'She was Mary Poppins'- Irish families to feature in chilling new true story 'Bad Nanny'

Bad Nanny is a chilling new true story documentary that tells the story of a serial con-artist Samantha Cookes.

The RTE One documentary dives into the gripping story of Samantha who manipulated and scammed families and online communities across Ireland and the UK for over ten years.

The two-part documentary will feature exclusive interviews with Irish families who are victims of Samantha’s scams and have never spoken publicly before.

The film will also include unseen archive footage of Samantha herself.

Episode one of Bad Nanny introduces the audience to one of Samantha Cookes' most brazen personas - Carrie Jade Williams, a supposedly terminally ill, award-winning author.

From this shocking disguise, the documentary traces back through the years to uncover how Samantha’s cons became increasingly audacious, building up to her role as a “nanny” who was hiding a troubling secret.

The documentary is debuting on Monday May 12 at 9.35pm on RTE One and RTE Player. 

The documentary shows how Samantha gained the trust of families, only to betray them in devastating ways.

In the trailer of the show on Youtube, one person described Samantha as being like "Mary Poppins" as she herself was deceived by her lies and manipulation. 

In the second part of the series, airing on Monday 19th May at 9.35pm on RTÉ One, the spotlight turns to the vulnerable families left emotionally shattered by Samantha's deceit.

A jaw-dropping two-part documentary that unravels the astonishing true story of Samantha Cookes – serial scammer, master manipulator, and at one point, a trusted nanny.#BadNanny | Starts Monday at 9.35pm pic.twitter.com/wt1YiSSs4m

— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) May 9, 2025

Head of Documentaries and Series at RTÉ, Gráinne McAleer said: “The shocking story of Samantha Cookes and her long list of scams and aliases is an intriguing story that needs to be told on screen. The two-part documentary series lays out this timeline of deceit brilliantly and captures the collective power of ordinary people".

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"From the Tik Tok sleuths to the victims of Samantha’s scams that came together to expose her story, Bad Nanny is a story of the power of ordinary people working together. It is also cautionary tale for anyone hiring someone to look after their nearest and dearest," she added.

Bad Nanny is co-production between RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland produced by Alleycats TV. It will be available on RTÉ Player and BBC iPlayer from Monday 12 May.