Episodes
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...
As he gets further into the Golden Globe race, Donald Crowhurst realises he's in trouble. He has not brought the right supplies, his boat is not watertight and he's sailing towards the most dangerous area of water on earth. He decides to take a gamble. If it goes right then he'll come home safe. If it goes wrong then he'll be branded a cheat and his family will be homeless.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 ...
Comedian and actor Hugh Dennis joins Alice Levine on a race around the world. It’s the 1960s, and businessman, inventor and dreamer Donald Crowhurst is in serious financial trouble. He plans to pay off his debt and provide for his family not by getting a job, but by sailing around the globe. On launch day however, he has an unfinished boat and very little sailing experience - and he’s bet his house on finishing the race. 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...
Christine Hart watched Mazher Mahmood at close range. As a fellow investigative reporter at News of the World in the 90s and 00s, she played roles including the sheikh’s wife, an arms dealer and a stripper. Christine tells Alice Levine what Mahmood was really like, and what he’s up to now.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...
Mazher Mahmood goes glam for his next undercover persona: Bollywood film producer. His latest victim is singer and X Factor judge, Tulisa. But when Tulisa takes legal action, the tables turn. Mahmood becomes the story.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-sell-...
Mahmood’s status as king of the sting is under threat. Phone hacking is a new tool that’s cheaper and easier than his elaborate ruses. So he doubles down. More stings, more disguises, more famous targets. Until one of those targets starts to fight back.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 htt...
Actress, comedian and podcaster Emily Lloyd-Saini joins Alice Levine on a journey to London’s Fleet Street. It's the 1980s and young Mazher Mahmood manages to bag a job at one of the UK's biggest newspapers. He has a talent for breaking stories, but he soon realises it’ll take more than good journalism to make his mark. In fact, it might not take much of that at all. He hits on the idea of becoming a Fake Sheikh - and a tabloid star is born.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 Wonde...
Alice Levine heads to the Krays' heartland of North-East London to meet Nemone Lethbridge, who defended the twins in court. Nemone tells us why she never considered turning the job down, takes listeners inside the working relationship that progressed into an unlikely friendship and weighs in on how the Krays became quite so notorious.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.S...
The Kray twins have run riot in London’s criminal underworld for over a decade. So far they’ve felt untouchable. But with a new detective on their case, that’s about to change. Enter crime-busting maverick, Nipper Read. He’s gaining on the Krays: all he needs now is a witness to testify against two of the most powerful men in the city.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....
The Krays are gaining influence in the London gang scene and getting rich in the process. Working together, their bond feels unbreakable. Until one day they meet a woman who proves it's not.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-sell-my-info.
Joining Alice Levine on a trip to the East End of London is comedian Phil Wang. It's the 1950s and the unruly Kray twins are tired of spending their days boxing and street fighting. They want more power, more influence. So they start building an empire in the criminal underworld. And they’re making gains, until one brother realises the biggest threat to their plan is his own twin.Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the ...
Rob Delaney and Alice Levine sit down with the reporter at the heart of our story, David Leigh. Leigh takes us inside the explosive investigation that led to Jonathan Aitken's imprisonment, from the moment he knew he was about to bring down the former Cabinet minister, to the vitriol he received from Aitken himself. Plus, he tells us why he believes the Aitken affair had a lasting impact on British journalism.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jonathan Aitken has created an intricate web of lies, and now he’s placed his own family at the centre of it. If the truth is uncovered, he risks losing his relationships, career and freedom. But journalist David Leigh is onto him and he’s moving fast. He’s just one piece of the puzzle away from bringing Aitken down.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The editor of The Guardian has had a tip-off which, if true, is huge: that the cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken is accepting money from senior Saudis. He’s been trying to nail down the story for a month but with no luck. Then one day, he has an idea: call David Leigh, an investigative journalist who MPs with something to hide have learned to fear. Maybe David can find the smoking gun?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
With Matt Forde taking some time away from the microphone, comedian and actor Rob Delaney joins Alice Levine to take listeners inside a story of politics, pride and perjury.Young MP Jonathan Aitken has big ambitions. He wants to make his mark on politics - and on the world. After he catches Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s eye, his star is firmly on the rise. But before long, a dark secret threatens to destroy everything he’s worked so hard to build.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.