiring someone to look after their nearest and dearest. ”
Bad Nanny is co-production between RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland produced by Alleycats TV. It will be available on RTÉ Player and BBC iPlayer from Monday 12 May.
Samantha Cookes’ story was first told in great detail on RTÉ in the podcast series The Real Carrie Jade from the award-winning Documentary on One team. Documentary maker Ronan Kelly from the podcast features in this TV series and an update to the podcast series has been published today (Thursday 1st May) wherever you get your podcasts.
ENDS
For more information, preview copies and interview requests, please contact:
RTÉ Communications – Sarah Neville,
Listen to the full The Real Carrie Jade podcast from the Documentary On One team onrte.ie/podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts;
https://www.rte.ie/radio/podcasts/series/40750-the-real-carrie-jade/