Richard Gadd reflects on hurricane of pressure after ‘Baby Reindeer’

Baby Reindeer creator and star Richard Gadd is opening up about the immense pressure he faced after the series broke records on Netflix.

Gadd penned the show based on events that happened in his life. Before the superhit show aired, he was a struggling comedian.

The show depicted how he was stalked and harassed by a woman much older than him. Soon after it was released, internet sleuths found out the identity of the stalker depicted in the show and subsequently harassed Fiona Harvey online. She then sued Netflix for defamation and demanded $170 million in damages.

The series, which won six Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes, turned Gadd’s life upside down.

He told The Guardian newspaper: “There have been a lot of challenging moments. The show has reached such an extreme pitch – there have been times when I’ve felt like the pressure was intolerable. It’s been a hurricane.”

He continued: “I don’t think I’m at the point of reflection yet. I need some real time off to figure out how to get my feet back on ground, because I feel very squeezed.”

Explaining how fame hir him, Richard Gadd shared, “It came out on a Thursday, and by Sunday people were knocking on my door asking for autographs. I was an arthouse comedian, performing to five people every night, so it was a huge adjustment. I’m still getting used to it. Going to the supermarket comes with a million caveats now.”