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British Scandal

Audible

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…

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

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26 episodes
weekly
Avg 42 min
English

Episodes 26

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S73 · E4
September 9 · 36 min
Operation Mincemeat | How Lies Helped Win the War | 4
Historian of deception and espionage Dr Helen Fry has spent years uncovering the extraordinary world of Britain’s wartime spies, codebreakers and secret intelligence networks. She joins Alice and Matt to reveal what it really took to fool the Germans in World War II. Was Operation Mincemeat as unique as we think? Can anyone learn to be a world-class liar? And how far should you take a deception when lives are on the line? 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S73 · E3
September 2 · 55 min
Operation Mincemeat | Hook, Line and Sinker | 3
British intelligence have a peculiar problem: they need a German spy to steal a briefcase, whilst making it look like they're trying to stop him. But when Abwehr agent Kühlenthal finally takes the bait, will Hitler actually fall for it? 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S73 · E2
August 26 · 51 min
Operation Mincemeat | Dead Drop | 2
Charles and Ewen have a body and watertight backstory for their fictional Acting Major Bill Martin. Now they have to get him to Spain 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
August 24 · 6 min
Listen Now: Audible True Crime
Introducing Audible True Crime, a dedicated podcast feed where we bring you the best podcasts in true crime, with episodes dropping every single week. Find your next bingeable series about unsolved murders, cold cases, scams and mysteries. This is the cream of the crop of Audible podcasts, featuring award-winning series and soon-to-be favorites. Stop pestering your friends or searching “best true crime podcast” on Google. Up first, Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment: A search for spiritual guidance leads a group of strangers to seek direction from a self-help guru. And not just any guru. James Arthur Ray is an Oprah endorsed motivational speaker and entrepreneur whose unorthodox methods that blend self-improvement and economic advice have won him praise and a growing following. He’s fast becoming a self-help superstar. But Ray’s increasingly extreme methods push his followers to their limits. What are they seeking? What does he offer? And what happens when it all goes too far, and people die? Listen to Audible True Crime wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes on Audible True Crime early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible App or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. Listen now: link.pscrb.fm/6438e/fdaudibletruecrimeron-93b44 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S73 · E1
August 19 · 52 min
Operation Mincemeat | The Perfect Body | 1
Intelligence officers Charles Cholmondeley and Ewen Montagu must prove their audacious - and downright disgusting - plan can fool the Nazis, change the course of WW2, and save thousands of lives. But for that, they need a body. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S72 · E4
August 12 · 45 min
The Shipwrecked Marriage | Meet the Man Who Also Survived Being Lost at Sea | 4
Douglas Robertson and his family survived 38 days in the same stretch of water as Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, after their yacht was sunk by killer whales in 1972. Drinking turtle blood, fantasising about buttered toast, and searching for rainwater became their daily reality. Douglas joins Alice and Matt to share what it's really like to survive against impossible odds, his surprising meeting with the Baileys, and the parallels between their remarkable stories. What does survival really take? Can any relationship withstand it? And how does it change you forever? 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S72 · E3
August 5 · 54 min
The Shipwrecked Marriage | Landlocked | 3
Turns out surviving the ocean was the easy part. Back on land, Maurice's health unravels and the couple who endured everything together find themselves more adrift than ever. The only cure, it seems, is the sea. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S72 · E2
July 29 · 52 min
The Shipwrecked Marriage | Adrift | 2
Now Maralyn and Maurice are adrift in a raft, with dwindling supplies and no way to call for help. Survival demands more of them than they could have ever expected. Can they hold it together long enough to be found? And do they both still want to be? 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 22 · 4 min
Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas
“I am not Nicholas Rossi!” gasps Arthur Knight through an oxygen mask in March 2022. Recently discharged from a Covid ward in Glasgow, he's in a wheelchair. The police say he’s Nicholas Rossi, suspected of faking his death and wanted for rape in Utah. The story makes headlines globally. When journalist Jane MacSorley meets Arthur Knight and his wife Miranda, she thinks the police have made a mistake. She embarks on a yearlong investigation, making a unique discovery which changes everything. Listen to I Am Not Nicholas Season 1 on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad-free by joining Audible on the Audible App or on Apple Podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S72 · E1
July 22 · 50 min
The Shipwrecked Marriage | Auralyn | 1
Maralyn and Maurice Bailey want out. Out of the 9-5, out of the net curtains, out of the ordinary life they've always known. Together they risk everything to sail the world. They're not bringing a radio, because what could possibly go wrong? This is a real-life story of stubbornness, survival, and a couple who really should have packed more sensibly. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S71 · E4
July 15 · 32 min
The Acid King | Meet the Undercover Officer Who Turned Against Drug Busts | 4
Former undercover drugs operative Neil Woods joins Alice and Matt to reveal what it’s really like to wage the war on drugs. After 14 years spent infiltrating gangs, earning the trust of dealers and risking his life inside the criminal underworld, Neil came to a surprising conclusion: major drug busts change less than we think. Was Operation Julie really a success? Do crackdowns actually reduce harm? And how did a former drugs officer end up becoming an advocate for psychedelic therapy? 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 13 · 8 min
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, follow Dan Taberski (Hysterical, 9/12, Missing Richard Simmons) as he sets off on his most complicated quest yet: to reclaim the manifesto and write his own. Dan attempts to rescue the manifesto as a form from the sweaty clutches of cynical politicians and mass shooters and return it to its rightful place: with the artists, the warriors, the visionaries, and the mildly crazy regular folks with something to say, the passion to say it, and the courage to do something about it. From Audible Originals and Please & Thanks Productions, this 6-part series explores the power of the manifesto and asks: Can we get inspired again… and can we do it without a bullet? Listen to Dan Taberski's Manifesto wherever you get your podcasts. Or binge all episodes of Manifesto ad-free right now on Audible. Start your Audible subscription in the Audible App or on Apple Podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S71 · E3
July 8 · 52 min
The Acid King | Drop Out | 3
Britain’s acid revolution is growing fast. But when Detective Dick Lee finally gets the resources he’s been fighting for, a tiny Welsh village becomes the centre of a national manhunt. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S71 · E2
July 1 · 48 min
The Acid King | Tune In | 2
Richard Kemp's revolution is working, and all from a leaky Welsh cottage. But when a fatality leaves a name on a police notepad, there's a detective who is determined to find out the truth. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S71 · E1
June 24 · 53 min
The Acid King | Turn On | 1
A brilliant biochemist believes his LSD can transform the world - and make a criminal network millions. But someone among them is watching. Fifty years on, this is the unbelievable true story of Operation Julie: one of the most audacious undercover police operations 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 us at britishscandal@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S70 · E4
June 17 · 47 min
Jade Goody | The Exec Behind Big Brother’s Most Explosive Era | 4
Executive Producer Paul Osborne takes Alice and Matt behind the scenes and into the key decisions made during the Jade Goody years. Paul worked on Big Brother 3, where he first met Jade during her home visit before she entered the house. He later became Executive Producer of the controversial Celebrity Big Brother 5 featuring Jade Goody and Shilpa Shetty - a series that sparked international headlines and one of the biggest racism controversies in British television history. Paul explains how housemates were selected, the thinking behind the show’s most memorable tasks, and how producers responded to the intense media scrutiny surrounding Celebrity Big Brother 5. How accurate was the version viewers saw on screen? What really happened as producers and editors handled the escalating controversy? And what about Jade herself? Was Big Brother the making of her, or did it ultimately destroy her? 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S70 · E3
June 10 · 53 min
Jade Goody | The Shiniest Star | 3
Jade Goody storms into the Big Brother house, all cocky confidence and East London charm. She fights, laughs and screams her way through the first few days, but behind the loudmouth antics, there’s more than meets the eye. By eviction night, the nation can’t get enough. But will they love her… or love to hate her? For non-judgmental information and support on domestic abuse, women can visit https://refuge.org.uk/ or call the free National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 day or night. Men can call the free Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or visit https://mensadviceline.org.uk/. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S70 · E2
June 3 · 54 min
Jade Goody | No Laughing Matter | 2
Jade returns to the Big Brother house, but what starts as a reality TV experiment quickly spirals into a national scandal. Finally, her actions spark outrage that reaches the Prime Minister. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S70 · E1
May 27 · 51 min
Jade Goody | Am I Mingin'? | 1
Jade Goody storms into the Big Brother house, all cocky confidence and East London charm. She fights, laughs and screams her way through the first few days, but behind the loudmouth antics, there’s more than meets the eye. By eviction night, the nation can’t get enough. But will they love her… or love to hate her? For non-judgmental information and support on domestic abuse, women can visit https://refuge.org.uk/ or call the free National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 day or night. Men can call the free Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or visit https://mensadviceline.org.uk/. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S69 · E4
May 20 · 46 min
The Warring Queens | History’s Messiest Royal Rivalry | 4
Historian Kate Williams joins Alice and Matt to make the case for Mary, Queen of Scots - and why history's been getting her all wrong. Professor Williams unpicks centuries of blame placed on Mary for her own downfall, and reveals how looking at her life through a modern lens changes everything. And what about Elizabeth I? Kate says their rivalry wasn't just politics - it was personal, petty, and shaped by the impossible position of being two women trying to rule in a world that just didn't want them to. 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@audible.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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