Joan ending explained: What really happened to Joan, Kelly, and Boisie?

The final episode of ITV series Joan saw Joan Hannington execute her plan to rob Bernard's jewellery shop, but did she get away with the heist and have her freedom?

Millions have tuned in to ITV's new crime drama Joan which delves into the life of Britain's most infamous jewel thief.

Joan Hannington, also known as The Godmother, was a notorious figure in London's criminal underworld during the 1980s, stealing diamonds for the thrill and to raise funds to rescue her daughter from foster care.

The series recreates the events leading to Hannington losing her child to foster care, her first theft involving impulsively swallowing jewels, and her subsequent life of crime.

Written by Anna Symon, the series initially aired on ITV1, with the entire series now available for viewing on ITVX. Episode five sees Joan plotting her escape with her husband Boisie (Fred Dillane), securing a passport for her daughter Kelly (Mia Millichamp-Long) and planning one final heist - her boss' jewellery shop.

The concluding episode sees the plan unravel with severe repercussions - but will Joan gain her freedom?

With some scenes based on real events, fans of the series will be left wondering how the series concludes, whether Joan was successful and if indeed, the events of the finale actually transpired.

What happens in the ending of ITV's Joan?

Episode six witnesses Joan executing her plan to rob Bernard's (Alex Blake) jewellery shop and making off with the entirety of the premiere collection.

Joan was informed by Boisie that Paul had withdrawn from the raid, prompting a call for a re-evaluation. However, Joan insisted on replacing him with another person and proceeding with the heist.

As Bernard and Joan are at the safe, Boisie and Paul's substitute Gary - who is also Kelly's father and Joan's ex - storm the shop.

Boisie holds Bernard at gunpoint while Gary, armed with a loaded shotgun, continues to loot the store by breaking into the cabinets. Upon learning that Joan is leading the heist, a stunned Bernard points his gun at Josie, resulting in Boisie being shot in the leg as he dives for cover.

Meanwhile, Gary rushes to the van with Albie and they speed off, leaving Joan to carry a severely wounded Boisie out of the store and into the alleyway. As he bleeds out and dies in the alleyway, Boisie instructs Joan to fetch her daughter Kelly and leave him behind.

Undeterred, Joan proceeds with her plan to abscond with Kelly, posing as an American journalist looking to write a piece about British schoolchildren at Kelly's school.

Kelly is overjoyed to see her mother, but Joan instructs her to keep their secret and meet her at the gate. They drive off together, and Joan learns from Albie's distraught partner Val that he has fled the country.

Joan and Kelly make their way to the prearranged hideout caravan, but Joan is still shaken by Boisie's death and struggles to maintain her composure. Unable to cheer up her mother, Kelly later discovers a gun in her mother's suitcase.

Joan prevents Kelly from discharging the firearm and comes to the realisation that she's unable to care for her, ultimately leaving Kelly at a foster home. Subsequently, Joan surrenders to the authorities and is incarcerated.

Fast-forwarding four years, we see Joan admiring the Spanish cliffs she once visited with Boisie. Now marked with tattoos concealing the scars of her past, Albie welcomes Joan with a suitcase brimming with cash.

Joan discloses her early release from prison due to exemplary conduct and expresses her intent to resume work, albeit abandoning her illicit activities. She instructs Albie to depart, but as he leaves cautioning her to stay safe, she retorts: "And you. Watch your f**king back."

Is ITV series Joan based on a true story?

The ITV drama is largely based on Joan Hannington's memoir I Am What I Am, which covered her jewel heists and criminal lifestyle. You can buy a reprint of the book through Amazon or Waterstones.

While the book served as material for the six-part drama, there are some elements that were changed in the ITV drama. For instance, the violent raid on Bernard's jewel shop never happened, nor did Boisie's death by being shot in the leg.

The real Boisie Hannington has died, but he died trying to burn a house down to claim insurance money. Giving an exclusive interview with the Scottish Daily Record in 2003, the real-life Joan recounted her time with Boisie: "He wasn't handsome, but he was smart and treated me with respect.

"Officially, Benny was an antiques dealer, but he made his money as a high-class thief. We fell in love and within weeks he'd moved in."

Joan was never jailed for an armed jewellery raid, but she was sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing a cheque book. The imprisonment occurred before she became a diamond thief.

In the ITV drama, Joan's daughter Debbie was renamed Kelly. Ray Pavey, Joan's ex-husband and Debbie's father, was also given a new name - Gary.

Following Boisie's death, Joan decided to leave her life of crime behind. She sold her husband's antiques shop and relocated to Islington in north London.

There, she started a business refurbishing old council houses and stayed on the right side of the law.

Joan Hannington first told her tale in her memoir I Am What I Am in the early 2000s. The book quickly climbed the best-seller charts.

Today, she has two children, a granddaughter, and lives on the South Coast with her two dogs.