TV - A Very British Scandal

The first-look images have been released for BBC One and Amazon Studios’ A Very British Scandal, from the makers of the award-winning A Very English Scandal, Blueprint Pictures...

Press Release

The pictures feature Claire Foy (The Crown, Wolf Hall) as Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll; Paul Bettany (WandaVision, Uncle Frank, Avengers: Infinity War) as Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll; and Julia Davis (Nighty Night, Gavin & Stacey) as Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava.

Paul Bettany and Claire Foy as the Duke and Duchess of Argyll

Joining the limited series, written by Sarah Phelps (The Pale Horse, Dublin Murders), are: Amanda Drew (The Trial Of Christine Keeler, Trust), Richard McCabe (Poldark, Harlots), Phoebe Nicholls (The Elephant Man, Fortitude), Camilla Rutherford (Phantom Thread, Fleming), Timothy Renouf (Afterlife Of The Party, The Laureate), Sophia Myles (A Discovery Of Witches, Spooks), Sophie Ward (The Moonstone, Land Girls), Tim Steed (The Death Of Stalin, Cruella), and Katherine Manners (Press, War & Peace).

Richard Goulding (The Crown, The Murders At White House Farm); Jonathan Aris (Sherlock, The Night Manager); Oliver Chris (Trying, King Charles III); Nicholas Rowe (Roadkill, Young Sherlock Holmes); and Miles Jupp (The Durrells, Rev) will also star.

Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava (Julia Davis) and Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll (Claire Foy)

A Very British Scandal focuses on the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, one of the most notorious, extraordinary, and brutal legal cases of the 20th century.

Famed for her charisma, beauty, and style, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, dominated the front pages, as the divorce exposed accusations of forgery, theft, violence, drug-taking, bribery, and an explicit Polaroid picture that was to haunt her for the rest of her life.

Margaret Campbell (Claire Foy) and Ian Campbell (Paul Bettany)

A Very British Scandal turns this scandal inside out in order to explore the social and political climate of post-war Britain, looking at attitudes towards women, and asking whether institutional misogyny was widespread at the time. As her contemporaries, the press, and the judiciary sought to vilify her, Margaret kept her head held high with bravery and resilience, refusing to go quietly as she was betrayed by her friends and publicly shamed by a society that revelled in her fall from grace.

Ian Campbell (Paul Bettany) and Margaret Campbell (Claire Foy)

A Very British Scandal is directed by Anne Sewitsky and produced by Chris Ballantyne. Executive Producers are Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Diarmuid McKeown, and Delyth Scudamore for Blueprint Pictures, Lucy Richer for the BBC, Sarah Phelps, Anne Sewitsky, Claire Foy, Kate Triggs, and Dominic Treadwell-Collins.

Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll (Claire Foy)

It was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer. Amazon Studios is co-producing in the US, Sony Pictures Television are the international distributors and brokered the deal with Amazon Studios.

A Very British Scandal’s three, one-hour episodes are coming soon to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and will be available in 2022 on Prime Video in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Filming took place across the United Kingdom.

Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll (Claire Foy)

Images - BBC/Blueprint Pictures