The mysterious episode that was cut from Netflix's Baby Reindeer revealed for the first time

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

Richard Gadd, the star behind the award-winning Netflix series Baby Reindeer, has revealed that an episode was cut from the seven-part streaming hit.
Gadd, 36, who also wrote and created the critically-acclaimed drama, which is based on his own experiences with a 'stalker', said he was responsible for dropping the 'missing' eighth part.
The series follows comedian Donny Dunn (Gadd), who endures a harrowing ordeal after a woman called Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, becomes obsessed with him.
In Australia for an industry conference, Gadd said he 'fought hard' to cut the episode.
'I remember when we were developing it, there was the note that kept coming in, and probably rightfully so, about ''The show is just too dark. You need to give us a respite,"' Gadd told the audience at the Future Visions conference in Melbourne on Monday.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
He said the cut episode showed his character 'escaping' the attentions of his stalker Martha by leaving his home in London to visit his 'parents'.
'There's a whole episode where I go to the football with my dad, and I spend a day with my dad [played by actor Mark Lewis Jones],' he continued.
'But I felt like a lot of the note that was coming in was that we needed a break from Martha because she's so relentless.
'But really, when we got to the edit, I thought ''You miss her every time she's not on screen.'' And I thought in a lot of ways, the sooner you get back to her, the better.'
Baby Reindeer soared to global success, racking up a massive 60 million views soon after dropping on Netflix in April 2024.
The show went on to score four prizes at the Primetime Emmy Awards in the US last September.
Gadd won gongs for Writing for a Limited or Anthology series or Movie and Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Co-star Jessica Gunning won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role as the crazed fan.
The show also triumphed in the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series category.
Beating Black Mirror, Fargo, Fellow Travellers, Ripley and True Detective: Night Country to the Writing award, Gadd was visibly emotional as he took to the stage, telling the crowd: 'Oh, wow. Thanks so much. This is the stuff of dreams. Thanks so much to the Academy. Thank you to Netflix for letting me tell the story to the world.'
'Look, ten years ago, I was down and out, right? I never ever thought I would get my life together. I never thought I would be able to rectify myself and get myself back on my feet again.
'Here I am just a decade later picking up one of the biggest awards in television, yeah. Now, I don't mean that - I don't mean that to sound arrogant. I mean that for anyone going through a difficult time right now to persevere.
'I don't know much about this life. But I do know nothing lasts forever. And no matter how bad it gets, it always gets better. If you are struggling, keep going. And I promise you things will be okay. Thank you so much for this award.'
Baby Reindeer became one of Netflix's most watched shows ever, and also scored a Golden Globe Award for Gunning for Best Supporting Actress as well as Best Limited or Anthology Series.