A Cruel Love' Tells Story of Ruth Ellis, the Last Woman Executed in the UK

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It - "A Cruel Love' Tells Story of Ruth Ellis, the Last Woman Executed in the UK"

Introduction

In the February 12, 2025 release of WNYC's All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into the compelling and tragic story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom. The episode centers around the new four-part BritBox series, A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, featuring insights from actress Lucy Boynton, who portrays Ruth Ellis, and writer Kelly Jones, who crafted the series' narrative. This episode explores the intricate layers of Ruth Ellis's life, her tumultuous relationship, societal biases, and the case's profound impact on the British legal system.

Background on Ruth Ellis

Ruth Ellis was a nightclub hostess and manager who gained notoriety after murdering her lover, David Blakely, a wealthy race car driver. Ellis's trial in 1955 was brief, lasting only two weeks, with an all-male jury deliberating for a mere 14 minutes before convicting her of premeditated murder—a capital offense at the time. Her case became a media frenzy, highlighting issues of murder, sexuality, nightlife, and stark class divisions. Ultimately, Ruth Ellis was hanged on July 13, 1955, marking her as the last woman executed in the UK and a pivotal figure in the movement towards abolishing the death penalty.

Insights from Lucy Boynton and Kelly Jones

Introduction to the Series

Alison Stewart introduces Lucy Boynton and Kelly Jones, the star and writer of A Cruel Love, respectively. Lucy reflects on her initial unfamiliarity with Ruth Ellis, stating, “[...] I possibly knew her name and I mean everyone who I brought this up to that was older than me, was more than familiar and immediately had a very emotional response. But I myself had never been informed about her” (01:47).

Relevance and Representation

Lucy expresses surprise and disappointment at the lack of widespread knowledge about Ruth Ellis, attributing it to the neglect of women's stories: “[...] not a huge surprise when women's stories are neglected” (01:47). She emphasizes the importance of portraying Ruth's story to shed light on misogyny and class divides in post-war London.

Kelly Jones discusses her motivation for creating the series, highlighting the need to explore beyond previous portrayals, such as the film Dance with a Stranger. She notes, “The story of Ruth meeting David is really fascinating. That's why we kind of wanted to really show these two timelines and kind of cut them against each other” (02:49). Kelly aims to present a balanced narrative that delves into the legal struggles Ellis faced, aspects previously untouched in media portrayals.

Character Analysis: Ruth Ellis and David Blakely

Ruth Ellis's Transformation

Lucy describes Ruth as a determined and ambitious woman from an impoverished background who moves to London at 14 with aspirations to forge her own path. She evolves into a complex character, revealing a “brittle exterior” used to protect herself and hide her vulnerabilities: “[...] it becomes much more complex and much more masked by this sort of brittle exterior which she develops to protect herself” (05:42).

David Blakely's Complexity

Kelly provides a nuanced portrayal of David Blakely, describing him as a “25-year-old racing driver from a wealthy family” seeking meaning in his seemingly empty life: “[...] he was looking for something and he meets Ruth. And it's really a fateful moment for both of them” (05:42). Lucy highlights Laurie Davidson’s portrayal of David, showcasing both his charm and his dark, abusive side: “Laurie Davidson does such a beautiful job. He plays David Blakely in the show of showing all sides of him” (05:45).

Exploring Abuse and Victimhood

The series delves into the abusive nature of Ruth's relationship with David, which was downplayed during her trial. Kelly explains that during the 1950s, the defense was constrained from fully presenting the extent of abuse Ruth endured: “[...] Rhe defense solicitor wanted to use that defence and was overruled by the barrister” (13:56). This omission contributed to Ruth being scapegoated by the establishment.

Legal and Societal Implications

Imbalanced Trial and Media Sensation

Lucy discusses the trial's imbalance, where Ruth's abusive relationship was inadequately addressed: “[...] her trial was incredibly imbalanced” (03:48). The media's sensational portrayal intertwined elements of murder, class, and gender, influencing public perception and judicial outcomes.

Impact on the Legal System

Kelly emphasizes the case's significant role in altering the British legal landscape. Ruth Ellis's execution spurred public outcry, leading to the introduction of diminished responsibility as a legal defense and eventually contributing to the abolition of the death penalty in the mid-1960s: “[...] her case really changed our legal landscape forever” (17:06).

Acting and Writing Perspectives

Lucy Boynton's Portrayal of Ruth Ellis

Lucy shares the emotional challenges of embodying Ruth Ellis, especially given the character's complexity and the historical context: “[...] I was 29 when we filmed this. She was 28 when she was killed. It was so hard not to empathize with her so much” (12:23). She discusses the difficulty of separating herself from Ruth’s trauma and the importance of portraying her strength and vulnerability authentically.

Kelly Jones on Writing Ruth's Character

Kelly describes Ruth as “her own worst enemy,” highlighting her stubbornness and refusal to accept help despite her abusive circumstances: “[...] she does not want to be pitied by anyone. She refuses sympathy” (09:19). She underscores the intricacies of writing a character who is both a victim and a perpetrator, striving to present Ruth as a fully human figure rather than a one-dimensional antagonist.

Emotional and Psychological Impact

Depicting Abuse and Resilience

Lucy discusses the emotional toll of portraying Ruth, especially scenes depicting domestic violence and psychological abuse: “[...] recreating these scenes of domestic violence and psychological abuse [...] is still such a contemporary issue” (23:51). She credits the production's support system, including an intimacy coordinator, for helping her navigate these intense emotions.

Ruth’s Final Moments and Rejection of Mercy

A poignant scene from the series illustrates Ruth's rejection of public sympathy and her resolve to accept her fate:

• Lucy Boynton as Ruth Ellis: “I don't care what they write. I want my sentence to take its course. You will not go to the home office. I will not die with this world thinking I am some beaten little fool.” (18:53)
• Kelly Jones as Ruth's Counsel: “You've seen what they've written about you.” (18:59)
• Ruth Ellis: “An eye for an eye.” (19:24)

Lucy explains Ruth's refusal to seek mercy as a way to maintain control and take full responsibility for her actions, despite the underlying trauma: “[...] she was trying to protect someone else and so was taking full responsibility” (19:32).

Historical Significance and Legacy

Catalyst for Legal Reform

Kelly highlights that Ruth Ellis's execution was a catalyst for change, leading to the abolition of the death penalty and the recognition of diminished responsibility in legal defenses: “[...] introduced just after Ruth's death as a result of what happened to her” (13:56). The swift execution after conviction, within 22 days, underscored the harshness of the legal system at the time.

Lasting Impact on Society and Media

The episode concludes by underscoring Ruth Ellis's enduring legacy in challenging societal norms and legal practices. Her story serves as a reminder of the pervasive impact of gender and class biases and the importance of revisiting historical narratives to understand and address contemporary issues.

Conclusion

A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story brings to life the nuanced and heartbreaking tale of Ruth Ellis, offering a balanced portrayal that challenges viewers to reconsider preconceived notions of victimhood and culpability. Through the insightful discussions with Lucy Boynton and Kelly Jones, the All Of It episode masterfully captures the essence of Ruth's story and its significant ramifications on British culture and law.

Notable Quotes

• Lucy Boynton on Initial Awareness: “[...] I possibly knew her name and I mean everyone who I brought this up to that was older than me, was more than familiar and immediately had a very emotional response.” (01:47)

• Kelly Jones on Writing David Blakely: “He's someone who does terrible things, but is also very human in this piece.” (08:11)

• Ruth Ellis's Defiance: “I will not die with this world thinking I am some beaten little fool.” (18:59)

• Kelly Jones on Ruth’s Self-Sabotage: “She’s her own worst enemy.” (21:34)

• Ruth Ellis on Justice: “An eye for an eye.” (19:24)

Timestamp Reference

For clarity, notable quotes are referenced with their corresponding timestamps from the transcript provided.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the Name youe Price Tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match Limited by state law not available in all states Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

This is all of it on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. For more than 60 years, the UK has been captivated by the case of Ruth Ellis, a nightclub hostess and manager who murdered her lover. He was a posh race car driver, David Blakey, and he abused her for years. The trial lasted only two weeks and the all male jury deliberated only 14 minutes before finding her guilty of premeditated murder, a capital offense. Her case was a media sensation. It had everything murder, sex, nightlife, class divides. It became a touchstone for England's approach to the punishment and led the way for the abolition of the death penalty. She was hanged on July 13, 1955 and became the last woman ever to be given the death penalty. A cruel the Ruth Ellis Story is a new four part series on BritBox that tells the story of Ruth and how her case exposed gender and class stereotypes, views on motherhood and domestic abuse as a mitigating factor. It stars Lucy Boynton as Ruth, who joins us now. Hi Lucy.

[Lucy Boynton]

Hi.

[Alison Stewart]

And Kelly Jones is the writer. Hi Kelly.

[Kelly Jones]

Hello.

[Alison Stewart]

And premieres February 17th on BritBox. Lucy, how much did you know about Ruth Ellis before getting involved?

[Lucy Boynton]

To my shame, I knew nothing. I possibly knew her name and I mean everyone who I brought this up to that was older than me, was more than familiar and immediately had a very emotional response. But I myself had never been informed about her, had never read about her, which I recognize immediately as a kind of a tremendous loss but not a huge surprise when women's stories are neglected.

[Alison Stewart]

When they told you about these elders, what did you think?

[Lucy Boynton]

I couldn't believe that I didn't know about it. I mean, she changed our judicial judicial system in the uk, but it also was such an example of the context of that time of post war London and of the kind of the misogyny that was so rife, the kind of political landscape that was so informed by that gender and class divide. So yeah, I was kind of surprised and not surprised that I didn't know about her.

[Alison Stewart]

Kelly, there've been documentaries done on Ruth before, maybe some feature films. What did you want to do differently?

[Kelly Jones]

Well, there was a very great and very famous movie made about this Case Dance with a Stranger. But the thing about that movie, firstly, it was made more than 40 years ago and it stops at the moment that Ruth shoots her lover, David Blakely. And for me, the really interesting part of the story is everything that comes after that. I mean, the story of Ruth meeting David is really fascinating. That's why we kind of wanted to really show these two timelines and kind of cut them against each other so you understand how the two parts of the story so inform each other. But the whole legal fight that she went through, which was an absolute travesty even by the standards of 1955, it's never been on screen before. And it just seemed so incredible to me that that hadn't been, hadn't been done because it's kind of disturbingly, I think, relevant for us now, even though it's 70 years ago.

[Alison Stewart]

Lucy, we gave sort of the elevator pitch of what it's about. But can you tell our audience what Ruth was accused of on easter Sunday in 1955?

[Lucy Boynton]

So on Easter Sunday in 1955, Ruth shot David Blakely outside the Magdala Pub in Hampstead and killed him. And so she was tried for murder. But they didn't see it as appropriate during the trial to bring up the extent of David Blakely's abuse because he was of the upper class, the upper social echelon. So her trial was incredibly imbalanced. And so she was, I think, used as a kind of political pawn to kind of make a point of what how a woman should not conduct herself. And even at the time, I mean, we acknowledge now that she shouldn't have been hanged for this. And we two years later, diminished responsibility due to provocation was recognized legally. But even at the time there was mass outcries. So many people were writing passionate letters to their MP mps stating that this was barbaric, that she shouldn't be punished in this way.

[Alison Stewart]

I want you to give us a picture of who is David Blakely.

[Kelly Jones]

David Blakely is a 25 year old racing driver from a wealthy family, a very wealthy family, kind of drifting around London in the early 1950s, trying to make a name for himself as a race car driver. And especially drifting around these kind of nightclub haunts that became popular in the 50s, kind of post, post war London, this very Brit glamour that people were drawn into in what was otherwise a very gray and desolate place. Kind of London post the blitz. And David Blakely is kind of drifting around looking for something in his somewhat sort of vacuous, empty life really. He always is racing Driving. But he's looking for something and he meets Ruth. And it's really a fateful moment for both of them. And, yeah, everything starts when he meets her in the Little Club in 1953.

[Alison Stewart]

Why is Ruth attracted to David Blakely?

[Lucy Boynton]

This is a great question. I think for both of them, they kind of signify something very novel. I think for him, she was a novelty. She was kind of the antithesis of everything that everyone in his life expected him to end up with or be drawn to. And for her, I think the huge part of it is that he was a part of society that was a closed door to her, and she really wanted to elevate herself out of the economic circumstances she was born into. And so, you know, tried to change her voice, change her appearance and everything to be let in and wasn't. And so his acceptance, I think, was significant. But also, I think Laurie Davidson does such a beautiful job. He plays David Blakely in the show of showing all sides of him, the light and the dark, so that you can. The audience can really understand the magnetism that she feels towards him because he can be so charming. And so it is even more horrifying and cutting when you see the dark side of him.

[Alison Stewart]

Was it hard to write David Blakely?

[Kelly Jones]

Do you know what? It wasn't. I actually feel an immense amount of sympathy, in a strange kind of way, for David. And it was really important to me that he was. He's not really the villain of the piece. He does terrible things to Ruth, which are inexcusable, the violence that he uses towards her. But there's a part of him which I felt that my role as a writer was really to observe his behavior and try and portray it truthfully rather than kind of judge him by our standards. It's hard because he is. Laurie plays him with such tremendous, I think, sympathy and humanity that you can't help to be charmed by him. He's a lost little boy in so many ways. And so I never, ever would want to excuse what he does to Ruth, which is incredibly violent and brutal at times. But, you know, he's not just the villain of the piece. He's a complex, very troubled, but also incredibly kind of charming person who. He's not a sociopath and he's not a monster. He's someone who does terrible things, but is also very human in this piece. So it was a tricky one to write, but Laurie played him with such kind of humanity, I guess.

[Lucy Boynton]

I don't know. I find that to be the more kind of disturbing Part of it that he isn't a sociopath, he isn't a psychopath, and yet he is capable of the most abhorrent things to this, who is 5 foot 2 and 90 pounds. So I just kind of.

[Kelly Jones]

Exactly. It's so hard to understand why he behaves as he does to Ruth, because by all accounts, he was kind to people in his life. He had good friends, he was kind to Ruth's children. And then you see this repeated violence, which was very well documented at the time, medical records and in other places, friends saw him plenty of times being violent to her. And it's an incredibly hard thing to reconcile. But I think it's my job as a writer to try and show a whole human being, you know, rather than just a monster who's, you know, it's a hard job. It's a hard job.

[Lucy Boynton]

I also do think that is such a. That's what I loved about the script, that it's so well balanced that it shows you that it's not just these villains that are capable of such monstrosity. It is also your very kind seeming neighbor or the person. I mean, no one else in Blakely's life could believe that. I mean, they could. Many could because of his temper, but so many would have been completely ignorant to his capabilities. And so you do hear that rhetoric quite a lot of. Surely not this person. I think this show does such a brilliant, balanced job of showing that it could be anyone.

[Alison Stewart]

You see Ruth kind of undergo a transformation in the series. Could you tell us a little bit about how her personality is before David Blakely?

[Kelly Jones]

Well, she's very determined, very ambitious. She can be very charming when she wants to be. I'm talking about the real Ruth as well as Lucy's amazing portrayal of her. She is absolutely determined to make something of herself. She comes from a very difficult, quite impoverished background. She moves To London aged 14, determined to work, determined to pay her own way and really make something of herself in this kind of just post war London. So I think that determination is really what drew me to the character because she's just so ballsy, you know, she's so determined to kind of get her place in this world. And it's sort of her downfall because I wouldn't call her a social climber at all, because it's not that she's interested in sort of making her way in society for the sake of appearances, for the sake of marrying some rich guy and becoming, you know, kind of a member of that class. But she wants to prove herself and she wants to be somebody on her own terms. And so when we meet her, she's full of this ambition and it's sort of, I wouldn't say it's stripped away from her, but it becomes much more complex and much more masked by this sort of brittle exterior which she develops to protect herself and also to hide from the world what's really happening for her and to repel any sympathy. I think that's her defining characteristic. She does not want to be pitied by anyone. She refuses sympathy. She refuses a victim status. I would say she doesn't want to be a victim. And so she's. There's a kind of prickliness that develops, I think.

[Alison Stewart]

Where did you go as an actor to find that. Oh, my gosh, where did you go to find that sort of that confidence that I'm not a victim?

[Lucy Boynton]

Honestly, this, it was such a departure from everything as an external person, you know, seeing this from a contemporary lens and a contemporary young person. I was 29 when we filmed this. She was 28 when she was killed. It was so hard not to empathize with her so much and kind of understand the context of her victimhood that she didn't know how much she did not deserve everything that she was on the receiving end of. And so when she is that kind of brittle and when she is denying help because she thinks she wants, I mean, she takes full accountability of what she did and she thinks she should be punished for it. It's excruciating to sit there as a modern woman and sit through those trial scenes as a modern woman and hearing the extent of misogyny and miscarriage of justice. So it was a real exercise as an actor as kind of departing from yourself, your own instincts and as Kelly said, your contemporary lens and really just identify it through the prism of 1955 and everything that therefore shaped her.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm speaking with actor Lucy Boynton and writer Kelly Jones for the upcoming BritBox series a crue the Ruth Ellis Story. It's premiering on February 17th. We'll have more after a quick break. This is all of.

[Ira Flatow]

This is Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know we're driven by a mission to inform and serve listeners first and foremost with important news they won't get anywhere else. And Our sponsors benefit from that halo effect. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. I am speaking with actor Lucy Boynton and writer Kelly Jones for the upcoming Britbox series A Cruel the Ruth Ellis story. It's premiering February 17th. She was hanged on July 13th, 1955. She became the last woman ever given the death penalty in the uk. Kelly, there was no doubt that she pulled the trigger. We learned that her lover had been incredibly abusive to her in their relationship. Why wasn't this considered a trial?

[Kelly Jones]

Well, there's so many really disturbing reasons for that. I mean, first of all there were this. I mean Lizzie's already talked about. There was a squeamishness for sure from her own defence barrister, I'm sad to say, who was visibly embarrassed at having to talk about a miscarriage and all the rest of it in court, moved on as quickly as he could, really didn't want to go there. The jury, as a result, it was kind of glossed over. So that side of things, the abuse that she'd suffered, I mean it certainly wasn't an accepted defense at the time. This idea of a sort of slow burn provocation leading to what we would now call diminished responsibility. It wasn't a legal, it didn't exist legally at the time. It was introduced just after Ruth's death as a result of what happened to her. So but there certainly was an argument that could have been made more powerfully that could easily have affected the jury had it been tried. Her defence solicitor wanted to use that defence and was overruled by the barrister. And then the sort of second half of it, which was fascinating to me because it's certainly not well known even in the uk, it's hardly known at all and in fact lots of the research has only just been done by Carol Ann Lee who wrote the fantastic book A Fine Day for a Hanging that this is based on. She did lots of research into what had really gone on. The sort of machinations of the British establishment had protected certain individuals, I mean, you'll see, it's in the show, but had protected certain individuals who I certainly think should have stood trial next to Ruth for murder and for conspiracy to murder. It was. There was a sort of, I would say, partly conscious, partly unconscious cover up by the establishment to protect certain people and to pin it all on Ruth who as far as they were concerned, deserved everything that she had coming to her. She was the kind of girl who you know, was. Was bound for not a good end. And that is exactly what they gave her.

[Alison Stewart]

Ruth confesses. She plays down her abuse. She doesn't. She does protect the person who gave her the gun. Why did she do this?

[Lucy Boynton]

So complex. I think. I think it's. She had lived so much life. She had. She'd been put through so much at this point that I don't know that she had in complete context for the extent that she had been put through and was subjected to. So I don't know that she, you know, and through all of that, she was incredibly hardened by it. And through all of that, had this kind of mantra that she could handle anything and handle it on her own. So I think there was a resistance to opening herself up to hope and asking for help. To pull that thread is too painful, and it makes yourself vulnerable to an establishment that you're very familiar with that has. That sees you based on your gender and your class and has consistently let her down. So I think she felt that she was familiar enough with society as it was and knew how this was going to play out. Anyway.

[Alison Stewart]

It suggested in the show, Kelly, that Ruth may have been an escort, a sex worker in some ways. Do we know if that's true?

[Kelly Jones]

Yeah, it was. She certainly had worked informally, kind of entertaining, basically, sex work for clients at the club that she'd. Various clubs that she'd worked at. She was a hostess mainly, so she was working in the club, managing the club. But this was a sort of informal part of her job occasionally. And it was absolutely. I mean, that was absolutely held against her in every possible way, kind of during the trial. Plus the fact that she'd had two boyfriends at the same time. And so, yeah, I mean, she just. She represented pretty much everything that was just wrong by the standards of the time. You know, she was unmarried, she'd been divorced, she was a working woman who'd done sex work. She had sort of, as they saw it, abandoned her two kids. Although I suggest in the show, and this is pretty much my reading of it, but it's very much supported by the fact that one of the reasons she'd protected the person who by rights, should have been standing conspiracy to murder was because he'd promised to look after her son financially, to care for him and send him to school. None of which sadly happened. So a lot of it was about her protecting her kids in her own way, because she, by no means was a perfect mother. But I think ultimately that was one of the reasons that she protected this guy, was because he'd promised to look up to her son Andre. And that never happened.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen to a clip from A Cruel Love. As the case started garnering attention in the media, many people were campaigning for her execution to be stayed. Here's a clip describing this moment and how Ruth reacts. This is from A Cruel Love.

[Lucy Boynton]

Is it true that you have all been campaigning for me? I told you, no begging, no pleading.

[Kelly Jones]

You've seen what they've written about you.

[Lucy Boynton]

I don't care what they write. I want my sentence to take its course. You will not go to the home office. I will not die with this world thinking I am some beaten little fool.

[Kelly Jones]

Well, that's it then.

[Lucy Boynton]

That is justice. An eye for an eye. As I have said from the start.

[Kelly Jones]

An eye for an eye.

[Alison Stewart]

Why did she reject the campaign, Lucy?

[Lucy Boynton]

Um, I think. I mean, part of it is, is exactly what Kelly just said, where she was trying to protect someone else and so was taking full responsibility. But I think that was also how she processed what she had done and what happened. That she took, as long as she took full responsibility for it, um, then she could, I don't know, kind of digest that. And that was the correct course of events. She was being held respons to accept that for herself. To accept there is diminished responsibility, I think, is to open up everything that comes with understanding that you have been the victim of abuse. And she wasn't going to do that. She could handle it and she was hardened to that. And yes, we can understand how heartbreaking that is.

[Alison Stewart]

Now we've discussed what a complex woman this was. Why did you want to take this part?

[Lucy Boynton]

Exactly for that reason. I mean, these scripts were so, like I said, brilliantly balanced in their portrayal of her, that it is such a humanization of someone who has been at the mercy of the media portrayal. And there was such a narrow portrayal, so decided and kind of skewed by misogyny and classism, as we've discussed and at the center of this story, I mean, the case itself is so fascinating, especially the new information that's come to light since the last time it was really explored in mainstream media and through the last film. So the case itself, the context of the 50s post war London, is such a fascinating time to explore. And then at the center of all of this is this kind of fire of a woman who is so inherently rebellious of everything that is expected of a woman at that time, that it was just every new piece of information I understood about her and researched about her, especially from Carol Ann's book was just this new brightly colored piece of a kind of increasingly wild puzzle. So it was and a privilege to get to investigate someone like that.

[Alison Stewart]

As you were writing the script.

How did you.

I don't want to say she self sabotaged, but she didn't help her own.

[Kelly Jones]

Case, so I would totally sabotage.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay, so she helps she self sabotage.

[Kelly Jones]

She's her own worst enemy. At every stage of the, at every step of the way. She's her own worst enemy. She really is. And I think that's why I found her so interesting and why I really wanted to write it is because, oh my goodness, she is the one person who could help herself really. And she doesn't because of this willful, stubborn, kind of perverse kind of determination to accept the consequences of what she's done, which is really the whole kind of story and the whole kind of journey of the character is, you know, you do get this moment finally that she realizes, well, oh my God, like maybe I should have actually, maybe I don't deserve to die. Maybe I should have let somebody help me. Without giving too much away, I mean, that's really what leads to, into this final race where she does suddenly decide, oh my goodness, I really don't, I don't want to, I don't want to die. And really that's the sort of, that's the kind of final final run in the final episode. But, but she absolutely was perversely determined not to help herself. And it makes her such an interesting character because, you know, that it's, she's so, she's such a knot of kind of contradictions and such a kind of mess of these complex, quite contradictory kind of, of notions. And, and it's just the dignity that she has as well. I mean, one of the details that I found so fascinating is that she refused any sedative drug on the morning of the execution, which, you know, I mean, oh my goodness me, I think she, if it was me, I would, you know, you think, how have to have the strength of mind to say, I want to go into this clear headed, you know, I don't, I'm not going to be kind of drugged or have my senses dulled. I'm going to face this. It just really spoke to me as an action which is just so there's a kind of dignity or a kind of bravery. And Albert Pierpoint, who's the famous British hangman who hanged so many of 20th century criminals, said that she was the bravest person he ever hanged. You know, of all of these kind of his long and storied career as a hangman. She was the bravest person. And that really struck me, that. That little detail.

[Alison Stewart]

Lucy, how did you take care of yourself during the filming of this?

[Lucy Boynton]

It took me a year to stop grinding my teeth. I'll have to get back to you on that. I. It affected me more deeply than I could have anticipated or prepared for. As I mentioned, I just. I didn't think that I had to because I. You know, so frequently with this job, you're dealing with such dark and heavy material, and I thought that I had got quite good at leaving it at work and being able to, especially doing a period piece. There is this kind of ritual of stepping into the character costume and it's always so, so different to the way you dress. It's always so struck, structured so differently. And then when you take that off and exit it, you're back in yourself and you're kind of safe, at a safe distance with this. Because it's a true story. It was so hard to let go of. And because of the. I mean, recreating these scenes of domestic violence and psychological abuse and all of that kind of tangle with Blakely, that's still such a contemporary issue. It's still such a contemporary reality. And so there was no putting it down. There was only kind of. It was only an increasing education for myself. And that was in a very safe, contained environment. So, honestly, it was credit to our intimacy coordinator, Sophie Cooch, who just kind of. Who picked up on a lot of body language I was displaying where she knew it was cue for a conversation.

[Alison Stewart]

That's a really good answer. Thank you for sharing that.

[Lucy Boynton]

Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

Why was she the last woman hanged, really?

[Kelly Jones]

Because it was such. There was such an outcry. I mean, across the world. It was a global thing. People were writing letters, there was a huge campaign. And the UK government of the day, I'm sorry to say, were absolutely determined that she would hang for various political reasons. They were determined that they would go through with it. That was one of the reasons why there was no question of reprieve. And let me just add that it was 21 days, 22 days between the day of her conviction and the day of her hanging, which if you think, you know, you think people stay on death row for months, years, 22 days, and that was it, that was done. And so very soon after that, things started to change because I think there had been such a sense of outcry and by the standards of the time, because I never want this story to play by our standards of 2025, which is so different by the standards of 1955. This was an absolute outrage to so many people. And so very quickly, things started to change. The introduction of diminished responsibility as a legal defense came in a year after Ruth died, and very soon after that, in the mid-60s, it was the abolition of capital punishment altogether. So her case really changed history. And I think that's what I found really moving is that even though it's a difficult story in lots of ways, she really did change our legal landscape forever.

[Alison Stewart]

The name of the series is A Crew the Ruth Ellis story. It's premiering February 17th on BritBox. My guests have been actor Lucy Boynton and writer Kelly Jones. Thank you for taking the time and for being here.

[Kelly Jones]

Thanks so much.

[Lucy Boynton]

Thank you so much. Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

Since WNYC's first broadcast in 1924, we've been dedicated to creating the kind of content we know the world needs. In addition to this award winning reporting, your sponsorship also supports inspiring storytelling and extraordinary music that is free and accessible to all. To get in touch and find out more, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.