The real Lyudmila from HBO's Chernobyl speaks out for the first time

Lyudmila Ignatenko, the wife of Chernobyl firefighter Vasily Ignatenko, has spoken candidly for the first time about how the HBO series about the 1986 nuclear accident changed her life.

CORRECTION: The statement from HBO shown in this video should have been attributed to HBO/Sky. We apologise for this.

Lyudmila tells the BBC how, in the summer of 2019, she moved from Kyiv to the Ukrainian countryside to escape the ensuing media frenzy generated by the series' release. She claims that she was unaware she would be one of the series’ main characters before it aired.

HBO/Sky say that Lyudmila did not object to her story, or that of her husband, being used, and that the production company spoke with her before, during and after filming.

This is their statement in full:

"Throughout the entire process of making Chernobyl, the producers were fully committed to depicting all events, including Lyudmilla and Vasily Ignatenko’s story, with the utmost sensitivity. The production team, via local representatives, had multiple exchanges with Lyudmilla Ignatenko – before, during, and after filming - with the express purpose of making her aware of the project and its depiction of her experiences as previously documented in several first-person accounts. Lyudmilla was also given the opportunity to participate in the storytelling process and to provide feedback. At no point during these exchanges did she express that she did not wish her story or that of her husband, Vasily, to be included. The filmmakers made every effort to depict their story, and that of everyone affected by this tragedy, with authenticity and respect."