Maverick reporter Mazher Mahmood tries to make a name for himself in the cutthroat world of tabloid journalism. He poses as a hitman and exposes a respected doctor who wants his mistress dead. But what Mahmood really wants is a huge scoop. He devises an audacious undercover operation, posing as a jet-setting Arab sheikh with a playboy lifestyle to expose the misdemeanours of two football tycoons.

The Fake Sheikh becomes a global star after a string of jaw-dropping scoops, including exposing a plot to kidnap David Beckham’s family and a sting on England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. But as Mahmood’s star rises, questions grow over his methods and relations become strained with some of the people closest to him.