Four Lives: what happened to the Stephen Port after the BBC show - and is the 'Grindr killer' still alive?

The serial killer was portrayed by actor Stephen Merchant in the new BBC drama.
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Stephen Port, also known as the 'Grindr killer', was found guilty of drugging and murdering four young men between 2014 and 2015.

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The new BBC drama, titled Four Lives, follows the murderer as he used dating apps to target his victims, before luring them back to his flat in Barking and attacking them.

Stephen Merchant as Stephen Port in the BBC drama Four Lives. The actor, 47, portrays the serial killer who drugged and raped four men before dumping their bodies near his home in Barking, east London.Stephen Merchant as Stephen Port in the BBC drama Four Lives. The actor, 47, portrays the serial killer who drugged and raped four men before dumping their bodies near his home in Barking, east London.
Stephen Merchant as Stephen Port in the BBC drama Four Lives. The actor, 47, portrays the serial killer who drugged and raped four men before dumping their bodies near his home in Barking, east London.
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Anthony Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari, 22, Daniel Whitworth, 21, and Jack Taylor, 25, were all killed by Port using a lethal dose of the drug GHB, however police failures at the time meant that the four cases were not linked together for a year.

Is Stephen Port still alive?

Yes, Port is still alive and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

This is just one of 60 sentences without parole in the UK, which means he will die behind bars.

While in prison, it was claimed that Port had sex notorious pedophile Richard Huckle after the pair struck up a friendship at HMP Belmarsh in London.

Did he really appear on Celebrity Masterchef?

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During the 2014 series of Celebrity Masterchef, Port can be seen standing next to JLS singer JB Gill and EastEnders star Emma Barton.

He can be spotted in the episode staring into the camera as the crew filmed at West Ham Bus Garage, in East London.

Port also helped the celebrity chefs make meatballs and pasta for more than 100 bus drivers.

This episode was filmed during his killing spree - which started at the beginning of 2014.

When is the inquest into the murders?

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In 2021 it was announced that there would be an inquest into the four deaths and whether police actions could have stopped Port.

His neighbour Ryan Edwards, who plays a pivotal role in the BBC drama, stated that Port spent so much time with young boys that he considered he might have "paedophile tendencies".

He also noted his "strange" obsession with children’s toys, such as Transformers which he frequently collected.

The inquest concluded in December 2021 that police failures in the investigation into the death of Stephen Port's first victim Anthony Walgate "probably" contributed to the death of Gabriel Kovari, the second young gay man to die in almost identical circumstances in Barking, east London.

Where can I watch Four Lives?

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The show started on BBC One on Monday and is now available on iPlayer in full.

The three-part series looks to shed new light on this story by telling it from the point of view of the families and friends of the four young men.

Made by the award-winning team behind The Moorside and Appropriate Adult, Four Lives stars The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant in the role of Stephen Port.

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