Sky has commissioned a documentary about the scandal surrounding the bestselling book The Salt Path, which tells a heartwarming story of terminal illness, financial ruin, and healing through nature.
The Salt Path, a 2018 memoir that revolves around a couple who undertake a 630-mile trek of England’s southwest coast having been left homeless and financially destitute while trying to cope with a potentially fatal medical diagnosis, sold 2 million copies and was adapted into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs in 2024.
However, an investigation by The Observer’s Chloe Hadjimatheou earlier this year found what appeared to be inconsistencies in the book, with a source alleging that the couple had lost their property after the author, Raynor Winn, defrauded her employer of £64,000, which she then attempted to repay after taking out a loan from a relative. It also expressed doubts about Winn’s husband, Moth, in respect of the severity of his corticobasal degeneration (CBD/S).
Now, a new documentary with the working title The Real Salt Path, hosted by Hadjimatheou and produced by Candour Productions, will investigate the allegations further.
Sky said “new whistleblowers come forward with their own versions of events” in the documentary, which will address the accusations.
Hayley Reynolds, acting director of Sky Documentaries, added: “This film brings together world-class journalism and filmmaking to explore one of Britain’s most remarkable modern-day literary phenomena – and the truth that lies beneath it.
“At Sky Documentaries, we’re always drawn to stories that challenge perceptions and ask difficult questions, so there couldn’t be a better opportunity for us to partner with The Observer and reunite with the award-winning team behind Libby, Are You Home Yet?”
The three-part Sky series Libby, Are You Home Yet? told the story of a 21-year-old university student who was abducted and murdered while walking home from a club in the city of Hull in 2019. It was awarded the Best Factual Series prize at the 2023 Bafta TV Awards.
Winn has strongly denied the allegations against her, stating at the time: “[The] Observer article is highly misleading. We are taking legal advice and won’t be making any further comments at this time.
“The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.”
Winn also called the investigation “grotesquely unfair” and shared photographs of redacted clinic letters, addressed to her husband, that appear to show that he was “treated for CBD/S and has been for many years”.
The fourth instalment in the series, On Winter Hill, was due to be published on 23 October, but its release has now been delayed until next year. The Salt Path was the first in a series of books by Winn, withThe Wild Silence following in 2020, and Landlines in 2022.
The Salt Path’s publisher, Penguin, said it “undertook all the necessary due diligence” before publishing Winn’s book in 2018.
The producers of the film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, released in the UK last year, have said they had no knowledge of the concerns.
The Independent has contacted Raynor Winn’s representatives for comment.
The Real Salt Path will air on Sky Documentaries and the streaming service Now TV in December.
