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Society & Culture

REAL LIVES

Naomi Channell

Coming 7th October...


From Naomi Channell, TV producer, journalist, and host of the hit true crime podcast REAL, comes a brand-new series that proves the most extraordinary stories aren’t always about crime… they’re about life.


In REAL LIVES, Naomi sits down with people whose experiences are stranger, wilder, and more moving than fiction.


From a victim of a bigamist to a Dunblane survivor, the UK’s first commercial surrogate to a woman jilted at the altar, and even a death doula who helps people face the end — these are stories of resilience, heartbreak, survival, and reinvention.


Twisting, gripping, and deeply human, REAL LIVES invites you into the moments that changed everything. These aren’t just stories. They’re real lives.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • 41 episodes
  • Updated July 27
  • Explicit

Episodes41

Newest first
  • March 10 · 45 min

    'I Had No Idea My Ex Was Stalking Me'

    When actress Nicola Holt received a message from a film director called Kevin on social media, she was excited to get her teeth into some new projects. Their relationship became romantic and Nicola was hopeful for the future. But something was niggling her and after some digging she discovered that Kevin had a long term partner and that he was living a double life. The relationship ended and Nicola moved on.... but Kevin didn't..... She started seeing Kevin everywhere, in areas he would never need to be. And then she looked under her partners car and saw something that would show just how obsessed Kevin had become. This is REAL LIVES. If you'd like to support the show and join me over on Patreon, please see here, thank you: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast The Cyber Helpline - Cyberstalking Action Plan https://www.thecyberhelpline.com/cyberstalking-action-plan The National Stalking Helpline https://www.suzylamplugh.org/pages/category/national-stalking-helpline How To Detect a GPS Tracker on Your Car https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cuoyuqzm60 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • March 3 · 52 min

    'My Partner Almost Killed Me'

    When Mandy met her ex-partner, she thought he was the one. But after six months, she started to see a completely different side to him and soon she found herself in a controlling and extremely violent relationship. Mandy was subjected to severe violence and she was terrified to leave, she even moved her son out of the home to keep him safe. But after a brutal assault by the man who claimed to love her, she managed to leave. Her abuser is now in prison and she is here today to share her story in the hope that it could save a life. This is REAL LIVES. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here via my Patreon, thank you: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast If you need help or support with domestic abuse please get in touch with the following organisations: https://havendas.org.uk/ - UK https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ - UK https://mankind.org.uk/ - Support for male victims https://safelives.org.uk/ - UK https://www.victimsupportni.com/help-for-victims/domestic-violence/ - Northern Ireland https://mapni.co.uk/ - Northern Ireland for men https://sdvs.ie/ - Ireland https://www.mensaid.ie/ - Ireland for men https://www.lifewire.org/ - USA https://www.thehotline.org/resources/men-can-be-victims-of-abuse-too/ - USA for men https://www.rizeup.com.au/ - Australia https://mensline.org.au/family-violence/ - Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • February 24 · 32 min

    'My Brother Killed 2 People... But I'll Always Stand By Him'

    On this episode, I am joined by a woman who we are calling 'Natalie' to protect her identity. Her brother is serving a natural life order for killing two people and Natalie is here to give insight in to what it is like, grieving the loss of her brother, not through death, but through his incarceration. With approximately 300 people jailed for murder every year in England and Wales, the families of the perpetrators are seldom heard in the media and in a very raw and real interview, Natalie explains how it's impacted her life and why she's chosen to stand by him. This is REAL LIVES. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here, thank you: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • February 17 · 46 min

    'How I Discovered I was in a Cult'

    When journalist Anke Richter moved to New Zealand, she wanted to explore more of life. So she joined an organisation that promised to help her explore sexuality. But it was a chance encounter with a cult survivor that she was writing a journalistic piece on that she realised that she was also in a cult. Anke is now one of the worlds most respected 'cult journalists' and advocates and she's here today to tell her story. This is REAL LIVES. If you'd like to join me over on Patreon, you can here, thank you so much: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast Anke's website with links to her book 'Cult Trip' is here, where you can find the best place to buy it in your country: https://ankerichter.net/ To connect with Anke, please see here: https://www.facebook.com/ankerichterwriter https://www.linkedin.com/in/anke-richter-748a3243/ https://www.instagram.com/ankerichterwriter/ For information on Decult - see here: https://decult.net If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast, please see the organisations below who can help and support you: https://www.mind.org.uk/ - Mental health support https://www.spuk.org.uk/ - Suicide Prevention UK https://www.samaritans.org/ - The Samaritans https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/ - For people who have been the victim of sexual abuse (UK) https://www.rainn.org/ - Sexual Abuse Support USA https://988lifeline.org/ - Suicide Prevention USA https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory - Sexual Abuse Support Australia https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/ - Suicide Prevention Australia https://www.rcni.ie/useful-links/ - Sexual Abuse Support Ireland https://www.pieta.ie/ - Suicide Prevention Ireland https://www.thefamilysurvivaltrust.org/ - Support for cult survivors (UK) https://www.peopleleavecults.com/services/support-groups - Support for cult survivors & Intervention (global) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • February 10 · 1 hr 8 min

    From Homeless to Hero: The Story of Jay Flynn

    In this episode of REAL LIVES, Jay Flynn MBE tells the extraordinary story of the two years he spent homeless, sleeping rough and living without certainty. It was a deliberate decision that would go on to shape his life, his career, and his sense of purpose. But then something changed... Jay was offered help from The Connection at St Martin's charity and now he's the Nation's Favourite Quizmaster, homeless advocate and.... he has an MBE. This is REAL LIVES. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast To have a go at Jay's Quizzes, please see here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLcSqjJWHJeDWD_SbdorBRw For his books and social media, please see here: https://linktr.ee/jayflynn?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=fe4138db-e898-447c-ae0c-6bcf9e73b8e8 For support with homelessness please see here: https://www.crisis.org.uk/ https://www.mungos.org/ https://thestreetlink.org.uk/ For the charity that helped Jay, see Connections St Martins: https://www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk/ For mental health support, please see here: https://www.mind.org.uk/ - Mental health & Identity support https://www.spuk.org.uk/ - Suicide Prevention UK https://www.samaritans.org/ - The Samaritans https://988lifeline.org/ - Suicide Prevention USA https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/ - Suicide Prevention Australia https://www.pieta.ie/ - Suicide Prevention Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • February 3 · 41 min

    Defending Evil & Freeing the Innocent with Tad Nelson

    Tad Nelson is one of Texas' most successful criminal defence attorneys. With Texas being a death penalty state, Tad has saved lives but also defended some of America's most dangerous criminals. He's worked on over 500 jury trials and has a plethora of qualifications under his belt, including certificates in forensic science. In this episode, Tad tells us what being a criminal defence attorney is really like, how he defends people who have committed the most depraved acts imaginable and why he has spent over 30 years working in the criminal justice system. This is REAL LIVES. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast To find out more about the work Tad does, please see here: https://tadlaw.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • January 27 · 43 min

    'I'm Fighting the Law for my Sister'

    TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains references to domestic violence and suicide. Whilst the descriptions are not explicit, please take extra care whilst listening. In March 2023, Danielle Haggarty was found unresponsive in the flat of a man she was dating on and off for eight years. The circumstance's in this case revealed a disturbing fact - it's not a crime to witness someone dying and not call for help. Today we're joined by Danielle's brother Jonathan, whose life has been shaped by a series of unimaginable losses, and he is now on a mission to change the law in his sisters name. This is REAL LIVES. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast To sign Jonathan's petition please see here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/750545 Justice for Danielle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584415784649&locale=en_GB If you need support with mental health and suicidal thoughts, please see the links below to organisations that can help: https://www.mind.org.uk/ - Mental health & Identity support https://www.spuk.org.uk/ - Suicide Prevention UK https://www.samaritans.org/ - The Samaritans https://988lifeline.org/ - Suicide Prevention USA https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/ - Suicide Prevention Australia https://www.pieta.ie/ - Suicide Prevention Ireland If you need help or support with domestic abuse please get in touch with the following organisations: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ - UK https://mankind.org.uk/ - Support for male victims https://safelives.org.uk/ - UK https://www.victimsupportni.com/help-for-victims/domestic-violence/ - Northern Ireland https://mapni.co.uk/ - Northern Ireland for men https://sdvs.ie/ - Ireland https://www.mensaid.ie/ - Ireland for men https://www.lifewire.org/ - USA https://www.thehotline.org/resources/men-can-be-victims-of-abuse-too/ - USA for men https://www.rizeup.com.au/ - Australia https://mensline.org.au/family-violence/ - Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • January 20 · 1 hr 4 min

    'A Million Strangers Saved My Child's Life'

    When Ellen De Meyer delivered her baby girl, she was over the moon to give her son a baby sister. But when her daughter Pia was just 3 months old, Ellen noticed that something was wrong with Pia's movement and strength. Pia was diagnosed with SMA Type 1, which can be life-limiting. There was a medicine that could save her, but it cost over £1.5m. And what happened next, is enough to restore anyone's faith in humanity. This is REAL LIVES. To join the show's Patreon, please see here: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast To follow Pia's journey, here Instagram page is here: www.instagram.com/@teampia2018 or to connect with Ellen please see here: https://www.instagram.com/ellendm1986 Ellen wrote a book on her experiences, it is currently only available in Dutch: https://share.google/Vw1sPTuyHt6ffjUoH To find out more about the signs and symptoms of SMA Type 1, please see here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/spinal-muscular-atrophy-sma/ 'Welcome to Holland' is written by Emily Perl Kingsley and you can find out more about her work here: https://www.emilyperlkingsley.com/welcome-to-holland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • January 13 · 49 min

    'I've Spent My Life Catching Killers'

    If someone we loved is killed by someone else, we rely on detectives in the major crime teams to catch the killer. In this episode, murder detective Steve Keogh talks us through his career, how he has foiled terrorism plots, caught killers and got justice for than 100 murder victims. This is REAL LIVES. To join me on Patreon, please see here: https://www.patreon.com/c/REALtruecrimepodcast To buy Steve's book, see here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Investigation-Team-Steven-Keogh/dp/1789466423 Or check out Steve's website: https://stevekeogh.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • January 6 · 51 min

    'My Husband - The Conspiracy Theorist'

    Many of us have different points of view from our spouse, but what happens when your partner becomes a full time conspiracy theorist? This is exactly what happened to Louise Williamson. And she's here to tell us about her experience. This is REAL LIVES. To find out more about Louise's experience and how she started to heal, you can find her wonderful book 'My Husband, The Rabbit Hole and Me - When Marriage Becomes a Cult', here: https://amzn.eu/d/fGJmc0F And Louise's website is here: https://www.louisewilliamsonwriter.com/ And her Substack 'SEEDS' is here: https://louisewilliamson2.substack.com/ If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here, thank you: https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Dec 9, 2025 · 33 min

    'I Endured Years of Gay Conversion Therapy'

    Lewis Crompton knew he was gay, but the church he was part of told him it was wrong. So he entered their 'Gay Conversion' therapy programme. In this episode, Lewis describes his experience and how his life looks very different now. This is REAL LIVES. if you'd like to support the show, you can do so here by joining Patreon, thank you: https://www.patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast To follow Lewis on social media, you can find him here: https://www.instagram.com/withlewiscrompton https://www.facebook.com/p/Lewis-Crompton-61567102598294/ For services for any who needs support with their sexuality or identity, see here: United Kingdom Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline — Website: switchboard.lgbt Homepage | Switchboard LGBT Foundation — Website: lgbt.foundation LGBT Foundation Ireland LGBT Ireland (National LGBT+ Helpline) — Website: lgbt.ie LGBT Ireland BeLonG To Youth Services — Website: belongto.org Belong To - LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland United States The Trevor Project — Website: thetrevorproject.org The Trevor Project LGBT National Help Center — Website: lgbthotline.org (peer support hotlines & chat) LGBT Great Australia QLife — Website: qlife.org.au transhelplines Minus18 — Website: minus18.org.au Pride Aid New Zealand OutLine Aotearoa — Website: outline.org.nz transhelplines RainbowYOUTH — Website: ry.org.nz transhelplines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Dec 2, 2025 · 43 min

    Mark Tinsley: The Man Who Helped Bring Down Alex Murdaugh

    Mark Tinsley is the lawyer who stepped into one of the most notorious — and deeply troubling — criminal investigations of recent years: The Murdaugh Family Murders. Mark meticulously followed the facts and relentlessly pursued justice in one of America's most infamous trials. In today’s episode of Real Lives, Mark opens up about his fight against Alex Murdaugh, getting justice for Mallory Beach, and how he became a household name for true crime consumers everywhere. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here, thank you: https://www.patreon.com/c/REALtruecrimepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Nov 25, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min

    The Rise of the Female PI's

    In this episode, we speak to three female PI's who are blowing the stereotype of a 'Private Investigator' right out of the water. These women work on everything from cheating spouses to unsolved murders. Today's guests are Samantha and Emma from Verity Henton - www.verityhenton.co.uk / https://www.instagram.com/verityhenton/ / https://www.tiktok.com/@verityhenton And Ali Marsh from Miss AM Private Investigations - https://missaminvestigations.co.uk/ To buy Ali's book, Private Lies: True Stories From my Life As a Private Investigator - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Private-Lies-True-stories-Investigator/dp/178946840X To support the show, please see Patreon for extra benefits and content: https://www.patreon.com/c/REALtruecrimepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Nov 18, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min

    'My Teacher Abused Me and I Planned to Kill Him'.

    John Comerford was raised in a home where he felt happy, safe and loved. But when he went to high school, his teacher took those feelings from him. He was physically and sexually abused by his teacher and it changed his life forever. After he left school, he was left with the emotional scars and deep routed trauma that made him want to take the life of the man who had caused him so much pain. So he loaded a shotgun and made his way school... In this episode, John tells us his story and how, after his journey of healing, he has helped many other victims of child abuse. This is REAL LIVES. To find John's books, see here: https://jjcomerford.com/books The organisation that helped John is here: www.samsn.org.au If you need help or support please see these organisations that can help: https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/ - For people who have been the victim of sexual abuse (UK) https://www.rainn.org/ - Sexual Abuse Support USA https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory or www.samsn.org.au - Sexual Abuse Support Australia https://www.rcni.ie/useful-links/ - Sexual Abuse Support Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Nov 11, 2025 · 53 min

    “My Brother Was Murdered & It Changed My Life Forever"

    On the 30th of May 2015, Eugene Scardifield's life changed forever. His brother Michael had been murdered in a violent attack. In this episode, Eugene takes us through Michael's case and guides us through his reality. What does the family of a person lost to homicide do once they receive such devastating news? And how do you begin to live again? This is REAL LIVES. To join my Patreon, please find the details here: https://www.patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast To find Eugene's books, see here: A Tortured Gift: Words After Murder - https://amzn.eu/d/73Au48Q Michael: Words from a Broken Heart - https://amzn.eu/d/ekMHyNE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.