Louise Minchin: The Truth About Stalking: When to watch the ITV programme about stalkers - and who is ex-soldier Carl Davies?

Louise Minchin returns to screens this week as the host of new documentary The Truth About Stalking.
By Abi Whistance
Published 10th Mar 2022, 11:42 BST
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The I’m A Celebrity 2021 contestant, who left BBC Breakfast in September last year, will look at the impact stalkers have on their victims and how dangerous they can be.

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Minchin suffered her own stalking ordeal last year when ex-soldier Carl Davies, 44, was found guilty of posting multiple “intimidating” messages “intended to maximise fear and distress” to the broadcaster and her daughter’s social media accounts over four days between 14 to 17 July 2020.

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Louise told ITV’s current affairs show Tonight that her own experience with stalking terrified her.

She said: “It was very clear from the messages that this person knew exactly where we lived and had stood outside our front door.

“To say I was frightened just doesn’t really touch the surface.

“You are kind of on this high state of alert all the time. You don’t know who they are so you don’t know that that person standing next to you isn’t them.”

TV presenter Louise Minchin, who has said that she was in a "high state of alert all the time" during her stalking ordeal, while her teenage daughter Mia said she was left "terrified" and "in floods of tears". Photo: ITV TonightTV presenter Louise Minchin, who has said that she was in a "high state of alert all the time" during her stalking ordeal, while her teenage daughter Mia said she was left "terrified" and "in floods of tears". Photo: ITV Tonight
TV presenter Louise Minchin, who has said that she was in a "high state of alert all the time" during her stalking ordeal, while her teenage daughter Mia said she was left "terrified" and "in floods of tears". Photo: ITV Tonight
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Mold Crown Court heard how in one message to Minchin, Davies wrote “Move or you’re f*****”, while in another he said “Your daughter will definitely be raped”, followed by their home address, the village they lived in and the cars that were in their driveway at the time.

Commenting on one of Louise’s photos, he said “You can see your garden from there”, showing he was aware of where they lived, the court heard.

Davies, of Flint, North Wales, was handed a prison sentence of two years and eight months and an indefinite restraining order.

He had previously been convicted in 2017 of stalking another woman and for biting his father on the arm in 2019, the court heard.

TV presenter Louise Minchin (Left) and her daughter Mia, who has said that she was in a "high state of alert all the time" during her stalking ordeal, while her teenage daughter Mia said that she was left "terrified" and "in floods of tears". Photo: ITV TonightTV presenter Louise Minchin (Left) and her daughter Mia, who has said that she was in a "high state of alert all the time" during her stalking ordeal, while her teenage daughter Mia said that she was left "terrified" and "in floods of tears". Photo: ITV Tonight
TV presenter Louise Minchin (Left) and her daughter Mia, who has said that she was in a "high state of alert all the time" during her stalking ordeal, while her teenage daughter Mia said that she was left "terrified" and "in floods of tears". Photo: ITV Tonight
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The documentary The Truth About Stalking will air on ITV Tonight at 8:30pm, with resources for victims of stalking now available on the ITV website.

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Related topics:ITVLeeds UnitedNorth Wales