THOUGHT IT WAS ALL MADE UP? READ THIS HIGH-FLYER’S ACCOUNT... AND THEN DECIDE

WHAT was gripping entertainment for millions of us was an all-too-chilling reminder of reality for one viewer of The Replacement, writes Charlotte Wace.

In fact, Rachel (not her real name) says her own experience of maternity cover was even worse than that suffered by Ellen in the drama. Rachel, who works for a consultancy firm, had selected Clara as the best of the

candidates to come in to cover her. The pair spent a few months working amicably together before Rachel left.

But when she returned, Clara stayed on and the problems began.

Rachel says: ‘I was more senior than her but if something interesting was coming up, she would try to secretly blag it for herself. ‘She was always using my office, treating it like her own, and leaving rubbish all over the desk. She twisted everything to say I was bad-mouthing her. She twisted everyone around her little finger.’

The final straw came when Clara demanded an office normally reserved for more senior staff. ‘That pushed me over the edge,’ recalls Rachel. ‘At one point I just wanted to kill her.’

Eventually, people began noticing that Clara was behaving unreasonably and became more supportive of Rachel, who had become so stressed by the situation that she was prescribed antidepressants. While the pair continue to work for the same firm three years on, Rachel now keeps a distance from her rival.

But two other women with experience of maternity cover say they found the BBC drama objectionably provocative. Academic Dr Emilie Whitaker, 31, covered for Dr Kate Moles, 34, at Cardiff University two years ago and says she just kept ‘the ship steady’ during her absence. When Kate returned, Emilie made sure to bring her up to date with developments. In return, Kate offered her helpful advice.

‘We are now really tight buddies,’ says Emilie.

She claims The Replacement ‘taps into a load of stereotypes that we already have around women in the workplace’ by depicting ‘the incoming woman as a threat’.