British Scandal
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…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.
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Episodes
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The Other Virgin's Baby | How WW1 Changed Sex | 4
Wednesday, 31 December 2025
Behind the Russell scandal lay a nation's spectacular ignorance about women's bodies and pleasure. One of Britain's foremost historians of gender and sexuality, Professor Lucy Bland joins Alice Levine and Matt Forde to uncover the bizarre sexual myths of the interwar period, from forgotten scientific knowledge to dangerous fertility advice. Plus: how the war changed women's sexuality, why this terrified society, and Professor Bland's favourite historical euphemism for sex.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 ...
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The Other Virgin's Baby | Fight to the Death | 3
Wednesday, 24 December 2025
Decades later, when Christabel thinks the scandal is buried, John’s family drags her back to court, forcing an ageing Christabel to fight one last brutal battle.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.comSee 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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The Other Virgin's Baby | Hunnish Scenes | 2
Wednesday, 17 December 2025
John Russell is thrilled by his wife’s immaculate conception, until his mother insists Christabel committed adultery. Forced to fight for her baby’s legitimacy in court, their divorce becomes headline news. Can Christabel come out with her reputation - and her son’s heirdom - intact?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.comSee 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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The Other Virgin's Baby | A Thoroughly Modern Marriage | 1
Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Free-spirit Christabel Hart wants to embrace the modern spirit of 1920s London, despite marrying into a stuffy, aristocratic family. But her aversion to sex and domesticity proves incompatible with the growing expectation to produce an heir. All seems lost - until a miracle happens…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.comSee 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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Michelle Mone | Update: How Could £122 Million Just Vanish? | 4
Wednesday, 3 December 2025
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 you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email...
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Encore: Michelle Mone | The Smoking Gun | 3
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
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 to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...
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Encore: Michelle Mone | From Baroness Bra to Baroness Bitcoin | 2
Wednesday, 19 November 2025
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 would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comSee Privacy Policy at https://ar...
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Encore: Michelle Mone | Bra Wars | 1
Friday, 14 November 2025
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.comSee 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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The Millennium Dome Heist | Lee Wenham on Robberies, Prison and Leaving Crime | 4
Wednesday, 5 November 2025
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 robber.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://ar...
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The Millennium Dome Heist | On Trial | 3
Wednesday, 29 October 2025
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.
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The Millennium Dome Heist | Cops and Robbers | 2
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
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.
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The Millennium Dome Heist | Diamond Geezers | 1
Wednesday, 15 October 2025
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-my-info.
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The Birmingham Six | Chris Mullin, the “Loony Leftie” Who Freed the Birmingham Six | 4
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
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 like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.comBe the first to know about Wondery’s n...
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The Birmingham Six | Bombshell | 3
Wednesday, 1 October 2025
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.comBe the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterThis episode comes out for free on (WIDE DATE)...
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The Birmingham Six | House of Cards | 2
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
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.comSee 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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The Birmingham Six | Funeral for a Friend | 1
Wednesday, 17 September 2025
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 us at britishscandal@wondery.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...
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April Ashley | The Secret That Could Have Saved April | 4
Wednesday, 10 September 2025
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/votingDo 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 britishs...
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April Ashley | Corbett vs Corbett | 3
Wednesday, 3 September 2025
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/votingDo 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.comSee 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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April Ashley | A Place of Her Own | 2
Wednesday, 27 August 2025
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/votingDo 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.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C...
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April Ashley | Becoming April | 1
Wednesday, 20 August 2025
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 Podcast Awards: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/votingDo you have a suggestion for a scandal you w...
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Noel and Liam | Radio legend Steve Lamacq on the most chaotic interview of his career | 4
Friday, 15 August 2025
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...
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Noel and Liam | Look Back in Anger | 3
Wednesday, 13 August 2025
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 by visiting https://wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal ...
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Introducing The Mystic and The Mayor... | 1
Monday, 11 August 2025
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?With their entanglement the talk of the town, locals start questioning if Gilles is using his positi...
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Noel and Liam | The Battle of Britpop | 2
Wednesday, 6 August 2025
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...
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Noel and Liam | Rock 'n' Roll Star | 1
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
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 App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+...
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Anne Boleyn | Why Anne is Still Living Rent-Free in our Heads | 4
Wednesday, 23 July 2025
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://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Anne Boleyn | A Queen Condemned | 3
Wednesday, 16 July 2025
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.comSee 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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Anne Boleyn | The Great Matter | 2
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
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.comSee 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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Anne Boleyn | To Catch a King | 1
Wednesday, 2 July 2025
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.comSee 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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The Salisbury Poisonings | The Journalist Who Knew Too Much | 4
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Guardian journalist Luke Harding was thrown out of Russia for exposing uncomfortable truths. Now he takes Matt and Alice behind the headlines of the Skripal attack, exposing how Putin's spy machine really works, and the chilling lengths it went to to threaten his own family.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.comSee 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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