Episodes
As a Page 3 model for over a decade, Linda Lusardi is no stranger to tabloid attention. And she saw first-hand the impact it had on her former neighbour, Paul Gascoigne, as his star rose. Linda takes Matt and Alice inside the highs of their raucous nights out, and the lows of Gazza's battles with addiction. Plus, she tells us why his life wouldn’t be all that different had he never become a footballer.If you or someone you know is struggling with issues like those touched on in this episode, here are some UK resources:For mental health support, call Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samarit...
Glenn Hoddle has a decision to make. As the England team's new manager, it’s time to select his 1998 World Cup squad. Include Gazza, and he’ll have to take drastic action to stop him going off the rails. But exclude the star player and the country could well turn against him. Gazza played a blinder in the qualifying matches, but will it be enough to get him to France?Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https:...
When Paul Gascoigne steps out with his new girlfriend, Sheryl, interest in his personal life soars, and the Press takes advantage. Gazza’s alcohol-fuelled benders and turbulent relationship make him easy prey for tabloid journalists seeking headlines. Sheryl befriends one with the hope of turning the narrative around.If you or someone you know is struggling with issues like those touched on in this episode, here are some UK resources:For eating disorder support, call Beat on 0808 801 0677 or email help@beateatingdisorders.org.ukFor mental health support, call Samaritans on 116 123 or email ...
All Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne has ever wanted to do is play football. So when he’s taken on by Newcastle United, he’s determined to impress. His talent is undeniable and he quickly becomes the most talked-about player in England. But as his fame grows, so too do his inner demons - and the doubts. Now he's playing for his country on the greatest stage of all: the 1990 World Cup. Fans are holding their breath. The world is watching. England expects. Can Gazza deliver?If you or someone you know is struggling with issues like those touched on in this episode, here are some UK resources:For eating ...
Walk into Dr Helen Pankhurst’s home and you’d know straightaway which famous family she’s a part of. From suffragette sashes to her purple, white and green colour scheme. Perhaps it’s no wonder she’s now a celebrated activist herself, winning a CBE for services to gender equality. Matt and Alice sat down with Helen to discuss the effect her family has had on Britain, her take on the climate change protestors of today, and how Labour’s new gender-balanced cabinet will change the country.Read about Helen's campaign to deliver a gender equal parliament by 2028: https://centenaryaction.org.uk/L...
The Suffragettes need to strike the establishment at its core. They’ve tried using words. They’ve even tried violence. Finally, one mild day in June 1913, the group does make headlines. But the circumstances are tragic.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like t...
The Pankhursts’ movement has a new name. The Suffragettes. They're reinvigorated, but fresh-faced Prime Minister Asquith is determined to ignore them. So the Suffragettes resort to a shocking new tactic. One that could prove deadly.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In 1918, women were allowed to run for Parliament in the UK. But most couldn't even vote. Ten years later, that finally changed. At the heart of that monumental shift was a family who wouldn't take no for an answer.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comListen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visit...
David Law is one of Britain’s leading tennis commentators. As host of the award-winning Tennis Podcast and part of BBC 5 Live’s Wimbledon coverage, he’s seen exactly what goes on, on and off the court. He takes Matt and Alice inside his unforgettable early dealings with Boris Becker, the star player’s ‘addiction’ to fame, and the unique loneliness of playing tennis as a career. Plus, David weighs in on whether we will ever see Boris Becker at Wimbledon again.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email u...
Boris Becker is running out of money. Once one of tennis’ top-paid stars, he’s now at the centre of both a costly divorce and a paternity row. So Boris pursues ever more outlandish ways to stay afloat. Until the law catches up with him.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comListen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start you...
What does the UK General Election mean for British Scandal? A bonus episode of course. We already have a whole series covering Liz Truss losing her Premiership. Now she has lost her seat altogether. The first former PM to do so since 1935! Matt and Alice speak to the man some would say is behind her recent loss, James Bagge. Last week, he stood against her as an independent candidate winning 6000 votes. Oh, and his brother, Sir Jeremy Bagge, featured in our Liz Truss series. James Bagge paints a picture of the negative reaction Liz Truss received on the doorsteps of Norfolk, and weighs in o...
Boris Becker is in love. His wife, Barbara is the woman of his dreams. He can’t bear to be apart from her, but he has to stay focused on his tennis. But when his career takes a knock, Boris makes a huge mistake which throws his marriage into jeopardy too.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comListen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or...
A Wimbledon win aged just 17 saw Boris Becker become the tennis tournament’s youngest ever winner and a global superstar. But the pressure of overnight fame sent his life into a tailspin. In this four-part series, Matt Forde and Alice Levine chart Becker’s meteoric rise and shocking fall from grace. A fall that took the player from the tennis court to the criminal court. And to a London prison.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you'd like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comListen to British Scandal on the Wonder...
Often the people at the heart of our scandals would rather we just shut up. And if we make a misstep, they can make our lives difficult. Clare Hoban is the badass media lawyer who keeps British Scandal out of the courts. Matt Forde and Alice Levine sit down with her to discuss how she keeps the show on track, and what you can and can’t say about a live investigation. Plus, Alice finds out how much dirt she could publish on Matt without him taking her to the cleaners.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you'd like to ask our hosts? Ema...
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'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you'd like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comListen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wh...
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'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you'd like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comListen to British Scandal on the Wondery...
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'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you'd like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comListen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wond...
Barings Bank is on the brink of collapse. And it doesn’t take long for those at the top to work out who has left them penniless. Once, Nick Leeson was the historic bank’s most successful trader. Now, he’s a man on the run.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-s...
Nick Leeson’s losses are getting out of hand. And he’s under more pressure than ever to make money - not lose it. Then, disaster strikes. The bank announces an audit of all its accounts. Nick is going to have to take one hell of a risk to get himself back on track.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
British Scandal is celebrating its third birthday! To mark the occasion we are revisiting one of our favourite ever seasons. The story of a young man who bankrupted Britain's oldest bank.It’s the early 90s and Nick Leeson is rising through the ranks at Barings. He’s not the only employee pulling some risky financial moves. But when Leeson gets himself into a hole, he doesn’t know when to stop digging. Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start...
Lyndsy Spence became obsessed with the aristocracy as a teenager. Now a historian and Mitford sister expert, she sits down with Matt and Alice to dissect the six extraordinary and eccentric siblings. From Diana, the beautiful child who dreamed of being kidnapped, to Nancy, who once hoped her parents had been onboard the Titanic - Lyndsy explains the sisters’ shared love of shocking others and ponders the question she’d most like to ask Diana.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wond...
Diana Mosley hasn’t slept for weeks. Oswald has been locked up and she can’t even find a lawyer to represent him. There's only one person she can turn to: her sister, Nancy. But people she trusts have started informing on her. And her family's next.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:/...
Diana has already chosen fascism over her family. But now the world is going to war, and she has to choose between fascism and her country. Winston Churchill tries to win Diana over, but she has already met Germany’s charismatic leader, Adolf Hitler. And she’s hooked.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privac...
It’s 1932, and aristocratic beauty Diana Guinness is the belle of high society London. But her world - and her marriage - are turned upside down when she meets alluring politician, Oswald Mosley. Together they become a very dangerous double act. And Diana is forced to choose between friends and family, and fascism.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.See Privacy Policy at...
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 British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad...
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 your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...
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 Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by vi...
Matt Forde is back! He joins Alice Levine to delve into 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 music manager is just trying to keep his latest band from self-imploding.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcas...
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the only sailor to finish the Golden Globe Race. When he returned home after ten months at sea, he donated his winnings to the Crowhurst family. Sir Robin takes Alice inside his epic voyage, from the reality of fixing his boat in shark-infested waters, to facing a painful bout of appendicitis alone. Plus, he tells us what Donald Crowhurst should have done once he realised he was in danger.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or...
Just two competitors are left in the Golden Globe race, and Donald is one of them. In fact, he's the frontrunner. But it's all a lie: Donald has been cheating. Terrified of being found out and with his elated family already planning the celebrations, it dawns on him that there’s only one way he can avoid total humiliation.This episode contains a depiction of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, the following services offer free support:In Europe, you can speak to a trained volunteer from Samaritans about anything that's worrying you by calling 116 123.In the...