Two A-list actresses ‘lined up’ for role of child killer Lucy Letby in new TV drama-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro

Neonatal nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies after a ten-month trial (Picture: PA)

Two huge TV stars are among those rumoured to play child killer Lucy Letby in a drama from Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio.

Letby, 34, was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six more while working as a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.

She was given a whole life sentence in August 2023 following a ten-month trial. Letby is due to face a retrial at Manchester Crown Court this month on one charge of attempting to murder a baby girl in February 2016.

Now, Bodyguard creator Mercurio, 58, is set to create a televised drama about the neonatal nurse, with Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and Game Of Thrones’ Sophie Turner both tipped for the lead role.

According to The Sun, the director will be working alongside hospital consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram on the show, who was a whistle-blower in the Letby case.

‘Jed sees this as an important story that should not just be chronicled in a drama but also explored,’ a source told the publication.

Letby is set to face retrial this month over the attempted murder of a baby girl in February 2016 (Picture: MEN MEDIA)

Jed Mercurio is set to make a TV drama about Letby, with Jodie Comer tipped to play the nurse (Picture: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for TIME)

Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner has also been named as a possible star to play Letby (Picture: Aitor Rosas Sune/WWD via Getty Images)

The insider continued: ‘It aims to try to explain how her crimes could have gone on for so long and how others — particularly Dr Jayaram — tried to act when suspicions were raised.

‘Bagging a high-profile name to play Letby would help give the show the attention it deserves too, but it’s not a role to take lightly.’

The drama is thought to be airing on ITV1, though a release date has not been confirmed and it is unclear whether it will be a one-off show or episodic.

Letby lodged an application to challenge all the counts in September, which was denied last month.

A judge initially turned down the appeal, but Letby was later awarded the right to a full court hearing to argue the right to appeal.

Also in September, Nick Johnson KC, for the prosecution, told Manchester Crown Court that a decision had been made to pursue a retrial in the case of Baby K, a girl born in February 2016.

The prosecution is not pursuing a retrial on the five other charges of attempted murder, relating to four babies – two girls, Baby H and Baby J, and two boys, Baby N and Baby Q – after the jury in Letby’s trial was unable to reach verdicts.

Cheshire Constabulary is continuing to review all units where Letby worked, and said in a statement to BBC: ‘During the course of the review if anything of concern medically is identified then the relevant family would be contacted by the investigation team as part of the process.’

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