Delia Balmer on dramatizing real-life trauma for Until I Kill You

The drama charts her emotional journey through the police and criminal justice systems as they try to prosecute Sweeney for his crimes and the impact of her time with him.

But speaking about her feelings towards the new series, Balmer admits she still has a sense of anger about the whole ordeal. Speaking to ITV ahead of the series, Balmer was asked if she felt any hesitation about having this time in her life dramatized.

She explained: ‘When I wrote my original story I included every detail of what happened. When it came to the final attack on the Threshold, I edited it over and over again so that everything would read exactly as it happened.

“My concern has always been to expose the truth in any way possible. I remain an angry person. Sweeney was released on bail. The police did not provide me with sufficient protection before his final attack. I was later forced to go to the to go to court to be prosecuted.” further traumatized by the system.”

On how she felt about her story being made into a TV drama, Balmer said: “I wrote my own original story because I wanted the facts about what really happened to be known. Often the media had not accurately presented them , and many issues that were important to me were not mentioned. The printed book was edited and much of what I had written was also omitted.

“I met Nick Stevensthe writer of the drama, in my literary agent’s office. He included some of the events I had written about that were not in the book. I gave him detailed critiques of the drafts he had written.

“He followed my wishes and made certain changes where possible, and as I suggested. Nick is very nice and says in his own words that he is trying to help me. The ITV team also treated me favorably. I had the opportunity from visiting the set in Wales. It was interesting to see the filming of some of the drama.

The official synopsis for the series reads: “In 1991, Delia lives an itinerant and lonely life in London, working as a nurse in an employment agency. When she meets fellow free spirit John Sweeney in a local pub, it seems like the connection she’s looking for was looking for.

“As the relationship develops, Sweeney’s artistic, anti-establishment personality gives way to a dark side, culminating in a series of violent attacks on Delia, in which he tells her that he murdered his ex-girlfriend and left her body in an Amsterdam canal dumped.

Sweeney is arrested, but due to a catastrophic failure by the court to realize how dangerous he is, he is granted bail. He immediately pursues Delia and subjects her to a gruesome, near-fatal attack. She survives, but Sweeney evades capture and disappears. “

It continues: ‘Shattered by the trauma and injuries inflicted by Sweeney, Delia courageously tries to rebuild her life. But Sweeney returns seven years later and is arrested for the murder of another friend in North London.

‘Delia’s fragile recovery is disrupted again when she has to face Sweeney in open court, and her testimony is crucial to the charges against him.

“This is the story of one woman’s astonishing will to survive through physical and emotional torment, despite the failure of the institutions meant to protect her.”

Until I Kill You airs on ITV1 and ITVX from Sunday 3 November to Wednesday 6 November at 9pm on ITV1.

See more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV guide And Streaming guide to find out what’s going on. For more on TV’s biggest stars, listen to The Radio Times podcast.