Survivor Delia Balmer was held hostage by convicted murderer John Sweeney
11:14, 28 May 2026
Delia met John Sweeney in 1991 (Image: Channel 5)
A disturbing Channel 5 documentary examines the harrowing true story of a London nurse who endured a life-threatening relationship with one of Britain’s most infamous killers.
Named I Survived a Serial Killer: The Delia Balmer Story, the documentary originally aired in 2024 and delves into Delia Balmer’s involvement with murderer John Sweeney. It will be shown again tonight (May 28) at 10pm on Channel 5.
Centring entirely on Delia, the survivor shares her experiences with the ‘Canal Killer’, through authentic interviews, police records and specialist analysis.
Audiences hear Delia’s first-hand testimony from her initial encounter with John Sweeney, completely oblivious to his true nature, before the relationship turned violent. Channel 5 has teased: “Delia Balmer relives what it was like to live with a killer.”
So what transpired between Delia and John, and where is she today?
Who is Delia Balmer?
Delia Balmer survived a relationship with serial killer John Sweeney (Image: Channel 5)
Delia is a former Royal Free Hospital nurse. After meeting John at a London pub in 1991, the two began a relationship and, entirely unaware of his genuine identity, Delia invited him to live with her.
When she tried to terminate the abusive relationship in 1994, he imprisoned her by tying her to her bed and intimidating her with a firearm and blade. During a subsequent assault following a breach of police conditions, he lunged at her with an axe outside her home, inflicting life-changing injuries.
Incredibly surviving the attack, she was left with both physical and psychological wounds that required years to recover from, reports the Mirror. However, she has refused to allow the horrifying assault and sustained abuse to define her existence, and today she is once more pursuing all of her previous interests.
The Channel 5 documentary chronicles the harrowing four days in 1994 when she was held captive as well as the ambush attack she endured, when a neighbour courageously stepped in with a baseball bat to save her life.
Where is Delia Balmer now?
Delia Balmer opens up on surviving her near fatal relationship (Image: Title Role Productions)
Delia Balmer authored her own book entitled Living With A Serial Killer – a gripping memoir documenting her toxic relationship with Sweeney.
Having worked as a therapeutic masseuse, she also relished years of dancing and travelling whenever feasible, with one of her most memorable adventures being a journey to South Africa in 2023.
Now in her 70s, she reportedly leads a private life in London according to sources. She hasn’t made any fresh public appearances since her substantial involvement with ITV drama series Until I Kill You and its documentary.
Nevertheless, in an interview with ITV, she revealed she continues to struggle with her mental health following the attack.
I Survived a Serial Killer: The Delia Balmer Story airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 5. It is also available to stream online.
