If you have been glued to Netflix watching the new UK series of One Day starring Ambika Mod as Emma Morley and Leo Woodall as Dexter Mayhew, you might be wondering if it’s based on a true story.

The latest romantic addition to Netflix is a new adaption of the 2011 film which featured Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess playing the original on-screen roles of “Em and Dex”.

But as their love story has gripped the nation due to one of the most talked about endings on TV this year so far, are the characters of Emma and Dexter based on real people?

Is One Day a true story?

One Day on Netflix is not based on a true story but the series is based on the popular novel written by David Nicholls.

However, the characters of Emma and Dexter are “loosely inspired” by different people from David’s own life, reports IMDb.

Emma and Dexter met when they were students at the University of Edinburgh and spent the day after graduation night together, getting to know each other closely – that date was July 15, 1988.

From then on, One Day, which was filmed in Edinburgh, tells the story of the duo on the same day over 20 years.

Recommended reading:

Full cast list for One Day on Netflix – who are the actors?

If you loved This is Going to Hurt and The White Lotus, you might recognise some famous faces starring in One Day. Take a look at the full cast list below:

  • Ambika Mod as Emma Morley
  • Leo Woodall as Dexter Mayhew
  • Essie Davis as Alison Mayhew
  • Tim McInnerny as Stephen Mayhew
  • Amber Grappy as Tilly
  • Jonny Weldon as Ian
  • Eleanor Tomlinson as Sylvie
  • Joely Richardson as Helen Cope
  • Toby Stephens as Lionel Cope

How many episodes of One Day are on Netflix?

One Day is available to watch on Netflix in the UK after being released on the streaming platform on February 8, with 14 episodes in total.