Diksha Sundriyal
A venture of ITV and The CW, Sophie Turner’s ‘Joan’ follows the remarkable true story of a woman named Joan Hannington. Set in the 1980s, the story takes us through the many ups and downs in her life, especially focusing on her struggle to provide for her daughter. Apart from showing us how her life changed after she properly drowned herself in a life of crime, the six-part series also shows the audience her backstory, focusing on her motivations, especially her difficult childhood. It is quite a transformative and exciting journey. These days, however, Joan Hannington’s life looks very different.
Joan Hannington Had a Tumultuous Life
Born youngest of six children to a couple in Acton, Joan Hannington’s childhood was marred by physical abuse. The violence at home drove her to leave at the age of 13. When she was 17, she married a man named Ray Pavey, with whom she had a daughter named Debbie. Due to her difficult financial situation, she gave Debbie over to social where she was put in foster care. She didn’t want this to be a permanent thing so she was focused on getting a stable job and income. For this, she got herself a job at a jeweller’s. However, things didn’t turn out the way she had expected.
The lack of money kept her from getting her daughter back, which made Hannington more desperate to get her hands on the money. One day, when she had the opportunity, she decided to steal some loose diamonds, hoping that it would bring her enough to get daughter back. This was the first time she swallowed the diamonds, a trick she would continue to use for a long time after. While she got the money, a minor infraction with the law prevented her from getting her daughter back. A few years later, she met Ronald Thomas Hannington, aka Benny Boisie. He was an antiques dealer on the surface, but was indulged in thievery of his own.
Over the years, Joan and Boisie indulged in many heists, together and individually. At one point, Joan had hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of jewels in her possession, which she kept hidden in a biscuit tin in the garden of her flat. Apart from stealing jewels, she also got involved in credit card and cheque fraud, which brought her even more money. The incoming wealth allowed her to indulge in a luxurious lifestyle with luxury cars, expensive holdidays, hundreds of shoes, several fur coats, and designer clothes. Eventually, however, this life of crime had to come to an end.
Joan Hannington Changed Course After Boisie’s Death
As happening as life was when she was stealing jewels, Hannington decided to slow down when her son, Benny, was born in 1987. When he was merely three years or so, Boise died while reportedly trying to commit insurance fraud by burning down a house. Calling it the lowest point of her life, Hannington revealed that this was also the time when she decided to give up the life of crime and focus on raising her son. She sold Boise’s antiques shop and moved to Islington where she took up the profession of refurbishing old houses. From here on, she stayed on the right side of the law. However, some bad things from the past did come calling. Hannington revealed that following Boisie’s death, a business associate tried to have her killed, but luck was on her side, and the plan was thwarted. She also lost a lot of money after she got involved in a relationship with another bad man, who stole her money and even reportedly held her at gunpoint at one time.
Considering the many crimes she had committed, it didn’t pass her notice that she hadn’t been caught for those crimes yet. The two times she was prosecuted in a court of law for totally different things. The first time she was in court was after she stole a car to visit her daughter. For this, she received a two-year probation. Years later, she was arrested for using a stolen chequebook, for which she received 30 months in Holloway Prison. It was before she went to prison to serve her sentence that she married Boisie. Coming out of the prison, she went back to her life of crime. Eventually, when she decided to call quits on it, she reflected that it had never been about the money for her, and the well-being of her son was more important to her than continuing the crimes and the lifestyle it afforded her.
Joan Hannington is Enjoying Retirement Today
Now in her late 60s, Joan Hannington prefers to lead a quite life. Away from the hustle and bustle of London, she lives in her well-furnished home in the South Coast in England, which she shares with her two beloved dogs. She also had a cat named Nelson, who passed away at a ripe old age. Apart from her furry friends, Hannington’s time is spent in the company of her son, Benny, and her granddaughter, with whom she has a close relationship. She also tried to reconnect with her daughter, Debbie, whom she didn’t get back from social services. In a 2004 interview, she talked about their meeting, revealing that the relationship wasn’t as good anymore, but that she still loved her daughter and would do anything for her. It is unclear where their relationship stands today.
Hannington has talked about her life and experiences in her 2002 memoir, ‘I Am What I Am.’ It was an instant bestseller and also invited the attention of Hollywood executives, with Gwyneth Paltrow interested in the project. However, it took a long time for the project to materialise. Her updated memoir, ‘Joan: The True Story Of How I Became Britain’s Most Notorious Diamond Thief’ was released in 2024 as a companion to the series. Hannington was heavily involved in the making of the show. Her only desire with the series was for it to reflect the depth of her actions and decisions. She was regularly consulted on the scripts and also gave her seal of approval to Sophie Turner, who plays her on-screen persona. Hannington and her son, Benny, also appear in cameos in the show.
While she left behind the life of crime many years ago, Hannington still harbors a love for the better things in life. She loves wearing nice clothes and is almost always dressed up, no matter what the occasion. Her impeccable taste for things is also evident from all the antiques she has furnished her house with. While those years in the life of crime brought many perks, they also left her with irreparable damage. Reportedly, she still has ulcers from all those years of swallowing jewels. While the whole world has become privy to her life and crimes, she revealed that she doesn’t enjoy the limelight and much rather prefers to spend time with her family, friends, and her dogs.
Read More: Where is The CW’s Joan Filmed?
