The creator and star of hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer has issued a fresh plea to fans to stop trying to discover the identities of characters in the show – and warned he will refrain from commenting for good.

Described as a true story, Richard Gadd’s series – in which he plays barman and aspiring comedian Donny Dunn – sparked an online frenzy over the real-life identities of some of the characters – including a stalker played by actress Jessica Gunning.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Gadd called on fans to stop their searches, saying: “If I wanted the real life people to be found, I would’ve made it a documentary”.

Gadd also said he was concerned any further comment on identities would cause yet more speculation.

“I’ve spoken publicly about how I don’t want people to do it and if I start playing a game of whack-a-mole, then I’m almost adding to it,” he added.

“I don’t think I’ll ever comment on it ever again.”

It follows a previous appeal in an Instagram story, when Gadd said: “People I love, have worked with, and admire… are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.

“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.

“Lots of love, Richard.”

Baby Reindeer is about the traumatic life of a struggling comedian who is stalked by a woman called Martha Scott and is sexually assaulted by someone seemingly high up in the entertainment industry.

In the opening sequence of the series, viewers are told in an on-screen message: “This is a true story.”

A woman alleged to be the inspiration for the stalker character of Martha has since appeared in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan, saying she was “forced” to come forward after receiving online death threats from “internet sleuths”.

Fiona Harvey repeatedly denied being a stalker and described the series as “a work of fiction”.

When asked if she will “categorically be taking legal action”, she replied: “Absolutely, against both him (Gadd) and Netflix.”

Read more from Sky News:
‘Ghostbusters-style’ devices could be given to police
Eurovision responds to complaints from contestants

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Gadd’s interview with the Hollywood Reporter was published on Monday but was carried out before the Morgan interview with Ms Harvey aired.

Gadd also revealed he lost almost 20 kilos to play the role because he wanted “to feel vulnerable and fragile” in his body so when filming was over “there was a bit of piecing myself back together”.

“To play Donny Dunn, I had to go back to that head space where I was at the time [in real life], which was very raw and very damaged,” he added.

Sixteen games have been played in the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. Some trends from Round 1 have continued. Others have not.

With multiple teams on the cusp of elimination, it’s time for another set of playoff takeaways, courtesy of NHL reporters Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton.

Jake Oettinger bolstering his case to be Team USA’s No. 1 goalie

Thatcher Demko. Connor Hellebuyck. Jake Oettinger. Jeremy Swayman. These appear to be the four leading names for who could play goal for the United States at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025, along with the Winter Olympics in 2026.

Having their pick of these goaltenders reinforces the belief that the U.S. is one of the front-runners to win both tournaments. Of course, one of them is expected to miss out, with teams usually taking three goalies. That’s a question that will likely get answered over time. But right now, Oettinger is using the 2024 playoffs to make a case to not only make the team but potentially get the nod in net.

Oettinger’s 24-save performance in the Dallas Stars‘ 5-1 win in Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche means he is now 7-4 with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage this postseason. He has provided the sort of stability that has allowed the Stars to come within a game of reaching the Western Conference finals. And he did it while playing a proverbial SEC schedule, with the Stars facing the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in the first round followed by the Avs, who won the Cup in 2022.

It’s possible that Demko, who has battled injuries the last few months, could return for the Vancouver Canucks if they can reach the conference finals. Hellebuyck, who is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, endured his most challenging postseason, with a GAA that was north of 5.00 and an .870 save percentage. As for Swayman, he’s posted a 2.28 GAA with a .920 save percentage, although the Boston Bruins‘ past three losses to the Florida Panthers have seen him surrender more than three goals per game since winning Game 1 of the series.

Other factors will go into the team selection (and lineup) process. But this postseason, Oettinger is providing the consistent high-level goaltending that Team USA will need in the upcoming best-on-best tournaments. — Clark

Bennett didn’t arrive until Game 3 of the Florida Panthers‘ series against the Boston Bruins, but suffice it to say, the man has made his mark. The Panthers forward has one goal, one assist, one controversial hit on Brad Marchand (that took the Bruins’ captain out of Game 4 with an upper-body injury) and one contentious scoring sequence under his belt already.

And the fans in Boston were happy to let Bennett have it whenever he touched the puck in Game 4.

Bennett is the latest example of a player becoming a playoff lightning rod. The question is: Will his antics galvanize the Bruins from here and help them overcome a 3-1 series deficit? Or is Bennett’s button-pushing going to give Florida further confidence to stay on top of its Atlantic Division rivals?

Game-changers in the playoffs aren’t always determined through the X’s and O’s, and Bennett has certainly spiced up the Florida-Boston matchup in unexpected ways. — Shilton

play

Sam Bennett evens score with clutch power-play goal

Sam Bennett takes advantage on the power play and nets a huge goal for the Panthers to even the score against the Bruins.

Why can’t anyone in the West hold a lead?

One of the common threads in the Western Conference semifinal series is that no lead is safe. The Dallas Stars found that out in Game 1 when the Colorado Avalanche came back from a three-goal deficit to win in overtime. Game 2 saw the Stars build a 4-0 lead only to see the Avs score three before the Stars won 5-3. In Game 3, the Stars had a 1-0 lead until the Avs tied the game. The Stars scored again but were under threat before a pair of empty-net goals gave them a 4-1 lead.

The Edmonton Oilers had a two-goal lead in Game 1 before the Vancouver Canucks won 5-4. The Canucks had a pair of one-goal leads in Game 2 before the Oilers won it in overtime. Game 3 saw the Oilers jump out to a 1-0 lead before the Canucks scored three straight. Even then, the Oilers scored two of the game’s final three goals and made life hectic for the Canucks after they scored early in the third period before losing 4-3.

What is it about the Western Conference right now? Why is it that each of the four teams presents equal arguments for how it can charge out to a lead — and could lose it just as easily? One reason is that all four were rather strong at comebacks in the regular season. The Stars were 23-15-4 when their opponents scored first, while the Avalanche were 20-17-0 when their opponent got the first goal. As for the Oilers, they were 18-18-3 in those situations whereas the Canucks were 12-12-5.

“It’s certainly a mental boost and a pick-me-up if you believe in what your team’s doing and have firepower, which, I think, all the teams have firepower and can score,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “You get something going your way, it’s snowballing going downhill and the other team is trying to survive for a little bit. If you can capitalize on a chance or two, it starts turning the tide.

“The belief gets stronger and stronger. … When you are playing from behind, you get to a certain part of the game where you have nothing to lose. You’re either going out with a loss or pushing to try and make it a win. I think it’s evenly matched teams, all desperate to try to survive and advance and lay it all on the line.” — Clark

Go big or go deep?

The New York Rangers–Carolina Hurricanes series is a fascinating look at how two great teams approached the trade deadline this season — with varied results.

Last season, the Rangers went all-in, acquiring Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko to (theoretically) give them a boost come playoff time. New York’s would-be stars never acted their part, and the Rangers made a first-round exit. This season, New York added depth in Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic so that its core could shine as is — and it’s working.

Meanwhile, Carolina followed the Rangers’ script from last season with the deadline blockbuster (hello, Jake Guentzel). But somehow, the Hurricanes’ ship plotting toward a Stanley Cup Final took on significant water in the second round.

Now, it’s not all due to one factor (or player). But this illustrates how it’s not always big swings that ultimately determine a team’s fate. Maybe it’s a mindset or mentality that comes with staying the course. New York essentially bet on itself to get the job done, and it’s working. Carolina gathered reinforcements, and that hasn’t paid off as quickly. And oddly enough, if anyone can relate, it’s the Rangers. — Shilton

Lingering questions on the Oilers’ goaltending

Stuart Skinner has become a topic of conversation for a second straight postseason. Last year, he was a rookie who was pulled four times, with three of those early exits coming in the second round. Fast forward to this postseason. In Game 3, he was pulled after two periods and now has a 4.63 goals-against average and a .790 save percentage in three games against the Canucks.

It left Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch with a decision ahead of Game 4. Does he return to Skinner? Does he turn to Calvin Pickard, who replaced Skinner in Game 3? Or does that all open the door for Jack Campbell? Even while trying to answer those questions, there’s another one facing the Oilers.

How will the decision facing Knoblauch this postseason impact the club going forward? Campbell is under contract for three more years at $5 million annually, while Skinner has two years left at $2.6 million annually. Pickard is a pending unrestricted free agent on a team that Cap Friendly projects will have a little less than $9 million in space in the offseason.

The past five years have watched the Oilers go from a team of promise with two generational talents in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to one that carries championship expectations into each season. In that time, the Oilers’ front office has worked to address their needs, which have ranged from finding secondary scoring to strengthening a defense to getting the goaltenders they feel can help them win a title.

But with their current situation, what could next season look like for the Oilers in goal? Especially when they have 10 UFAs, seven of whom are forwards. And even that comes with the context that whatever they do this offseason could impact what happens in the summer of 2025, when Draisaitl could hit the open market. — Clark

Is Edmonton built to last?

There’s no doubt the Oilers can score. They’ve done plenty of it in the postseason. But is Edmonton designed to win over the long haul here?

Consider that the Oilers have tallied 33 goals total — but only 17 at even strength. That top-ranked power play has been a vital part of Edmonton’s success to date, and now it is experiencing what happens when it runs up against a sensational penalty kill like Vancouver’s. Pucks can stop finding twine as frequently on the man advantage. The Oilers are 4-for-8 on the power play through three games; the Canucks are nearly matching them, though, at 3-for-9. If the special teams battle becomes neutral ground, it’s fair to question whether the Oilers can get out of the second round based purely on their even-strength play.

McDavid has one 5-on-5 goal in the playoffs. Draisaitl has two. But each has 10 total points on the power play. Maybe there’s still a shift coming. That special teams mojo better start translating throughout the game for Edmonton, though. — Shilton

The second leg of the Triple Crown will kick off Saturday, May 18 with the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (5-2) will look to continue his bid for the first Triple Crown since Justify in 2018. He opens as the second choice in the nine-horse field just behind Bob Baffert-trained Muth, who is the morning-line favorite (8-5).

Post time for Saturday’s 1 3/16-mile, $1.65 million race is 7:01 p.m. ET.

Here are all of the morning line odds and jockeys for Saturday.

1. Mugatu (20-1)

Trainer: Jeff Engler
Jockey: Joe Bravo

2. Uncle Heavy (20-1)

Trainer: Butch Reid Jr.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

3. Catching Freedom (6-1)

Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat

4. Muth (8-5)

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Juan Hernandez

5. Mystik Dan (5-2)

Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

6. Seize the Gray (15-1)

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Jaime Torres

7. Just Steel (15-1)

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Joel Rosario

8. Tuscan Gold (8-1)

Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

9. Imagination (6-1)

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Frankie Dettori