Who's in ITV drama Joan, about the woman who called herself Britain's most notorious jewel thief? - Sophie Turner plays the real-life Joan Hannington in the 1980s-set drama, who used her criminal skil

Who was the real Joan Hannington? Joan Hannington is a former jewel thief known as “The Godmother”, who was once one of the most notorious figures in London’s criminal under

Joan: the real story behind the ITV drama about the glamorous diamond thief - Sophie Turner stars in the new series that tells the extraordinary story of Joan Hannington, the mother turned notorious jewellery thief who made millions swallowing diamonds.

AFTER impulsively swallowing diamonds in a bid to steal them, Joan Hannington got a taste for the expensive gems. The famous jewel thief’s story is now being told in new ITV drama Joan,

With input from her family (son Chris Wilding and granddaughter Naomi Wilding) along with Hollywood habitués Joan Collins, George Hamilton and Sharon Stone, the opening episode starts with National Velvet and Taylor’s career as a child star,

Joan is the protagonist of the show. A deeply scarred woman in her twenties, she flees an abusive relationship with her daughter Kelly and starts a new life in London. While there, she discovers that she has a knack for stealing diamonds – and soon becomes one of the UK’s most notorious diamond thieves.