How Delia Balmer overcame her traumatic past with John Sweeney to embrace life again

ITV's latest drama, Until I Kill You, is based on the harrowing 'true' story of Delia Balmer's relationship with axe murderer John Sweeney. Delia, a former agency nurse, met Sweeney at a London bar and, unaware of his dark past, allowed him to move into her home.

However, when she tried to end the abusive relationship in 1994, Sweeney held her hostage, threatening her with a gun and knife. In a subsequent attack, he left her with life-changing injuries after charging at her with an axe outside her home.

Despite the traumatic experience, Delia has shown remarkable resilience and determination. She has overcome the physical and emotional scars, which took years to heal, and now enjoys her passions, including working as a therapeutic masseuse, dancing, and travelling.

In 2023, she visited South Africa, and has also written a memoir, Living With A Serial Killer, detailing her toxic relationship with Sweeney.

Delia played a significant role in the production of Until I Kill You, meeting with actress Anna Maxwell Martin at the end of filming.

The show's creator, Nick Stevens, has formed a close bond with Delia, and he and his wife regularly take her out for meals, reports the Mirror.

"She's a different person to the one I met two or three years ago," Stevens told The Guardian, highlighting Delia's remarkable journey towards healing and recovery.

"It seems to have been a positive for her. You might expect someone who has been through all that to be tearful with moments of gloomy introspection. But there's none of that."

He also disclosed that Delia continues to sleep in the bed Sweeney crafted for her - the same one she was bound to for four days.

"I can't be sure how she processes all this. But I'm certain she's in a better place than she was," he expressed.

Until I Kill You airs on ITV from November 3