Renowned relationship expert and podcast host Paul C. Brunson is stepping into the true crime genre with a brand-new television project exploring the warning signs of toxic and abusive partnerships. The eight-part documentary series, titled Paul C. Brunson: Red Flag, is broadcast on U&W and available to stream on U, with episodes launching on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, according to TV Guide.
Relationship Expert Paul C. Brunson Launches True Crime Series on Toxic Dynamics
The series takes a case-by-case look at various forms of emotional, sexual, and psychological manipulation, combining survivor testimonies with Brunson’s relationship expertise to help viewers spot hidden warning signs before situations escalate into severe violence, coercion, and control.
Origins Rooted in a Community Tragedy
The motivation behind the television project stems from a deeply personal place for Brunson, who was profoundly affected by a brutal killing near his home in London’s Croydon (TV Guide). In 2023, 15-year-old Elianne Andam was stabbed to death close to a local shopping centre after accompanying a friend to return belongings to an ex-boyfriend, Hassan Sentamu. Sentamu arrived with a knife, and following a row, repeatedly stabbed Andam in broad daylight in front of horrified passersby. Sentamu is currently serving a life sentence for the murder with a minimum of 23 years (TV Guide).
There was an incident that happened a few years ago that has led me to want to try and help educate both myself and others on some of the dark, manipulative and sometimes violent aspects of toxic relationships,
Brunson said, noting that his family had mutual friends with Andam and that he became obsessed with the patterns that led to her killing (TV Guide). Describing the current climate around abuse as a national crisis, Brunson emphasized that addressing the issue requires an entire community and nation.
Format and Structure of the True Crime Exploration
Across the eight episodes, Paul C. Brunson: Red Flag features intimate interviews where survivors share their experiences in their own words. To illustrate how abusive behaviour develops gradually in plain sight, survivors return with Brunson to key locations from their past—such as cinema first dates, favorite bars, romantic hotels, and family homes—to retrace their relationships blow by blow.
The episodes also incorporate perspectives from the survivors’ closest friends and relatives, detailing what witnesses saw, what they missed, and the wider impact of abuse on loved ones.
Survivor Cases Explored Across the Series
The series examines eight distinct cases involving extreme manipulation, coercion, and violence:
- Episode 1: Charlotte recounts an affair featuring love-bombing, suicide threats, and coercive control that culminated in a devastating graveside attack at her daughter’s grave (The Guardian, Sphere Abacus).
- Episode 2: Jak shares her experience enduring six months of manipulation by serial fraudster Christopher Harkins—known as the Tinder Predator—who was later convicted of assault, fraud, and rape (TV Guide, Sphere Abacus).
- Episode 3: Megan details escaping an abusive, violent partner only to face a stalker who attacked both her and her ex (Sphere Abacus).
- Episode 4: Kathryn, a successful banker, reveals how she was manipulated by her partner into leaving her children before suffering a broken back and ribs from escalating violence (TV Guide, Sphere Abacus).
- Episode 5: Ellie discusses her misogynist boyfriend, who branded her a worthless sex object and bragged online about abusing her until she fought back (Sphere Abacus).
- Episode 6: Gareth shares how he was controlled, isolated, and starved by an abusive girlfriend who weaponized gender and threatened false rape accusations if he attempted to escape (TV Guide, Sphere Abacus).
- Episode 7: Hannah recounts surviving physical isolation, abuse, and being left unconscious before her abuser threatened her son (Sphere Abacus).
