Channel 5 has postponed the broadcast of its true crime drama Under Suspicion: Tracie Andrews - Lover, Liar, Killer after the daughter of the victim, Lee Harvey, publicly voiced her distress over the lack of notification to her family. The programme was scheduled to air on Monday, July 13, but has been replaced by an episode of Forensics: Murder Scene.
Background of the Case
Lee Harvey was 25 years old when he was stabbed more than 40 times by his partner, aspiring model Tracie Andrews, in December 1996. The attack occurred on a country lane near Alvechurch. Andrews initially claimed the assailant was a man with "staring eyes" who had pursued them in a road rage incident. However, forensic evidence disproved her account, revealing she had killed Harvey with a Swiss Army-type penknife following an argument.
Andrews was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. She was released in 2011 and reportedly underwent plastic surgery costing thousands of pounds to alter her appearance.
Family's Reaction and Social Media Outcry
Danielle Harvey, Lee's daughter, took to TikTok to express her frustration. In a series of videos, she stated that her family was "always the last to know" about productions revisiting the case. "I am finding out through people sending it to me or on Facebook," she said. "What comes with Facebook are the trolls in the comments. I'm having to read comments like 'she's done her time, she's rehabilitated, leave her be, she should have stayed in jail'. I don't want to see that."
She added: "I'm easy to find, I'm on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram. It's not hard to send a message saying 'we have made this documentary, drama, it's airing on this date, we just wanted to make you aware'. We don't get any of that. We are always the last to know or we have to find out from social media."
Despite her distress, Danielle acknowledged the importance of such programmes: "I don't mind these things being aired because it keeps my dad's memory alive, he's never going to be forgotten and it makes sure she is never going to live a peaceful life." She added: "Some pre-warning wouldn't go amiss. It will be 30 years in December since she took my dad's life. To people who watch it, it's just another drama to them - to us it's real life. This is our reality. It's our nightmare and our life sentence."
Broadcaster's Response
Channel 5 informed BirminghamLive that the drama had been withdrawn for "scheduling reasons but should be back soon." No further details were provided. The drama starred former Hollyoaks actress Emma Rigby as Tracie Andrews.
