Gaia: A Death on a Dancing Ledge: BBC Three release date, trailer, how to watch - who is host Zara McDermott?

Love Island star and documentary maker Zara McDermott returns to BBC Three with her latest project which revisits the tragic 2017 death of Dorset teen Gaia Pope.

The harrowing documentary follows the mistakes made by various authorities that may have contributed to Gaia’s death, and hears from her family, devastated by her loss, more than five years later. 

Like Zara’s previous documentaries, Death on Dancing Ledge explores the treatment of young women who are subjected to sexual abuse and the terrible affects of these experiences.

This is everything you need to know about new documentary Gaia: A Death on a Dancing Ledge:

What is Gaia: A Death on a Dancing Ledge about?

The three part documentary follows the mysterious death of a troubled teenage girl in Dorset in 2017. Gaia Pope’s disappearance raised serious questions over access to mental health care, and the police’s duty of care to alleged victims of sex crimes.

Gaia had struggled with mental health issues after reporting an alleged rape to the police before being informed her case was being dropped six months later.

Gaia was sectioned for several weeks under the Mental Health Act and then released - she was assessed again but denied further community care despite her family asking for it. 

In November 2017 she went missing, and a major police search was launched. Tragically, after 11 days, Gaia’s body was found by police at a cliff edge known as Dancing Ledge. An inquest ruled she had died of hypothermia.

In the documentary, host Zara McDermott speaks to Gaia’s family to uncover what went wrong and how they believe the teen was failed by the system.

Who is presenter Zara McDermott?

Zara came to fame as a contestant on season four of dating series Love Island, where she entered the villa as a bombshell midway through the competition. Despite spending only ten days on the show, she has built a successful TV career since her appearance.

She joined Made in Chelsea as a recurring cast member in 2019 because she had started dating series regular Sam Thompson. She also took part in Celebrity X Factor alongside several other Love Island alums.

In 2021 she made her first documentary, Revenge Porn, where she discussed her own experiences of having her own intimate photos leaked when she was a teenager. She has since fronted a further two documentaries, Uncovering Rape Culture, and Disordered Eating, and presented the first season of dating show Love in the Flesh. 

Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge trailer

BBC put out a trailer for the new documentary series - you can watch here:

When is Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge on TV?

The three part documentary will air nightly on BBC Three at 9pm from Tuesday 25 July to Thursday 27. All three episodes are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.