Carl arranged an "accident" for the lover and summarily locked Joanna out of all their homes, consigning her to an apartment.

When Joanna decides she's had enough, and pays a visit to her former husband, she is in for a surprise – Carl May has made several clones of her.

He was brought to the UK as a boy from Eastern Europe and abused by foster parents to the point where he was kept in a cage next to a dog.

The book has four clones, while the television series has three, the career woman (programming computers instead of working in media), the model, and the abused mother.

The clones were played by three different actresses who only superficially resembled each other, the main common feature being red hair.