Dennis Nilsen’s pen pal says David Tennant’s portrayal was "like seeing a ghost".
Andrea Kubinova – who exchanged letters and gifts after becoming friends with the notorious serial killer before his death in 2018 – has praised the 49-year-old actor for his performance in three part ITV drama ‘Des’.
Appearing on ‘Good Morning Britain’, she said: "It was like seeing a ghost, it was brilliant. Absolutely stunning."
Andrea was speaking live from the Czech Republic, and she explained how she struck up a friendship with the man who murdered at least 12 young men between 1978 and 1983 in north London by plying them with booze and then luring them back to his flat.
She added: "I used to collect signatures, eventually got all the big names and it just was the thrill, if you will.
"At the time a friend gave me a real crime book and I came across this name. I found it very intriguing; the motivation, the loneliness, it all felt intriguing. Plus his love of animals was something that stood out compared to all the other killers.
"I was very nervous, I had nothing interesting to say, to be honest. I’m just ordinary. But I can draw. So I used it. I drew a picture of his dog Bleep and enclosed it to the letter."
The pair became close, and Andrea – who even has his glasses as a "memory of a friend who passed away" – described him as "ordinary".
She said: "Ordinary, he came across as a normal old man. He was a bit annoyed because I was late for a visit.
"But afterwards he could see I was nervous and he did everything he could to make me feel comfortable – joking around, he was laughing.
"He was just friendly. He came across as a nice person. I know it’s odd in the context, but yeah he was."
Despite their friendship, Andrea admitted she does think about his victims and their families.
She revealed: "Course I do. I did watch the documentary yesterday. It was heart-breaking seeing all of those people speaking about their loved ones. It was difficult."