The Beauty Queen and the Catfish: How a Scottish Beauty Queen Exposed a Prolific Online Predator
Introduction: A Decade-Long Quest for Justice
A chilling new BBC documentary, The Beauty Queen and the Catfish, has captured the attention of viewers across the UK by revealing one of Scotland’s most disturbing catfishing cases. The documentary tells the story of beauty queen Abbie Draper and how she was caught in a romance scam, ultimately spending a decade working to expose the perpetrator. The series highlights the growing dangers of online deception and the emotional toll it takes on victims, making it essential viewing in an age where digital relationships are increasingly common.
The Shocking Discovery
When former Miss Scotland Abbie Draper’s grandad was admitted to hospital, she soon received a social media friend request from one of the doctors who was caring for him, Dr David Graham. What began as seemingly innocent online exchanges quickly raised suspicions. She discovered that Dr David Graham did not exist. He was actually a persona created by nurse Adele Rennie, who had created a man’s profile in order to contact women.
The perpetrator was Adele Rennie: a seemingly caring NHS nurse from Kilmarnock who targeted hundreds of women. Rennie had used a voice-altering app to disguise her voice and make her sound like a man to maintain her false persona. The BBC documentary has spoken to six women who were targeted over a 15-year period, though investigators believe up to 100 women may have been targeted.
Legal Consequences and Repeat Offending
Rennie was eventually caught and given 22 months in prison in 2017 and placed on the sex offenders register for a decade. However, she offended a second time upon her release and was given a further three-year sentence in 2019. Most alarmingly, she was convicted a third time in October 2024, and for a fourth time in April 2025 for similar catfishing offences.
Conclusion: Understanding Online Deception
The documentary serves as a stark warning about the sophisticated nature of online predators and the lasting impact on their victims. What began as flirtatious online exchanges spiralled into a chilling campaign of manipulation, deceit and cyberstalking. For UK audiences, this case underscores the importance of vigilance in online relationships and the need for better protection against digital deception. The Beauty Queen and the Catfish premiered on BBC Scotland on Sunday January 11, 2026 at 9 pm, offering viewers crucial insights into how one woman’s determination helped expose a serial offender and protect future victims.