When Alexi Mostrous launched his Candy Bobby podcast for Tortoise Media in 2021, it was met with a direct outpouring of, properly, confusion. Who’s Bobby? What are his motivations? Why would somebody do that, and why isn’t it a criminal offense?

Earlier than we get to these questions, nevertheless, we should always cowl the fundamentals. In the event you weren’t one of many unique 1000’s of listeners leaping on to their telephones to hear to every a part of Candy Bobby because it dropped in Tortoise Media’s podcast feed, and your mates haven’t satisfied you to hearken to this word-of-mouth hit simply but, Candy Bobby is an investigative podcast centred on a London lady named Kirat Assi. A profitable marketer and native radio presenter, the podcast flashes again to 2009 when Kirat obtained a Fb good friend request from a person named Bobby. What she didn’t realise then was that clicking the ‘settle for’ button would change the course of her life eternally. Nicely, for the subsequent decade and a half – at the least.

Whereas we extremely advocate tuning in, for individuals who want documentaries, Netflix has reworked the podcast right into a documentary, co-produced by the crew at Tortoise. Right here’s what to anticipate, plus the true story behind the jaw-dropping present.

The True Story Behind Candy Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare

Starting in 2009, Candy Bobby is among the most elaborate catfishing instances now we have seen on British shores. As Netflix’s documentary highlights at its opening, it’s ‘one loopy story’, which centres on Kirat Assi, a British Sikh lady who works in advertising and marketing, is a profitable native radio presenter, and lives in West London surrounded by family and friends. As a result of it’s 2009, Fb is at its peak of cool, and Kirat is lively on social media and has a circle of on-line associates. Fb can be significantly nice for holding in contact with household abroad – so it doesn’t strike Kirat as suspicious when she receives a good friend request from a person known as Bobby. Bobby claims to be a distant relative of Kirat’s, and she or he recognises his identify. They’ve mutual associates – together with her cousin, Simran, who has met Bobby earlier than in New York, and beforehand dated Bobby’s brother JJ – so she accepts. And thus begins a decade of deception.

Kirat and Bobby start as associates chatting on-line. Their relationship steadily deepens because the pair speak increasingly. His life is stuffed with drama and crises, and Kirat is continually navigating social media messages, texts and telephone calls from Bobby. She feels near him, nearer nonetheless when he divulges private points together with her, together with a coronary heart situation. By 2015, Kirat depends on their each day communication, providing Bobby emotional assist and turning into more and more entangled in his life, and the duo are in a romantic relationship. Regardless of having by no means met in particular person, Kirat feels emotionally dedicated to Bobby.

However all isn’t because it appears. Bobby has a dramatic life. Within the time Kirat is aware of him, he suffers a stroke, is shot six occasions in Kenya, is put into witness safety in New York, has a coronary heart assault, is recognized with a mind tumour and fathers a secret little one. ‘How unfortunate can one particular person be?’ Kirat requested herself. However Kirat and Bobby transfer in the identical circles, so there’s all the time somebody to validate his unbelievable tales, together with Kirat’s cousin, Simran. And each time Kirat suggests they meet up, one thing blocks their path.

As their relationship continues, Bobby turns into more and more controlling. He accuses Kirat of flirting with different males, discouraging her from socialising with associates or household. Kirat will get pains from the stress and is even signed off work for some time. ‘I began to drop pounds,’ she says within the Netflix documentary. ‘It was coercive management, to a degree the place you’re totally being abused, the place you don’t have any sense of your self left anymore. And also you’re simply scared on a regular basis.’

Finally, she employed a personal detective, who confronted the real-life Bobby on the doorstep of his household dwelling in Brighton. Was Kirat the opposite lady? Worse: Bobby had no thought who she was in any respect.

Who Catfished Kirat In Candy Bobby?

Kirat’s cousin Simran was the true particular person behind Kirat’s on-line relationship with Bobby. Over the course of a decade, Simran created round 60 Fb profiles to maintain up the ruse and validate Bobby’s wild tales, all of the whereas fooling Kirat into believing she was in a relationship.

Simran confessed to this again in 2018, arriving on Kirat’s doorstep and divulging the information. Simran then moved on together with her life, persevering with in her excessive powered job and even getting engaged, whereas Kirat was left in her wake, reeling after a near-decade relationship turned out to be completely falsified. Searching for justice, Kirat turned to the police…

Is Catfishing A Crime?

No, catfishing isn’t a criminal offense within the UK, and this is among the knotty points on the coronary heart of Candy Bobby. Kirat was deceived, manipulated and coerced for nearly a decade, believing she was in an internet relationship with a heart specialist known as Dr Bobby Jandu. However, in fact, she wasn’t: she was being catfished by her cousin, Simran. And catfishing – utilizing a faux on-line profile to trick somebody into believing they’re in an internet relationship – isn’t unlawful. Likewise, proving a psychological crime has been dedicated that doesn’t contain direct bodily hurt may be very troublesome.

Within the UK, Simran hasn’t executed something flawed legally. That stated, she has damaged a plethora of social guidelines: catfishing, manipulation, deception – not least doing all of this to your cousin. Although Kirat reported Simran to the police in 2018, no costs have ever been filed towards the catfisher. Kirat hopes the documentary encourages victims to talk up. ‘All of us have been struggling in silence,’ she says.

What Does Simran Say?

Little or no. Simran refused to talk on the Tortoise Media podcast, and likewise refused to be a part of the Netflix documentary. Simran’s representatives instructed the producers: ‘This matter entails occasions that started when she was a schoolgirl. She considers it a personal matter and strongly objects to what she describes as “quite a few unfounded and damaging accusations”.’

Kirat has not seen Simran because the catfisher admitted to what she had executed again in 2018.

The place Can I Watch Candy Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare?

Candy Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is streaming now solely on Netflix.

The place Can I Hear To The Candy Bobby Podcast?

Candy Bobby, produced by Tortoise Media, is offered throughout all podcast platforms, together with Spotify and Apple. tortoisemedia.com