Is Breathtaking's Abbey Henderson a real person? The real story and book behind ITV's new Covid drama

Breathtaking is a new three-part drama that debuted on ITV this week, here's what the gripping story is based on...

A new three-part drama following NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, began on Monday 19th February at 9pm, on ITV1. The series follows acute medicine consultant, Dr Abbey Henderson (played by Joanne Froggatt) and the tough decisions she and her colleagues were forced to make as the first wave of Covid-19 patients began entering UK hospitals and rapidly infecting other patients and NHS staff.

What is Breathtaking based on?

The new ITV drama is based on a book of the same name by an NHS consultant who worked in hospitals during the pandemic. The book by Rachel Clarke recounts several stories about patients and the struggles faced by the NHS as they were unprepared and not given the right level of PPE to protect themselves from those who could infect them.

The book was adapted for TV by Jed Mercutio (writer of Line of Duty, Bodyguard, and Trigger Point) and Prasanna Puwanarajah, both of whom are former hospital doctors.

Is Abbey Henderson a real person?

No. While the TV series is based on the real stories told in this book, the ITV series has created a fictional hospital and doctors and NHS staff to tell these stories. This means that Abbey Henderson is not a real person, but her story was likely reflective of Dr Rachel Clarke's experiences as a palliative care doctor. 

Speaking about wanting to keep the show as true to life as possible, Joanne Froggatt - who plays Abbey - told ITV News, "The ethos behind the drama is to make it the most realistic portrayal that we possibly could."

"It's not just a re-telling of Covid, this is the inside story of what was really happening behind the closed doors of the hospitals - the story we as the public were fortunate enough not to have dealings with," she said.

"I realise for a lot of people it will be incredibly triggering to watch depending on their experiences during the pandemic," said Joanna, speaking about the importance of the show, "but I would urge people if they're able to, to please not look away because this story is a story we should all be aware of."

Breathtaking by Rachel Clarke, Amazon | £11.98

A book by Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor who cared for patients suffering from Covid-19. The book, published in September 2021 recalled the trauma, loss and tragedy endured by the doctors and patients. 

View Deal

The author of the novel Breathtaking, Rachel Clarke, spoke about 'gratitude' towards ITV for allowing this story to be told.

"There is so much misinformation and rewriting of history around what really happened inside our hospitals during the pandemic," she said.

"The truth is, NHS staff gave everything they had in impossible conditions that sometimes cost them their lives."

"It is an honour to try and depict the courage and decency of my NHS colleagues on screen, and I’m so grateful to ITV and HTM Television for giving me the chance to show the public the truth."

When is Breathtaking on?

Breathtaking is set to take place on Monday, February 18th at 9pm. The series will be released on three consecutive nights, taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, concluding the three-part drama on Wednesday night. All three episodes are also available to view right now on ITVX.