Netflix's Con Mum: Is Dionne really Graham's mother and where is she now?

If you're a fan of true crime, it's likely you'll be tuning into Netflix's latest offering - Con Mum. The single-episode documentary delves into the untold story of chef Graham Hornigold, who was initially delighted to hear from the woman claiming to be his birth mother. He hadn't seen or heard from her since his birth 45 years previously.

However, what unfolded was something very bizarre and tragic. The woman, named Dionne, spun a web of lies and ended up swindling Graham out large sums of money. For those who were gripped by the likes of Sweet Bobby and 900 Days Without Anabel, Con Mum should be on your watch list.

Was Dionne really Graham Hornigold's mum?

Yes, it's revealed in the documentary that a DNA test showed Dionne to be Graham's biological mother with 99.9 percent certainty. She had also been able to answer very personal questions about her son that only his birth mother would've known.

Graham was born on a British Army base in Germany in 1974. Shortly after, he was taken to the UK by his father and had no contact with Dionne, his birth mother.

He went on to become a successful chef, working in some of London's top restaurants and winning awards for his work - some viewers might recognise his from appearances on shows such as Masterchef: The Professionals and his role as a Juinior Bake Off judge.

By 2020, Graham had started his own doughnut business, Longboys, and his partner Heather Kaniuk was expecting their first child. In July of that year, Graham received contact from a woman claiming to be his birth mother.

Over Zoom, Graham asked the woman, Dionne, questions only his biological mother would know. When she answered the personal questions correctly Graham and Heather travelled to meet her, and they hit it off straight away.

In the hotel where Graham met his mother for the first time, she offered him Champagne, and appeared to be incredibly wealthy. Telling her son she was the illegitimate daughter of the Sultan of Brunei by way of explanation, Graham was yearning for a mother figure and didn't question her story.

Dionne also claimed to have terminal brain and bone marrow cancer, telling her son she only had six months left and wanted to enter into discussions over leaving him her fortune after she'd passed away.

Shortly after the birth of Graham's son, Dionne moved into his home. Not long after that, she asked him to accompany her to Zurich where she wanted to get her affairs in order before she passed away.

What Graham assumed would be a short trip turned into a nightmare when Dionne made him feel guilty every time he tried to return to the UK - the trip ended up going on for months, with Dionne asserting it was taking so much time due to issues with her bank details.

Graham spent so much time in Zurich, that he missed the first few months of his own son's life. While Dionne continued to weave stories about being unable to access her fortune, she asked Graham to lend her money while she waited for the issue to be sorted - promising he'd get the money back when her millions became his upon her death.

Still not questioning his mother, Graham found himself £300,000 in debt funding her lifestyle. His friends and family were suspicious at this point, questioning whether Dionne really was Graham's biological mother at all.

Eventually, he gave in to their concerns and searched her hotel room. There, he found medications for ailments such as high cholesterol, and not the chemotherapy tablets she claimed to be taking. He also uncovered red food dye he suggests she used to pretend she had blood in her urine.

Then finding out his mother was a serial scammer leaving a trail of other victims behind, Dionne disappeared and left Graham with nothing but debt.

Where is Dionne now?

Unsurprisingly, Dionne has kept a low profile and her current whereabouts are unknown. The last time Graham heard from his mother was a FaceTime call to say she was in Malaysia.

According to Radio Times, during this call she told Graham she loved him and was sorry, finishing by telling him she was unable to change. She declined to comment on her actions, and per the documentary has "never faced criminal charges for the allegations made in this documentary".

As for Graham, his life has been left devastated by the events. Not only was he left with large amounts of debt, but he also split up with Heather who took their son to live with family in New Zealand.