Ruth Ellis was born in 1926 as the fifth of six children. Her childhood was a difficult one; the family moved often all over the UK as her father struggled to find work.
At 17 she found herself pregnant to a Canadian GI, the first man she'd loved but who she later learned was married and abandoned her. Ruth worked to support her and her son, taking elocution and modelling classes, ultimately becoming a hostess in London clubs. There she met dentist George Ellis who she married and had a daughter with. The relationship was volatile and abusive and they divorced shortly after.
By 1953 Ruth became the manageress of the Little Club, a Knightsbridge hotspot. This was where Ruth met Desmond Cussen and also David Blakely, the man she would ultimately kill.
