The Lady true story: How Sarah Ferguson’s dresser Jane Andrews became a killer

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ITV is revisiting a disturbing true crime that captured public attention around the year 2000. The case involves the murder conviction of a former employee of Sarah Ferguson.

The Lady tells the true story of Jane Andrews (Mia McKenna-Bruce), who rose from a humble background in Grimsby to work as a personal dresser for the Duchess of York (Natalie Dormer) at Buckingham Palace.

I always admired how Sarah and Andrew managed to stay friends even through his divorce. It was so sad to see their closeness fade, though. I especially felt for Andrew – it seemed like losing that friendship also meant losing his connection to the royal family, and that must have been incredibly difficult.

A few years later, the police reached out to Ferguson, asking about a friend she used to be close to. Her friend’s boyfriend had been found dead at his home in west London.

This is the true story that inspired ITV drama The Lady.

The Lady true story: How Sarah Ferguson’s dresser Jane Andrews became a killer

As a total drama junkie, I just finished watching “The Lady” on ITV, and it’s a really compelling story. It follows Jane Andrews, who had an incredible journey – she went from a pretty ordinary background to becoming Sarah Ferguson’s personal dresser, which is a huge deal! But things sadly took a really dark and unexpected turn later in her life. It’s a fascinating, if tragic, watch.

Born in April 1967, Andrews grew up in a working-class family. She spent her early childhood in Cleethorpes before her family moved to Grimsby because of money problems.

She did well in school when she was younger, but her grades started to fall during her teenage years because she began struggling with serious mental health problems. At just 15 years old, she attempted suicide.

After recovering from the experience, Andrews discovered her love for fashion while studying at Grimsby College. This led to a job as a sales assistant at a nearby Marks & Spencer.

By the time she turned 21, she was eager for a change. She found an ad in The Lady – a now-defunct women’s magazine – for someone to help with wardrobe and personal styling for a private client. The ad didn’t reveal who the client was.

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It turned out the person was Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York at the time. Andrews got the job that summer in 1988, and it completely changed her life.

When Ferguson was hired, she was still married to Prince Andrew, but their marriage didn’t last long after that.

During a difficult time, Andrews’ role became even more crucial, as she provided important emotional support to Ferguson. He valued her so much that he kept her on staff when others were laid off.

I learned that Wallis Simpson, like so many others, went through a tough divorce. She was married to a man named Christopher Dunn-Butler for about five years, and it was really interesting to see that part of her life portrayed in ‘The Lady’ – Mark Stanley did a great job playing him, I thought.

After that, Andrews had a relationship with wealthy businessman Dimitri Horne, but it ended poorly. She later confessed to breaking into his home and causing damage.

I was furious, so I took down all of our pictures,” she explained to The Guardian. “I also broke a cup and saucer that was really important to him – it was on the living room mantelpiece.

I reacted badly after reading his journal. I angrily blacked out every mention of me in it, and then I broke his telephone. I regret my actions and I’ve never intentionally damaged someone else’s things before.

A character similar to Horne is played by Sean Teale (The Gold) in The Lady.

Andrews lost her job in November 1997, a decision framed as a cost-cutting measure, but she was completely unprepared for it. She felt deeply hurt and betrayed, and it led to a period of depression.

She later took a job at a jewelry store in Knightsbridge, where she met and started dating a businessman named Thomas Cressman (played by Ed Speleers).

Their love story took a tragic turn when, about two years after first meeting, Andrews attacked and killed Cressman while he was sleeping, using a cricket bat and a knife.

He’d called the police earlier that night, worried that a heated argument with Andrews would turn violent. He’d asked them to come to the house, but they never did.

Everyone agrees Andrews killed Cressman, but why he did it is still being discussed.

Prosecutors said Andrews attacked her boyfriend because she was upset he wouldn’t propose, and people close to the victim said she had a history of being controlling and possessive.

Andrews defended herself by accusing Cressman of abuse, stating he had intentionally broken her wrist while they were dancing.

She claimed he physically assaulted her with a wooden brush and also subjected her to sexual abuse, according to reports in The Guardian.

She said he used to play these little games with my head, and one of his favorites was just refusing to share his ideas with me. It felt like he was deliberately keeping me in the dark, and it really messed with my emotions.

I stayed with Tom for so long, despite everything, because after every instance of violence or abuse, he would always apologize and promise to be different. I shared this with a newspaper after I was convicted, in a long interview where I finally explained what happened.

Cressman’s family disputed the accusations that he had mistreated Andrews. They highlighted positive statements from former partners and noted that there was no physical or firsthand evidence to back up the claims against him.

Following the trial, Thomas’s father, Harry, stated that Andrews attempted to damage his good name. Meanwhile, a former partner, Christina Spanier, described the experience as feeling like reliving a painful event (according to BBC News).

Spanier emphasized that the individual was never violent or threatening. He also expressed sadness and frustration, stating it’s unjust that he died without the chance to speak for himself.

Because of how long ago these events happened, it’s impossible to know exactly what occurred privately, but Thomas’s brother, Rick Cressman, still strongly believes his version of events after twenty years.

In a 2021 interview on This Morning, he repeated his belief that Thomas’s reputation was unfairly damaged to try and excuse a murder.

Right after the murder, Andrews ran from the area and was missing for several days. During this time, police asked Ferguson and others for help finding her.

Eventually, she was found in a car in Cornwall, having taken an overdose, which she recovered from.

The media heavily reported on Andrews’s trial at the Old Bailey, mainly because of her ties to the Royal Family. Rick believes this connection is the main reason the case remains unresolved.

Andrews has been out of prison since 2019.

The Lady premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 22 February 2026.

Don’t miss ‘The Lady’! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV dramas and comedies for TopMob, focusing on the best new shows across television and streaming platforms. Before joining TopMob, he worked at Starburst Magazine and hosted The Winter King Podcast for ITVX. He’s a journalism graduate from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-02-22 11:43