A chilling Channel 5 documentary delves into the true story of a London nurse who survived a near-fatal relationship with one of Britain's most notorious killers. Entitled I Survived a Serial Killer: The Delia Balmer Story, the documentary was first broadcast in 2024, chronicling Delia Balmer's harrowing relationship with axe murderer John Sweeney. It will be shown again on TV tonight (May 28) at 10pm on Channel 5.
Centred entirely on Delia, the survivor recounts her ordeal with the "Canal Killer", drawing on real-life interviews, police archives and expert commentary. Viewers are taken through Delia's personal accounts from the moment she first encountered killer John, completely oblivious to his true identity, before the relationship turned violent. Channel 5 has teased: "Delia Balmer relives what it was like to live with a killer." But what became of Delia and where is she today?
Who is Delia Balmer?
Delia is a former nurse at the Royal Free Hospital. Having crossed paths with John at a London bar in 1991, the pair entered into a relationship and, entirely unaware of his true nature, Delia allowed him to move into her home. When she attempted to leave the abusive relationship in 1994, he held her captive by restraining her to her bed and threatening her with a gun and knife. During a subsequent assault after breaching police conditions, he launched himself at her with an axe outside her home, leaving her with life-changing injuries. Remarkably surviving the harrowing ordeal, she was left bearing both physical and psychological scars that took considerable years to overcome, reports the Mirror. Yet she has refused to allow the terrifying attack and lengthy abuse to define her, and today she is once again throwing herself back into all of her former passions.
The Channel 5 documentary chronicles the horrifying four days in 1994 during which she was held captive, as well as the ambush she survived, when a neighbour courageously stepped in with a baseball bat to rescue her.
Where is Delia Balmer now?
Delia penned her own book entitled Living With A Serial Killer - a gripping memoir detailing her turbulent relationship with John. Having worked as a therapeutic masseuse, she also spent years dancing and travelling whenever the opportunity arose, with one of her most memorable adventures being a trip to South Africa in 2023. Now in her 70s, she is reported to be living a private life in London. She hasn't made any fresh public appearances since her significant involvement with the ITV drama series Until I Kill You and its accompanying documentary. However, in an interview with ITV, she revealed she continues to struggle with her mental health in the wake of the attack.
I Survived a Serial Killer: The Delia Balmer Story airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 5. It is also available to stream online.
