London, winter 1962. Britain is gripped by the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a series of sex and spy scandals have rocked the British government. Short of money, working-class model Christine Keeler has returned to stage-dancing in Soho’s famous cabaret clubs. Christine lives with her West Indian boyfriend Johnny in a racially tense Notting Hill, and confides in her best friend Mandy Rice-Davies.

It has been over a year since Christine’s secret affair with the married, middle-aged Conservative minister of war, John Profumo. But now Christine is shaken by violent harassment by a West Indian stalker, ‘Lucky’ Gordon, and when Johnny fails to protect her, she considers refuge with her mentor, socialite Dr Stephen Ward. However, Ward is under MI5 surveillance for entertaining a handsome Russian diplomat, and amid delusions of grandeur, he tries to use his establishment links to secure emergency nuclear talks between the US and Russia.

At the same time, Profumo tries to raise his profile to mark the end of UK conscription, and Christine recalls the beginnings of their infamous affair: the fateful weekend they met at twilight by a country manor swimming pool. Show less