ITV Joan: Where is the real Joan Hannington now as new Sophie Turner drama airs

Joan, which stars Game Of Thrones Sophie Turner, is an ITV play bid based connected the real-life communicative of Joan Hannington, The Godmother successful the transgression underworld of 1980s London

Sophie Turner has been transformed into Joan Hannington for caller ITV play Joan, which explores the beingness of Britain's astir infamous jewel thief.

The bid is inspired by the real-life exploits of Joan Hannington, known arsenic The Godmother successful the transgression underworld of 1980s London.

Hannington turned to diamond theft for the thrill and to rise funds to rescue her daughter, Kelly, from foster care. The amusement volition picture wherefore Hannington mislaid her child, her archetypal enactment of theft involving swallowing jewels, and her consequent beingness of crime.

Penned by Anna Symon, the bid volition aerial connected ITV1 and ITVX, providing viewers with a glimpse into the harsh world of 1980s London and the existent communicative of Joan Harrington. Here's a rundown of who you tin expect to spot successful the caller ITV drama, however to tune in, and what to look guardant to passim the series.

The caller ITV series, scheduled to premiere connected Sunday, September 27, volition permission viewers funny astir the existent Joan Hannington, reports Wales Online.

Who was Joan Hannington?

Born successful Acton, Joan Hannington was the youngest of six children calved to Irish parents Richard and Josephine O'Leary. She recounted surviving a beingness marred by poorness and maltreatment astatine the hands of her convulsive father.

His brutal treatment, which included astir drowning her and her siblings successful the bath, led her to fly location astatine the tender property of 13. At 17, she joined convicted equipped robber Ray Pavey successful 1974.

This ill-fated matrimony resulted successful her girl Debbie - renamed arsenic Kelly successful the ITV play - being taken into foster care. Joan was resolute to reclaim her - but she besides embarked connected a beingness of crime.

Her 2002 memoir I Am What I Am disclosed that Joan would ingest diamonds and past sanitise them successful gin. Once labelled 'the Godmother', Joan Hannington rapidly roseate to infamy successful London's transgression underworld.

Joan reckoned that her archetypal diamond haul was valued astatine astir £10,000 and astatine the tallness of her thieving spree, she had implicit £800K worthy of jewels stashed successful a biscuit tin successful her garden.

She aboriginal tied the knot with an antiques adept and a subordinate of the transgression elite Boisie (portrayed by Frank Dillane successful the ITV drama).

The mates amassed wealthiness and became 1 of Britain's astir palmy diamond thieves. Joan led a beingness of glitz and luxury with regular trips to the hairdresser, owned high-speed cars, and her wardrobe was crammed with furs and decorator outfits.

Joan Hannington was wedded to Boisie Hannington for 11 years earlier helium perished attempting to torch a location for security money.

Where is Joan Hannington now?

Boisie's decease prompted Joan to reconsider her transgression vocation and she sold her husband's antiques store and relocated to Islington successful northbound London. She started a concern refurbishing aged assembly houses and stayed connected the close broadside of the law.

Joan Hannington initially shared her communicative successful her memoir I Am What I Am successful the aboriginal 2000s and it swiftly became a best-selling book.

Joan is simply a arrogant mum of two, blessed with a granddaughter, and shares her South Coast location with her beloved brace of dogs.

ITV was keen to get Joan Hannington's communicative connected screen, pegging Anna Symon to pen the publication for a six-part bid inspired by Joan's book. Hannington played a hands-on relation passim the accumulation process, ensuring that each past item was conscionable right.

Not lone did she oversee the shows development, but Hannington besides struck up a steadfast relationship with prima Sophie Turner, whose show she wholeheartedly praised. During a property conference, Hannington admitted: "I deliberation she's great, and I deliberation everybody present knows maine good capable [to know] that if I didn't similar it I'd accidental so."

Despite the joyousness of having the bid received well, Hannington confessed feeling astatine likelihood with the newfound attention. Reflecting connected beingness astatine 68 and talking store astir her idiosyncratic story, she mused: "To beryllium sitting present astatine 68 with my lad and my granddaughter, talking astir me, I inactive find it a bit... I'm not a showbiz person, I'm a precise backstage idiosyncratic and I conscionable find it amazing."