A DASH OF AGATHA

Christie actually introduced a version of herself, a detective novelist called Ariadne Oliver who stars in six of the Poirot stories. Ariadne has also created a foreign detective, a vegetarian Finn called Sven Hjerson, who appears to madden her. Like Agatha, Ariadne has a fondness for apples and leaves their cores all over the place – much to the frustration of the obsessively tidy Poirot. Agatha once said of the character, ‘I never take my stories from real life but Ariadne Oliver does have a strong dash of myself.’

Zoë Wanamaker, who played

Ariadne in six episodes of ITV’s

Poirot, says,

‘The character of

Ariadne is Agatha sending herself up, and she’s a wonderful antithesis to

Poirot. She’s really rude to him. It’s like she’s talking to her main character right in front of us.’