George Galloway has claimed he was a victim of Baby Reindeer stalker Fiona Harvey during the 1980s.
The leader of the Workers’ Party believes Ms Harvey, who is thought to be the stalker portrayed in the Netflix hit series written by comedian Richard Gadd, embarked on a ‘relentless’ campaign during his time as a Labour MP for Glasgow.
Appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Galloway said his stalker made ‘hundreds of calls’ and showed up to his office ‘probably hundreds of times’.
Baby Reindeer, which is said to be based on the real-life experiences of comedian and writer Mr Gadd, sees character Martha Scott – played by Jessica Gunning – stalk him after he offers her a free cup of tea in a pub where he works.
But weeks after the show’s release, Ms Harvey, 58, vowed to sue the show’s creators, saying they have ‘made millions’ from telling ‘lies’ about her.
George Galloway is seen appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored where he claimed he was a victim of Baby Reindeer stalker Fiona Harvey during the 1980s
Fiona Harvey pictured with Piers Morgan where she gave a bombshell interview
Baby Reindeer, the hit Netflix drama, which is said to be based on the real-life experiences of comedian and writer Mr Gadd (left), sees character Martha Scott (right) – played by Jessica Gunning – stalk him after he offers her a free cup of tea in a pub where he works
Mr Galloway said: ‘I saw her sitting in this chair, I was riveted by your interview…and it took me right back to the 1980s when stalking was up close and personal because there was no email, there was no texting.
‘You had to either phone someone on their landline or turn up at their door. That’s real stalking and that’s what she did to me.
‘She was forever on my case. She was a member of the Labour party…in my Hillhead constituency, I had just been elected MP in 1987 defaating Roy Jenkins, and suddenly I find this obssessive woman im my midst.’
The Dundee-born politician believed the stalker ‘fancied’ him but later claimed she was after his job as a Labour MP for Glasgow.
Mr Galloway added: ‘Everywhere I turned, she was there. And at first I thought that she fancied me, but it turned out that she fancied my job and so she was a relentless, physical up, close and personal stalker of mine and I’m ready to testify to that.
‘She called me hundreds of times, hundreds of times, and she showed up probably hundreds of times, at the most inappropriate places.’
However, he stressed the stalker had never threatened him.
Graph comparing the two stories between the Netflix show (left) and Fiona Harvey (right)
Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning attended a photo call for a screening in LA
In the show, Martha is convicted of stalking Donny following months of harassing him – during which time she sexually assaults him, waits at the bus stop outside his house and attacks his girlfriend.
In the first episode, Martha walks into the pub where he works and boasts of being a hotshot lawyer though, inexplicably, a broke one. Taking pity, he makes her a cup of tea, which triggers her obsession.
Soon Martha is emailing Gadd hundreds of times a day, turning up outside his house and harassing his family and friends. Over four-and-a-half years, Gadd says he received 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, letters totalling 106 pages and 350 hours of voicemail messages.
The seven-part drama is billed by the streaming giant as a ‘true story’ – not even ‘based on’ a true story. And yet it depicts ‘Martha’ as pleading guilty and being jailed for nine months, which she says never happened.
Ms Harvey, who lives in central London, insists it is complete fantasy to suggest she has a criminal conviction and therefore paints a ‘dishonest and false picture of me’.
She has accused Netflix of ‘spreading brutal lies’ including that she is a ‘twice convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison’ – as the show suggests.
Her attorneys are arguing that it was defamatory to Harvey to depict Martha character as a convicted felon.
