The Fake Sheik

Maverick reporter Mazher Mahmood tries to make a name for himself in the cutthroat world of tabloid journalism. He poses as a hitman and exposes a respected doctor who wants his mistress dead. But what Mahmood really wants is a huge scoop. He devises an audacious undercover operation, posing as a jet-setting Arab sheikh with a playboy lifestyle to expose the misdemeanours of two football tycoons.

The Fake Sheikh becomes a global star after a string of jaw-dropping scoops, including exposing a plot to kidnap David Beckham’s family and a sting on England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. But as Mahmood’s star rises, questions grow over his methods and relations become strained with some of the people closest to him.

Mazher Mahmood is seemingly unstoppable, despite his doubters. Then shockingly the News of the World closes amid national scandal. But Mahmood is a survivor. He joins a new paper and sets up an undercover sting on British pop star, Tulisa, aimed at exposing her as a Class A drug dealer. But there’s a twist in the tale as the fake sheikh finds himself in the headlines and on trial.