The True Story Behind ‘Joan’

ITV’s latest crime drama Joan follows Sophie Turner in the shoes of the real-life figure Joan Hannington, known as “the godmother” of the British underworld. The miniseries revolves around Hannington’s road from being an abused mother to a hardened thief, sitting right at the top tier of the British criminal underworld. Joan covers the journey of the controversial real-life jewel thief through 1980s London, allowing Turner to portray the many facets of her character. If the show sounds exciting, all credit goes to the adventures of the titular real-life person Joan presents in all her glory.

Sophie Turner Plays a Real-Life Person in ‘Joan’

Based on Hannington’s 2004 memoir, I Am What I Am: The True Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief, the series picks up with Joan’s (Turner) story just before she leaves her abusive and criminal partner and puts her young daughter in foster care around the early 1980s. In Episode 1, Turner’s titular character leaves her sister’s place and takes up a job at a local jewelry shop, where she learns the tricks of the jewelry trade. The first episode of the ITV crime drama gives the audience insight into Hannington’s trademark way of nicking diamonds by swallowing them.

Soon after her first haul, Joan meets her to-be-husband and partner-in-crime, Ronald Thomas Hannington, who also goes by the name Benny Boisie (Frank Dillane). As established by Joan’s first episode, Joan’s encounter with Boisie paves the way to a life of crime and daring — something Joan wholeheartedly seems to be enjoying. At the same time, Joan must also play her part as a caring mother to her child, whom she must get back from foster care.

Who Is the Real Joan Hannington?

Born in 1957, Joan Hannington was one of six children in a working-class Irish household. According to People, Joan Hannington ran away from her home at the age of 13, due to alleged physical abuse by her father. The New York Post reports that Hannington’s father, Richard O’Leary, was a former boxing promoter. Later, Hannington married convicted armed robber Ray Pavey at the age of 17. In the series, Ray is replaced by the character Gary (Nick Blood). The show also sees a name change for Hannington’s daughter Debbie, who is named Kelly in the series. According to The Sun, Hannington became the victim of another abusive relationship with Pavey, who once threw ammonia into Hannington’s face, causing a squint in her right eye. On another occasion, Ray allegedly threw Hannington out of a moving car. Soon, Hannington walked out of the relationship and Debbie was put into foster care. Hannington then lied her way into a job at a jeweler in London’s West End. In an interview with The Sun, Hannington said, “I was determined to get Debbie back but I needed money and a place to live.”

Although the show changes the circumstances of Hannington’s first diamond haul for dramatic effect, the rest of the thievery occurs as depicted in the series. On finding a safe open at the back of the shop where CCTV cameras were not installed, Hannington couldn’t give up on the opportunity to get her hands on some loose stones, which would change her fortune. With some quick thinking, Hannington decided to swallow the gems. In her very first attempt, Hannington swallowed stones worth almost £800,000 (via The Sun). Once the gems passed through her system, Hannington retrieved them and sterilized the stones to be later stored and sold. Unlike what the show suggests, Hannington did not walk out of her job at the jeweler immediately. She continued to work at the shop for a few months before she quit and met Benny Boisie, a high-class thief and antique dealer 17 years her senior. Apart from being Hannington’s lover, Boisie also proved to be her mentor, teaching Hannington the various tricks of his trade, including check and credit fraud.

How Did Joan Hannington Steal Diamonds?

Boisie and Hannington’s partnership proved to be a perfect match made in heaven. The couple ran a multi-million dollar criminal empire, dealing in counterfeit checks and fake antiques, via People. Hannington’s love for diamonds and precious stones continued over the course of her association with Boisie. Covered in expensive fur coats, Hannington would arrive at high-end jewelry stores in a hired high-end car. In the garb of wanting to genuinely purchase jewelry, Hannington​​​​​​​ Hanningtonstudy and memorize her favorites from the collection. Later, she would return with a fake copy of the piece of jewelry she would be eyeing to replace. Once ready to pull her final move, Hannington would swallow the original ring and quickly hand over the fake piece back to the sales assistant, without anybody catching a whiff of what Hannington had just achieved. Finally, Hannington would leave the by making a deposit using either a stolen credit card or a fake banker’s check, according to The Sun.

Boisie and Hannington ‘s exploits allowed for a lavish lifestyle full of expensive cars, fur coats, flights, and stays at exotic hotels. According to Hannington, she possessed 11 fur coats and 2,000 pairs of shoes at one point. In 1987, Hannington and Boisie welcomed a son, Benjamin Hannington, who also appears in Episode 1 of Joan as the bartender attending to Boisie and Joan. However, Hannington did face her fair share of challenges following her criminal life. At the age of 24, Hannington was arrested in 1980 for using a stolen checkbook and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Hannington had been arrested once before for stealing a car to see her daughter in foster care — an event captured in Joan. The ultimate tragedy occurred when Boisie died in an accidental explosion in 1990 while trying to set fire to a warehouse as part of an insurance fraud.

Where Is Joan Hannington Now?

Boisie’s unfortunate death exposed Hannington to the consequences of chasing a criminal life. After evading a hit put up by one of Boisie’s former associates and being robbed of £1 million by a boyfriend, Hannington decided it was time to set her life straight and leave behind the life that brought her the nickname “the godmother.” According to People, Hannington lives on the south coast of England with her two dogs and is grandmother to her son Benny’s daughter. Benny Jr. is a rapper who goes by the name Benny Banks. Unfortunately, Hannington wasn’t able to get custody of her daughter Debbie from social services. 68-year-old Joan Hannington has been retired from swallowing jewels for 40 years now and claims to be a private person.

Cosmopolitan reports that the real-life Joan has served as an advisor on the show to ensure that the ITV series remains true to her life story. Hannington worked closely with screenwriter Anna Symon, who adapted the series from Joan’s memoir. Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner is well-positioned to portray the larger-than-life character in all her glamour. Notably, Joan balances the adventurous nature of Hannington’s crimes with her persistent struggle to fulfill her duties as a mother. In any case, Joan is poised to be this season’s crime drama to watch out for.

New episodes of Joan will drop on The CW every Wednesday in the U.S.

Watch on The CW