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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

This Morning viewers complain over ITV's The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe 'spoiler'

This Morning viewers were left unimpressed minutes into the latest edition of the show as hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield chatted about ITV's latest drama, The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe.

The four-part series began on the network on Sunday night (April 17) and depicts the real-life story of John and Anne Darwin that once shocked the country. Many will remember John Darwin's infamous fake death in 2002 that saw him head off in his canoe in the North Sea after asking his wife to lie about his true whereabouts and claim £250,000 in life insurance.

The second episode, which aired on Monday night (April 18) saw John's wife Anne having to keep up with the lie of her husband's death to the couple's two sons - all while John was living beyond a door that connected the two old properties in a secret bedsit at their home near Hartlepool.

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It also saw Anne and John discover that their insurance money wouldn't be paid out due to a clause in the policy which means without a death certificate as in the eyes of the coroner John is, for now, still missing and that it would take seven years before John would be officially declared deceased. But even then she was also told she'd have to keep paying the premiums until then or they'd get no money.

During Tuesday's This Morning, Holly and Phil, who returned to the ITV daytime show following their two-week Easter break, were joined by former Mirror journalist David Leigh who flew out to Panama, where Anne was living when the con was discovered, as they struck up a friendship.

In the chat, David discussed life for Anne now, who has since reconciled with her son's Mark and Anthony. "The boys went through hell, but what I say to people is, if they can forgive her then what does it matter what anyone else thinks?" he said. "Anne now has both boys back in her life.

Monica Dolan as Anne Darwin, Eddie Marsan as John Darwin in The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe (PA)

"She has her four grandchildren. She lives a very quiet and anonymous existence. She’s obviously not enjoying this very much," he added to which Phillip then asked: "Would she rather all this went away?"

David said: "She obviously wishes this wasn’t happening but accepts she played a role in it and understands, to a degree, the fascination from the public. This story has been running now for 15 years and on it goes, so I think she’ll be happy when it’s over and she can get on with her life and spend time with the boys."

But as Holly explained what was set to come out in tonight's episode, This Morning viewers were left unimpressed.

David Leigh spoke to Holly and Phil (ITV)

@lloyd_dennis8 tweeted: "Thanks for the spoiler, ITV have only shown 2 of 4 episodes... #ThisMorning."

"Thanks for the spoilers, I haven't seen it yet #thismorning," @alice2127 echoed.

@paboy113 commented: "Don’t need to watch it now. Thanks. #ThisMorning."

However, in the hosts' defence, one viewer, @Hotsunnydaze1, said: "How is it a spoiler when the story has previous been all over the news? to which @lloyd_dennis8 argued back: "It was news 14 years ago, it's not in everyone's consciousness, particularly the lesser details."

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