Half Man’s Richard Gadd reveals why Baby Reindeer’s success was an "innately destabilising experience"

Before the release of Baby Reindeer, that show's creator and star Richard Gadd was known on the comedy circuit and had had some supporting acting roles on screen. After its release, he was recognised worldwide.

The semi-autobiographical comedy-drama series was based on Gadd's one man show of the same name, and became an overnight smash hit on Netflix, and went on to win a host of awards.

Now, Gadd is back with a new series that he has once again created and starred in, Half Man. This time, the series is entirely fictional, rather than being based on any specific events in the creator's life.

In anticipation of the new show's release, Gadd has spoken with us exclusively for our video interview series The Radio Times Writers' Room, in which we get to know what makes screenwriters tick.

Delving into the success of Baby Reindeer, Gadd admitted that the show's success was exposing, given the nature of the material in the show, the fact it was based on his own experiences, and the amount of people who watched it.

"It's a lot to put out there, in a lot of ways," he said. "I think I'd performed in the live space to audiences that had followed me for years, so I think I didn't realise, in a lot of ways, how much that was different when out there in the wider world.

"I think because I'd been sort of cushioned by performing at the fringe and performing to my people, my audience, and performing at the Soho Theatre and the Bush Theatre and all this stuff, I think I wasn't quite prepared. It was kind of exposing, because so many people were just watching it.

"And in a way, walking down the street, and just by nature of suddenly being famous, suddenly being recognised, I just suddenly felt like one day people weren't paying attention to me, and the next day they were. And that is an innately destabilising experience."

Half Man charts the journey of Gadd's character Ruben, a fierce and violent man who is also incredibly loyal, and Jamie Bell's character Niall, a meek and mild-mannered man.

The two were brought together by circumstance in their youth and became like brothers, but 30 years later, their dynamic is seen to be different, and an explosion of violence takes place at Niall's wedding.

The series then flashes back to chart the previous 30 years, exploring themes around brotherhood, violence and the intense fragility of male relationships.

Half Man will arrive on BBC iPlayer at 6am on Friday 24 April. Baby Reindeer is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Richard Gadd's full interview for The Radio Times Writers' Room will be available to watch from Friday 24th April 2026.

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