In a country obsessed with gossip, the great and the good fear one thing more than any other - scandal.
British scandals change the course of history. They bring down governments, overthrow the rich and cause the mighty to fall. Some are about sex, others about money. In the end, they’re all about power.
But often at the heart of a scandal, there are ordinary human stories. Stories of those caught up in the swirl of outrage.
Who was really to blame for what happened? Why did they do it? And when all is said and done, did anything really change?
From the creators of Business Wars, American Scandal and Ghost Story, comes British Scandal. Each week, hosts Alice Levine and Matt Forde delve into the murkier side of the British elite, from Phone Hacking to Profumo to the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss. Because sometimes the truth doesn’t set everyone free…
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British Scandal returns on 19th January. This year, Alice and Matt are taking you on a journey from the Post Office, to drug dens in Wales, inside the Big Brother house, and into Buckingham Palace itself. Follow this feed to make sure you don’t miss an episode. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Professor Lucy Bland delves into the Russell v. Russell scandal, using it as a lens to explore interwar sexual ignorance, the surprising impact of WW1 on women's confidence and bodies, and the enduring public fascination with sex scandals. The discussion also covers the changing roles of marriage, persistent British sexual repression, and crucial milestones and modern challenges in the fight for sexual equality and consent.
Decades after a scandalous trial, Christabel's son, Geoffrey, faces a renewed challenge to his legitimacy and claim to the Amphil peerage, instigated by a bitter relative. The episode details Christabel's unwavering fight to secure her son's future and reputation, leading to a dramatic movie premiere, a confrontation with his father, and a final, brutal court battle that tests Geoffrey's resolve after her death. Ultimately, Geoffrey carries on his mother's legacy, securing his rightful place and impacting British law.
The episode, "The Other Virgin's Baby | Hunnish Scenes | 2," continues Christabel and John Russell's dramatic story. After Christabel reveals her pregnancy, John's initial acceptance is shattered by his mother, Lady Amphill, who believes the baby is illegitimate and pushes for a divorce. The narrative follows Christabel's struggle against a biased legal system and Lady Amphill's relentless efforts to discredit her, ultimately leading to a sensational trial that uncovers unexpected personal secrets and tests the limits of their reputations.
This episode delves into the scandalous true story of Christabel Russell, a modern woman in 1920s London who married into a stuffy aristocratic family. Despite her strong aversion to sex and traditional domestic roles, her in-laws desperately demand an heir. The situation escalates into intense marital pressure, a shocking confrontation, and culminates in a perplexing medical mystery: Christabel is pregnant, but claims to be a virgin.
David Conn was a character at the heart of our original series, and now he's giving Matt and Alice an update on the Michelle Mone scandal in light of major developments. From dramatic court rulings to luxury flats and ongoing criminal investigations, Conn pulls back the curtain on how a pandemic procurement deal spiralled into one of the most explosive British scandals of the decade. Plus: what did he make of Matt's impression of him in the original series? Do you have a suggestion for a scandal...
Michelle is trying to enjoy her five-star honeymoon. But it’s difficult when her phone won’t stop ringing. A Guardian journalist is on her case. He’s digging into claims she’s involved in a company who made millions selling unusable PPE to the government. Michelle can’t sit back and enjoy her cocktail - it’s not in her nature to stay silent. She’s going to tell her side of the story. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like ...
Michelle throws herself into politics. The Scottish Independence referendum is on the horizon and Michelle becomes a key figure in David Cameron’s ‘Better Together’ campaign and is handed the key to the House of Lords. Just after 'Baroness More of Mayfair' moves in with her new boyfriend Doug, Covid hits the nation. When she hears that the NHS is facing a shortage of PPE, Michelle has an idea. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you w...
Michelle Mone comes from nothing. A Glasgow council estate girl with no qualifications. But one day she comes up with an idea: to make a radical new bra that remoulds the cleavage. There’s a lot riding on its success. So when her failing marriage starts to impact upon the business, Michelle sees red. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https:...
From burying cash to busting into the Dome, Lee Wenham's criminal career reads like a Hollywood script. But how does a small-time crook end up masterminding one of Britain's most audacious heists? Alice Levine and Matt Forde sit down with Wenham to uncover the man behind the plan. He reveals how breaking into the Dome was easier than cracking a cash point, why diamonds never impressed him and how prison life was a breeze (for him, at least). Plus, the one regret that still haunts this reformed r...
After months of careful planning, the gang tear through the Millennium Dome in a modified JCB - because nothing says 'subtle robbery' quite like a bright yellow digger. And when the robbers are confronted by the cops, they have one last trick up their sleeve. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
As Ray Betson's crew prepares for the heist of the century, police chief John 'Swini' Swinfield catches wind of their plans. With his unit's reputation on the line, he hatches a bold counter-operation: let the robbers strike, then catch them red-handed. But in the crowded Millennium Dome, one wrong move could turn a tactical triumph into a public catastrophe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
When a flawless £350 million diamond goes on display at London's Millennium Dome, small-time gangster Ray Betson spots the opportunity of a lifetime. To pull off Britain's biggest robbery, he'll need more than luck – he needs a crew of criminal masterminds. Enter Terry Millman, an armed robber with years of experience, and Lee Wenham, a creative young thief with big ambitions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-m...
He's the journalist-turned-MP at the heart of the group's long fight for justice. Chris Mullin sits down with Alice Levine and Matt Forde to unpack his pursuit of the actual bombers, the press vitriol against him, and just what it took to expose Britain's biggest miscarriage of justice. Plus, he shares his perspective on today's most controversial criminal conviction: that of Lucy Letby. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would l...
In a desperate gamble, journalist Chris Mullin tracks down the real Birmingham bombers and tries to convince them to confess on camera. Can he get the scoop of his life, and finally force the police to reopen the case into the Birmingham Six? Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more...
Journalist Chris Mullin uncovers disturbing evidence he hopes will free the Birmingham Six after a decade in prison. The more he digs, the more he learns of dodgy forensics and police brutality. But bringing this proof to light will mean taking on the most powerful institutions in Britain. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com...
When IRA bombs tear through two pubs in Birmingham and kill 21 innocent people, Detective Superintendent George Reade knows he has to act fast to find the perpetrators. But for Paddy Hill and five friends - on their way to Ireland for a funeral - this is the start of a torturous nightmare that will become the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email u...
April's wasn't the only trans rights case to come to court in the late 1960s. But the other - concerning a trans man and the inheritance of a baronetcy - was hushed up and hidden, and those involved sworn to secrecy. Alice and Matt meet Zoe Playdon, the academic who uncovered the case, to learn how its suppression might have sealed April's legal fate. Please vote for us in the British Podcast Awards: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would lik...
The couple must meet again in court, as their divorce case becomes a landmark battle over what defines a woman. As the pressure mounts, who will crack first: April, or Arthur? Please vote for us in the British Podcast Awards: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...
As April prepares to marry aristocrat Arthur Corbett, she sees his disapproving father as her greatest threat. But as Arthur's drinking intensifies and his obsession with her past grows darker, April realises she may have misjudged which Corbett poses the real danger to her future. Please vote for us in the British Podcast Awards: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our...
A pioneering trans woman's fight for recognition begins in 1960s Britain. April Ashley has broken free of her childhood as a boy in the Liverpool slums to become a stunning fashion model through groundbreaking surgery in Marrakesh. She's young and beautiful, and she's caught the eye of aristocrat Arthur Corbett. But her secret - that she was born a boy - is about to blow up, triggering a scandal that will shape transgender rights for the next half century. Please vote for us in the British Podca...
In 1997, Steve Lamacq thought he was interviewing Noel Gallagher live on Radio 1. So he was delighted when Liam turned up too. He knew the brothers could be unpredictable, but he didn’t know that this interview would go down in Oasis history. Their alcohol-fulled, expletive-filled argument was both radio gold and every presenter’s nightmare. Steve takes Alice Levine and Matt Forde inside that day. Plus he tells us who really won the Battle of Britpop and weighs in on the band’s future. Listen to...
When Noel tells a journalist he’s leaving Oasis, Liam feels like he’s losing control. If the band is going down, he wants to be the one to call time on it. But in reality neither brother has control over the future of Oasis. Because their bandmates have had enough of the feuding. They want out. Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial ...
When a small French coastal town is plunged into chaos, the world discovers what happens when political power and supernatural forces collide. The local mayor Gilles d’Ettore wants to spiritually connect with his late father, so he seeks the help of professional mystic Sophia Martinez. However, the psychic sessions soon spiral out of control, with anonymous phone calls from heaven leading to an abuse of power that shatters the facade of small town serenity. Has Gilles been bewitched by Sophia? W...
It’s 1995 and Noel and Liam have a new enemy. But this time it’s not each other. The brothers have put aside their differences to face Britpop band, Blur, in the UK’s most intense chart battle for thirty years. The country is holding its breath as the groups prepare to release singles on the same day. But will the bad boy brothers of Britpop cope if they fail to emerge victorious? Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on ...
As Oasis embark on their highly-anticipated reunion tour, Alice Levine and Matt Forde revisit one of the rockiest relationships in music history. The story of two brothers who went from sharing a bedroom at their mum's house to becoming one of the world's most successful bands. But their feud was almost as famous as their talent. Welcome to Manchester in the rock 'n' roll 1990s, where a manager is just trying to keep his latest group from self-imploding. Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery ...
Was Anne Boleyn a victim of Tudor tyranny or a master player in the Royal Court? Historian Dr Suzannah Lipscomb joins Alice and Matt to unravel the enigma of Henry's most controversial queen: her magnetic appeal, her dramatic fall, and why - 500 years later - we're still captivated by her story. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com. See Privacy Policy at https://ar...
A queen's fortunes can change in the blink of an eye. As Henry grows distant and Cromwell plots against her, Anne finds herself facing a life-or-death trial that will shock the court, and the country. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Anne and Henry face two tiny obstacles: his wife and the Pope. As they plot to dethrone a queen and secure a divorce, Anne discovers crowns come with catches. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Anne Boleyn dazzles Henry VIII, refusing to be just another notch on his bedpost. She'll settle for nothing less than marriage. But King Henry already has a wife. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
