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… 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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Recent Episodes
The Shipwrecked Marriage | Landlocked | 3
Aug 05, 2026Summary Preview
After 117 days lost at sea following a whale attack, British couple Marilyn and Maurice Bailey are miraculously rescued by a Korean fishing vessel. This episode chronicles their recovery, media whirlwind, return to Britain, and ultimate decision to sail again despite Maurice's life-threatening lung condition. Their remarkable story reveals how isolation at sea strengthened rather than destroyed their marriage.
- Korean Fisherman's Discovery and Rescue Decision
- Marilyn's Near-Death and Maurice's Desperate Choice
The Shipwrecked Marriage | Adrift | 2
Jul 29, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles the harrowing survival story of Marilyn and Morris Bailey, who spent 117 days adrift at sea after their yacht was destroyed by a whale in the Pacific Ocean. The couple faces starvation, dehydration, failed rescue attempts, and near-death as they struggle to stay alive on a tiny life raft, with Marilyn eventually taking charge when Morris's health deteriorates.
- The Whale Attack and Immediate Aftermath
- Morris's Fatal Mistake: 300 Miles Off Course
Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas
Jul 22, 2026Summary Preview
This episode features journalist Jane McSorley introducing her podcast 'I Am Not Nicholas,' which investigates a bizarre case that began in January 2022. A man arrested in a Glasgow COVID ward claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, while authorities insisted he was Nicholas Rossi, an American fugitive wanted for rape in Utah. McSorley spent over four and a half years following this extraordinary story of disputed identity, courtroom drama, and mysterious behavior.
- Discovery of the Story
- The Identity Mystery
The Shipwrecked Marriage | Auralyn | 1
Jul 22, 2026Summary Preview
British Scandal explores the extraordinary true story of Maurice and Marilyn Bailey, an ordinary couple who sold everything to sail around the world in 1972. This opening episode traces their journey from an awkward blind date at a 1962 car rally to their fateful encounter with a sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean nine months into their voyage. The narrative reveals how Marilyn's relentless pursuit of freedom and adventure gradually transforms Maurice from a cautious tax clerk into a confident captain willing to sail without a radio.
- The Whale Attack and Sinking
- An Unlikely Romance Begins
Summary Preview
This episode features former undercover police officer Neil Woods discussing his 14-year career infiltrating drug gangs, his mental health struggles from the work, and why he now believes the war on drugs causes more harm than good. The conversation connects to the podcast's series on Operation Julie, the famous 1970s LSD bust, and explores whether drug prohibition and undercover tactics actually work. Woods shares harrowing stories from his undercover operations and explains his journey from enforcer to activist for drug law reform.
- From Coin Flip to Undercover: Neil Woods' Accidental Career
- The Art of Undercover Work: Weaponizing Empathy
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto
Jul 13, 2026Summary Preview
Dan Taberski's Manifesto is a six-part podcast series exploring the power and precariousness of manifestos in modern society. The premiere episode examines the 2013 case of Christopher Dorner, a former LAPD officer who murdered a young couple and left behind an 11-page manifesto, while Taberski reflects on his own experiences with rage and the transformative potential of manifestos to channel anger into action and societal change.
- Introduction and Christopher Dorner Murder Case
- Dan Taberski's Personal Rage and Mission
The Acid King | Drop Out | 3
Jul 08, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles the dramatic downfall of Richard Kemp's LSD empire as Detective Dick Lee's Operation Julie closes in. After months of surveillance and innovative undercover tactics, Dick intercepts coordinates leading to buried acid stashes across Britain. The operation culminates in a coordinated nationwide raid involving 800 officers, resulting in over 120 arrests including Kemp and distributor David Solomon. Despite the bust, millions of doses remain buried across the countryside, their locations lost to history.
- Christine's Risky Money Run
- Dick Demands Surveillance Powers
The Acid King | Tune In | 2
Jul 01, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles the escalating cat-and-mouse game between Richard Kemp, a Cambridge prodigy manufacturing the world's purest LSD from rural Wales, and Detective Inspector Dick Lee, who leads Operation Julie - Britain's first nationally assembled drug squad. After months of failed surveillance, mounting casualties linked to Kemp's purple microdots, and bungled stakeouts, Lee finally closes in on the acid empire operating from the Welsh countryside, only to find his suspect has slipped away once again.
- The Lab Accident and Visions of Prison
- Detective Dick Lee's First Big Raid
The Acid King | Turn On | 1
Jun 24, 2026Summary Preview
This episode introduces Richard Kemp, a brilliant Cambridge chemistry prodigy who abandons his PhD in the late 1960s to become Britain's biggest LSD manufacturer. Seduced by the promise of psychedelic revolution and consciousness expansion, Richard transforms from academic to acid kingpin, creating the iconic 'Microdot' and building an international distribution network that would eventually supply nearly half the world's LSD. The story traces his journey from reluctant student to committed chemist, as he navigates partnerships with counterculture figures, deals with criminal distributors, and attempts to balance idealism with the realities of the drug trade.
- The Crash and the Kingpin's Dilemma
- Meeting Solomon and First Encounter with LSD
Summary Preview
This episode features an in-depth interview with Paul Osborne, a Big Brother producer who worked with Jade Goody from her initial audition through her controversial Celebrity Big Brother appearance. The conversation explores the mechanics of reality TV production, the unprecedented media storm during the 2007 Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy, and reflections on Jade's complex legacy. Osborne provides insider perspective on casting decisions, editorial choices during crisis moments, and how Big Brother fundamentally changed media culture.
- Paul Osborne's Big Brother Journey and First Meeting with Jade
- The Classism and Misogyny Jade Faced
Listen Now: Foul Play
Jun 15, 2026Summary Preview
This episode introduces the Audible podcast 'Foul Play,' which investigates a decades-old conspiracy theory that the CIA may have poisoned England's legendary goalkeeper Gordon Banks before a crucial 1970 World Cup match. Investigative journalist Gabriel Gatehouse teams up with Banks' grandson Ed to uncover whether England's 60-year football curse began with Cold War espionage, discovering surveillance photos in Mexican secret police archives that suggest this seemingly absurd theory might have merit.
- The Mystery of England's 60-Year Football Curse
- The Discovery in Mexican Secret Police Archives
Jade Goody | The Shiniest Star | 3
Jun 10, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles Jade Goody's devastating journey from her cancer diagnosis in India while filming Big Boss to her death at age 27. After the Celebrity Big Brother racism scandal destroyed her career, Jade attempted a comeback on the Indian version of the show, only to be called home after two days with a cancer diagnosis. The episode follows her fight against cervical cancer, her decision to monetize her illness to provide for her sons, her wedding to Jack Tweed, and her final days surrounded by family.
- The Phone Call That Changed Everything
- Shilpa's Compassion and the Big Boss Reunion
New Season - Dr. Death: The Cowboy
Jun 04, 2026Summary Preview
This episode of Dr. Death: The Cowboy follows the harrowing story of a patient who discovers that none of her spinal fusion surgeries performed by Dr. Schneider actually healed, leaving her walking around with a broken back for years. When her daughter Christy seeks a second opinion from Dr. Narotsky, they uncover shocking negligence and face threatening responses from Dr. Schneider, who tries to discredit the new doctor and prevent further treatment.
- The Devastating Discovery
- A Difficult Treatment Decision
Jade Goody | No Laughing Matter | 2
Jun 03, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles Jade Goody's catastrophic return to Celebrity Big Brother in 2007, where what began as a lucrative opportunity for the reality TV pioneer descended into a racism scandal that triggered international condemnation, reached the Prime Minister, and destroyed her career. The episode explores how class tensions, cultural ignorance, and producer manipulation created a toxic environment that exposed the dark underbelly of reality television.
- Mental Health Crisis and Aftermath
- The Reality TV Pioneer
Jade Goody | Am I Mingin'? | 1
May 27, 2026Summary Preview
This episode introduces the legendary story of Jade Goody, who went from being an unknown dental nurse from Bermondsey to Britain's most famous reality TV star through Big Brother. We follow her troubled background living with a drug-addicted mother, escaping an abusive boyfriend, and her unlikely journey to becoming a household name despite—or perhaps because of—being labeled 'the most hated woman in Britain' by tabloids who mocked her working-class mannerisms and malapropisms.
- The Opening Shock: Jade's 2007 Racism Scandal Preview
- Big Brother's Cultural Impact and Alice's Inside Perspective
Listen Now: OnlyFantasy
May 21, 2026Summary Preview
Journalists Leon Nafok and comedian Gracie Kanan explore the OnlyFans industry by visiting Creators, Inc., an elite talent agency in Los Angeles that represents top OnlyFans creators. The episode takes listeners inside a luxurious content house in Encino, California, where the team discovers a surprisingly professional and corporate approach to adult content creation that challenges their preconceptions about the platform and sex work.
- Introduction to OnlyFantasy and the Journey
- Arriving at the Modern Playboy Mansion
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The Warring Queens | The Last Gasp | 3
May 13, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles Mary Queen of Scots' 18-year imprisonment in England, her relationship with cousin Elizabeth I, and her ultimate execution. After fleeing Scotland seeking protection, Mary becomes trapped in English castles while her infant son James rules Scotland. The saga culminates in Mary's involvement in the Babington Plot to assassinate Elizabeth, leading to her dramatic execution in 1587 wearing symbolic Catholic red.
- Mary's Desperate Arrival in England
- Elizabeth's Impossible Decision
The Warring Queens | Marry in Haste | 2
May 06, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles Mary Queen of Scots' disastrous marriage to Lord Darnley, from their passionate courtship through his brutal betrayal and murder. Matt Ford and Alice Levine narrate how Mary's romantic idealism led her into relationships with dangerous men—first Darnley, who conspired to murder her secretary, then Bothwell, who likely orchestrated Darnley's assassination. The episode traces Mary's journey from powerful queen to fugitive, forced to flee Scotland disguised as a man, heading toward England to plead with her cousin Elizabeth I for help.
- Mary's Search for a Husband and Meeting Darnley
- The Wedding Night Power Struggle
The Warring Queens | Rivals | 1
Apr 29, 2026Processing failed