Lucky Boy | Tortoise Investigates

Jim asks an AI chatbot a simple question about how to earn some extra cash. He ends up in a psychiatric ward. Patricia Clarke investigates how design choices made by AI labs can lead to human delusions.

Reported by Patricia Clarke

Produced by Katie Gunning

Sound design by Hannah Varrall

Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

Executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

Spiral is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free,subscribe to The Observer.

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

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

When The Observer’s Technology Editor, Patricia Clarke began investigating a new phenomenon initially dubbed ‘AI psychosis’, she found lives upended by long, intimate conversations with chatbots. But as she followed the evidence from a psychiatric ward in Bristol to the safety teams in Silicon Valley, a far darker story emerged.

Guided by AI industry whistleblowers, grieving families and hundreds of pages of chatbot transcripts, Spiralexposes how big tech is running an unprecedented experiment on the human mind.

Spiral is a six-part series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer, produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.

Reported by Patricia Clarke

Produced by Katie Gunning

Sound design by Hannah Varrall

Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

The executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

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

To culminate Careless, a new investigative series from The Observer, we invite you to join actor Nkechi Simms, broadcaster and Careless reporter Ashley John-Baptiste, and Observer producer Madeleine Parr for a special online event.

Together, they’ll take you behind the scenes of the investigation, explore why so many care leavers are being denied access to their own histories, and answer your burning questions.

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Journalist Ashley John-Baptiste joins actor Nkechi Simms as she returns to Camden to untangle the truth about her childhood and find out why she was taken into state care when she was 12. 

Careless is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free,subscribe to The Observer.

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

Sound design by Simon Panayi 

Artwork by Jon Hill 

The editor is Jasper Corbett

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

Nkechi Simms is a successful actor who’s had parts in Top Boy and the BBC comedy PRU. Outwardly life is good and she’s got everything going for her, but this hasn’t always been the case. When she was 12 Nkechi’s mother handed her over to Camden council and she was placed in foster care. Now Nkechi wants to find out what happened to her and why. The only way she can do this is by getting hold of her care records. But that’s easier said than done. And will those records answer her questions? 

Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

Sound design by Simon Panayi 

Artwork by Jon Hill 

The editor is Jasper Corbett

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

When Peter Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States over his links with Jeffrey Epstein people wondered how he ever got appointed in the first place.  

Eventually Keir Starmer’s government was forced to publish more than a thousand pages of emails, messages and letters which reveal how Peter Mandelson was appointed, vetted and cleared to become the UK’s most influential diplomat. 

What emerges from those documents, is a story about who wields power in Britain today, how it works and how we conduct our politics.   

The Observer’s Ada Barumé tells the story of a political farce that begins with the appointment of Peter Mandelson and ends with the resignation of Keir Starmer. 

The Mandelson Files is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

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Reporter - Ada Barumé

Producer - Amalie Sortland

Sound design - Dominic Delargy

Podcast artwork - Lucy Stevenson

Executive producer - Jasper Corbett

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

When Asma arrives in Syria, there’s a palpable sense of hope. People in the country and around the world dare to believe that she is a force for good. Chloe hears from people who worked with her in the early years who - despite everything that’s happened - still believe her intentions were genuine but that she became trapped by the regime.

Episodes one and two are available to all listeners. To access the rest of the series, ad-free, subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or subscribe to The Observer for access to all our podcasts and newsletters seven days a week, plus puzzles, recipes and Culture Club. Use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Gary Marshall

Field producer - Sarah Dadouch

Sound design - Karla Patella

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

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

Emma is a high achieving, middle class woman from West London - she’s destined for a successful career and a comfortable British life. But in 2001 she makes a decision that will come to define her - she marries the son of a dictator and becomes Asma al-Assad, the first lady of Syria.

Episodes one and two are available to all listeners. To access the rest of the series, ad-free, subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or subscribe to The Observer for access to all our podcasts and newsletters seven days a week, plus puzzles, recipes and Culture Club. Use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Gary Marshall

Field producer - Sarah Dadouch

Sound design - Karla Patella

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

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

Emma is a high achieving, middle class girl from west London. She seems destined for a successful career in banking and a comfortable British life. Until she makes a decision that will come to define her. In 2001 Emma marries Bashar al-Assad - the now infamous dictator of Syria.

In the early days, people inside and out of Syria dared to hope. Alongside his beautiful, progressive wife, Bashar promised to modernise the country.

But when the Arab Spring reached Syria in 2011, Bashar's regime showed itself for what it really was: a brutal force, willing to capture and kill ordinary Syrians demanding change. And in all the years that a war raged on, Asma stood by her husband. She seemingly ignored the desperate pleas to stop her husband from killing his own people. 

But what did she really know about the atrocities her husband’s government was carrying out? And what choices did she really have? Some people allege that she actually assisted the regime and cashed in on the war, that she herself is a war criminal. Others say she tried to run away but was trapped, held hostage by a regime who threatened her life and her children. 

So, who is the real Emma?

We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

You'll get access to:

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Gary Marshall

Sound design - Karla Patella

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

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

Jess does a DNA test. And she and Lucy travel to visit a house where Jess’s birth mother once lived, and try and work out how nobody noticed a thing.

Foundling is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

You'll get access to:

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Reporter - Lucy Greenwell

Producer - Katie Gunning

Original theme music - Tom Kinsella

Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Narrative editor - Gary Marshall 

Editor - Jasper Corbett

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

Journalist Lucy Greenwell goes in search of Jess following rumours and unanswered questions about where she was born and who gave birth to her. 

Foundling is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

You'll get access to:

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Reporter - Lucy Greenwell

Producer - Katie Gunning

Original theme music - Tom Kinsella

Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Narrative editor - Gary Marshall 

Editor - Jasper Corbett

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

On 6th October 1987, a newborn baby is found on the verge of a remote country lane in Suffolk. Police comb the area for clues and appeal for witnesses, but the mother is never found. The baby, Jess, is adopted. Journalist Lucy Greenwell has never forgotten the day when Jess was discovered. She was a child and lived nearby. For decades Lucy has wondered; what happened to Jess, and what could have driven a mother to leave her child in such an isolated place? When Lucy tracks Jess down, she finds a woman already deep in her own search for the truth, and a story far more tangled than either of them expected. What unfolds is a tale of long-held secrets and unintended consequences that spirals out of Jess’s control.

Foundling is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

You'll get access to:

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Reporter - Lucy Greenwell

Producer - Katie Gunning

Original theme music - Tom Kinsella

Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Narrative editor - Gary Marshall 

Editor - Jasper Corbett

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

The Salt Pathwas the supposed bestseller debut book by Raynor Winn, selling millions worldwide. So when two more sequels came along with increasingly bold claims on reversing a terminal illness, why did the publisher Penguin not question it more? Chloe also goes on the hunt for Raynor Winn’s fourth  book…her true debut written years before The Salt Path.

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Matt Russell

Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding

Music supervision - Karla Patella

Sound design - Tom Burchell

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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

At a motorway service station, Chloe meets someone close to Raynor Winn who’s nervous about coming forward. It turns out she’s another character from The Salt Path…and she’s Raynor Winn’s niece. And she’s not turned up empty handed…

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Matt Russell

Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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

In the aftermath of her initial investigation, Chloe hears from a close family member of Moth’s. The story is one of deep divides…and another theft. But it takes her one step closer to understanding who Moth and Raynor Winn really are.

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Matt Russell

Music supervision - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

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

Moth is suffering from a rare and terminal illness: corticobasal degeneration. Life expectancy rarely extends beyond eight years. But almost two decades after his diagnosis, Moth is still defying the odds. Has he discovered the secret to a medical miracle?

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series.

To find out more about The Observer:

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Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Additional reporting - James Urquhart

Producer - Matt Russell

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Fact checking - Madeleine Parr

Music supervision - Karla Patella

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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

When the television cameras come to a heritage cider farm in Cornwall, Moth and Raynor Winn take centre stage. Within weeks, they vanished. The farm’s owner, their friend, is left to piece together the disparity between what he’d witnessed…and what Raynor Winn had written about.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Matt Russell

Artwork: Observer design with thanks to Angela Harding

Music supervision & sound design - Karla Patella

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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

With question marks now raised over how The Salt Pathbegan, Chloe Hadjimatheou starts to track down other characters from the book. Did Raynor Winn and Moth ever walk the path the way they claimed?

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Additional reporting - James Urquhart

Producer - Matt Russell

Artwork: Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding

Music supervision & sound design - Karla Patella

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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

In a small town in north Wales, an alleged theft at a local estate agents plants the seeds for a global blockbuster.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 13th January.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Additional reporting - James Urquhart

Producer - Matt Russell

Artwork: Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding

Music supervision & sound design - Karla Patella

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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

Raynor Winn’s memoir The Salt Path was a bestseller and literary phenomenon with millions of people captivated by this true story of financial ruin, terminal illness, and healing through nature. Raynor Winn has since published two more books and The Salt Pathhas been adapted for the big screen, starring Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson.

At its heart it is a simple tale, of a couple embarking on a 630 mile trek in the face of stark adversity. When faced with nothing, they chose to walk.

But when reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou received a tip-off that the memoir may not be the "unflinchingly honest" account it claimed to be, suddenly things began to unravel. And the questions, about what is and isn't true, began mounting.

How far can you bend the truth before it begins to break?

Episode 1 will be available to listen on Tuesday 13th January.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to all 7 episodes on Tuesday 13th January.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content. Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Matt Russell

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Executive producer - Jasper Corbett

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

After weeks of chasing him, Lydia finally speaks to Vitomir Maričić, the Croatian freediver at the heart of the scandal – and he tells his side of the story.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

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Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

An anti-doping officer tells Lydia that drugs are only considered a problem in freediving on social media, and in podcasts. She learns the problem is bigger, and more complex, and more corrupt, than she realised. 

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

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Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

The CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency – and the man who caught Lance Armstrong – has advice for Lydia. It’s not what she’s expecting.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Vertical Blue, 2023, the moment the doping scandal erupts. The competition organiser, William Trubridge, recounts his plan to catch the dopers – and Lydia investigates the fallout of a very controversial drugs bust.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Lydia travels to Kalamata, Greece, a renowned freediving spot to investigate the doping allegations. What substances are athletes meant to be taking? And what are the risks – to them, and to the sport she loves?

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Three years ago, travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving. An extreme and beautiful sport defined by one objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. It soon became a calling. Then, she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours that a group of top divers were doping to go deeper.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Three years ago travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving almost by accident. It’s an extreme and beautiful sport defined by one simple objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. Record holders are now routinely diving to more than 120 metres, pushing the sport and their bodies to find out what’s humanly possible.

Through her coach, Lydia was drawn into a small but fanatical community of competition athletes all united in their drive for depth, and that’s where she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours swirled that a group of top divers were doping to get deeper, faster. 

As the community began to turn on each other over the allegations, one prominent diver decided to take the law into his own hands. A secret sting operation was meant to put an end to the problem by bringing the alleged dopers out of the dark, and into the light. But the issue hasn't gone away. And now, a lot of people who’ve been too scared to speak up, are ready to talk. 

Episode 1 will be available to listen to on Tuesday 18th November.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer -  Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Rachel Sylvester travels to Greece to investigate whether genetic science could change the story in the case of Roula Pispirigou – a mother who was convicted of killing her three young children just last year.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

This episode is sponsored by The Life of Chuck. Join us across the UK for a preview screening on Wednesday 13 August, before it hits cinemas nationwide on 20 August. Find the locations and book now atSEEITFIRST.COMand enter the code CHUCK.

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Scientist Carola Vinuesa and her team test their extraordinary genetic discovery in a court of law.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

Kathleen Folbigg is just trying to survive. She’s a grieving mother, sentenced to life in jail for killing her four infant children. That is, until a small group of people start to question whether she might be the victim of a terrible miscarriage of justice.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

Journalist Rachel Sylvester investigates the case of 'Australia's worst serial killer'. And discovers, in a story about mothers who have been accused of murdering their own children, there is one man who connects them all: a doctor called Roy Meadow.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

Introducing...The Lab Detective

Kathleen Folbigg experienced unimaginable loss. All four of her infant children died suddenly, over a 10-year period. Their deaths were unexplained. Until a police detective turned up at her door, and arrested Kathleen on suspicion of murder. 

She was labelled ‘Australia's worst female serial killer’, convicted, and was destined to spend most of the rest of her life in jail. 

Until a different type of detective entered her life. A scientist working in a lab who uncovered the truth behind the deaths. 

This is the story of a shocking miscarriage of justice, but as journalist Rachel Sylvester starts to investigate how this happened, she learns that Kathleen is not alone – other mothers have endured the same fate, and may also be in prison. 

The Lab Detective is a story about the power of science, and the determination of those searching for the truth.

The full series is available to listen now.

Reporters: Rachel Sylvester 

Producer: Gary Marshall

Executive editor: Basia Cummings 

Music supervisor: Karla Patella 

Sound design: Rowan Bishop 

Artwork: Lola Williams 

Fact checking: Ada Barume and Madeline Parr

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights.

Watch a short documentary on the genomics team behind Kathleen Folbigg's case filmed at the Crick

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

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Gareth spent years believing he was a lucky boy. He was the 14-year-old who got the attention of the attractive young science teacher. Now, decades later, he wants the truth to come out about the damage it’s caused him. But his story is not straight forward.

Episode one is available to all listeners. To listen to all five episodes of Lucky Boy, subscribe to The Observer where you can access all Tortoise Investigates series. It’s easy to subscribe: sign up on Apple or Spotify or directly at observer.co.uk/subscribe/audio, where you can use the code AUDIO50 for 50% off.

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer - Gary Marshall

Sound design - Hannah Varrall

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Gareth’s whole life has been defined by a relationship he had 35 years ago when, as a 14-year-old schoolboy, he fell in love with an attractive young teacher at his school. He spent most afternoons in her bedroom and thought he was the luckiest boy in the world. But when she walked out of his life everything started to unravel. 

Lucky Boy is a new four-part series in which Chloe Hadjimatheou asks who gets to be a perpetrator and a victim.

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Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reported and produced by: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

Neil Gaiman faces a lawsuit in the United States. The first woman to come forward and accuse the best-selling author of sexual assault has filed a complaint against him and his estranged wife, Amanda Palmer. In this episode she explains why she’s taking action. Neil Gaiman denies the allegations and says he has ‘never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.’

Reporter: Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Published: 18/02/2025

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

When Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential election, he told an adoring crowd that "a star is born". He was referring to Elon Musk.

After months of reporting on the billionaire's use of private investigators, Alexi asks whether the insights he gained from that investigation reveal how Musk will operate in his new political era, and what that means for everything in his orbit.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

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Reported and produced by: Alexi Mostrous, Gary Marshall, Matt Russell & Patricia Clarke

Sound design: Bart Warshaw

Original Music: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill 

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

To his surprise, Alexi finds himself speaking to a local reporter at the Gold Coast Bulletin in Australia. It’s not where he thought the story would take him but it reveals a new case involving Elon and his spies. 

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill 

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

When Martin Tripp worked at Tesla, he took the advice of his boss Elon Musk - if you discover a problem, tell me about it. But when Martin shares his concerns, his world begins to spiral out of control. 

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill 

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

In 2018, Vernon Unsworth is at the centre of a global news story. He plays a crucial role in rescuing a young football team who became trapped in a flooded cave system. Overnight, he is a hero. But there’s a darker side of his story that’s less well known. That’s where Elon Musk and his private investigators come in. 

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill 

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Elon Musk is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's a billionaire, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla and more. To his followers, he's a hero; to his critics, a far-right rabble rouser. 

But for someone so public, there’s one part of his life that’s less well known.

Elon’s Spies investigates how this free-speech champion uses private investigators and surveillance to target everyone from whistleblowers at his companies, to online critics and people in his own life. 

Episode 1 is available on Tuesday 8th October, with episodes releasing weekly. To get ad-free access and binge listen to all 3 episodes on Tuesday 8th October, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or by becoming a Tortoise member.

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill 

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

A fifth woman comes forward with allegations against the author Neil Gaiman.

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Matt Russell

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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Almost a month since the investigation where two women came forward with allegations that the author Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted them - allegations he strenuously denied - more women have come forward. Including another woman made to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning and Matt Russell

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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The second woman to allege Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her first met him as an 18-year-old fan. They began a consensual sexual relationship two years later. She alleges he was abusive and once penetrated her without her consent. He strenuously denies any unlawful behaviour and maintains all their sex was consensual.

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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New Zealand police tell the former nanny there isn’t enough evidence to actively pursue her sexual assault complaint against Neil Gaiman. He says he offered himself up for an interview with the police. But the facts may indicate otherwise.

Clip: 1968 interview with Neil Gaiman - BBC 

Clip: Big Bang Theory, series 11, episode 21 - CBS/Warner Bros

Clip: Newsnight - BBC 

Clip: William Morrow 2014

Clip: Politics and Prose bookstore 2013

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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

The former nanny who alleges Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her shares her WhatsApp messages with him. The messages appear friendly and affectionate. He says they’re evidence that she consented to sex with him. But is there another way of reading them?

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Neil Gaiman is one of the world’s most successful authors. And one of the most loved. His works have been adapted for film, TV and the stage. Now two women, a former nanny and a fan, allege he sexually assaulted and abused them while they were in consensual relationships with him. He strenuously denies all the allegations.

Clip: The Sandman trailer - DDC comics / Netflix 

Clip: The Ocean at the End of the Lane trailer - National theatre 

Clip: The Simpsons - Disney

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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After years of failed attempts, an expert flies over from America to help guide the parents on how to get their children back. But getting them home is not the end of the journey, for anyone caught up in Anne’s web.

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Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

What motivated Anne in her work with the young women and did she believe what she was leading them to believe? In the search for answers, Grace turns to one of the only people who has heard Anne’s side of the story directly from her.

This is episode 5 of 6. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

As Huey’s dependence on Anne grows, she becomes increasingly isolated from the outside world. Until, after a series of events over the summer of 2014, the police turn up and start to investigate. 

This is episode 4 of 6. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

After Huey cycled off into the distance, her mother had no idea what caused her to leave or why. She was in the dark about the extraordinary things Huey had come to believe about her own family. So she finds someone who can help track her down.

This is episode 3 of 6. To binge-listen to all episodes of Dangerous Memories ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Written and reported by: Grace Hughes-Hallett & Gary Marshall

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Fipsi starts to question what really happened in the soft pink room, and how to help her friends who are still on their journeys with Anne Craig. But for one of them it’s already too late, as she makes a series of life altering decisions.

This is episode 2 of 6 of Dangerous Memories. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch with us about your own experience, contact: dangerousmemories@tortoisemedia.com

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Written and reported by Grace Hughes-Hallett & Gary Marshall

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Additional editing: Claudia Williams

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

A group of well-heeled young English women hear about an intriguing therapist figure, who describes herself as a ‘teacher of personal development’. One by one they start to visit her for sessions and, for some, it will lead to disastrous consequences. 

This is episode 1 of 6 of Dangerous Memories. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch with us about your own experience, contact: dangerousmemories@tortoisemedia.com

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Written and reported by Grace Hughes-Hallett & Gary Marshall

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Additional editing: Claudia Williams

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Introducing...Dangerous Memories

When Sarah watched her 23 year old daughter cycle away from her in Chelsea - a well-off corner of London - she had no idea it would be the last time they’d see each other for 6 years. What would make a loving child from a life of privilege sever ties with friends and family, and disappear? 

It turns out, Sarah wasn’t alone in losing a daughter. Something strange was happening to other young women, too.

And they all had one thing in common: a kind of therapist figure - a woman they were all seeing and sharing their problems, their secrets, their fears with. But it took years for the truth of what was happening behind closed doors to emerge, and the extraordinary things this woman led them to believe.

Dangerous Memories is the story of young women who wanted to be healed that became, for us, a story about the healer, and what we risk when we let someone else into our mind, and our memory.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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In the final episode of the series, is the 40-year game of cat-and-mouse nearly over?

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional production: Imy Harper

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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In this episode, Chloe looks into what happened to The Gas Man when he arrived back in Germany as a fugitive – and investigates whether his trade with Iran ever really ended

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Marten Hahn

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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Chloe makes a startling discovery about another chemical trafficker that has consequences for her investigation. A Kurdish survivor of mustard gas shares her story.

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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The team persuades The Gas Man to step out from the shadows. He reveals the first big clue in the investigation to how he got away with it – and makes a surprising claim about his role in the case

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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Special Agent Bass has his target in his sights but he’s on another continent. If he wants him to talk he’ll need a clever plan – and maybe a bit of luck

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

FX credit: Boeing 737-800 Fly Over 3.wav by soundslikewillem at freesound

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In the 1980s Special Agent Dennis Bass received a tip-off that changed the course of his career. 30 years on reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou sets out to solve the mystery of how an international fugitive got away with his crimes – and why he's still on the run.

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

FX credit: Telex by YleArkisto at freesound - License: Attribution 4.0

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Introducing...The Gas Man

It starts with a tip-off. 

It’s the late 1980s and US Special Agent Dennis Bass is warned about a shipment of suspicious chemicals headed to a secret destination. So he follows the lead – and ends up stumbling into a global plot helping fuel a war. The main suspect? The Gas Man. 

In the decades since, Special Agent Bass has been locked in an international game of cat and mouse with the man who supplied a dangerous regime with the chemicals to make weapons. Every time Bass thinks he’s got his hands on him… The Gas Man somehow manages to slip the net. And he’s still on the run today.

But after more than 30 years, could his past finally be catching up with The Gas Man?

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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

"Misinformation, disinformation, and trolling campaigns are not just a celebrity story. They are everywhere. They affect how we see reality online."

In a year when four billion people are heading to the polls, and with the World Economic Forum warning that online misinformation is the most severe risk the world faces, Who Trolled Amber? shines a light on the shady industry of social media manipulation. It reveals how bots and trolls can sway opinions from celebrity trials to general elections.

On June 12th Alexi Mostrous will be joined by Jen Robinson, Amber Heard’s lawyer, and Gina Neff, Executive Director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge in the Tortoise newsroom to discussWho Trolled Amber? and give their insights into the world of online disinformation and its effect on all of our everyday lives. 

You can book your place here, to attend in person or online.

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Johnny Depp’s maverick lawyer Adam Waldman finally comes under scrutiny. Alexi uncovers Waldman’s links to powerful figures and investigates his role in feeding online abuse. Can the team get to the truth about who trolled Amber?

To find out more about Tortoise:

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley 

Sound design: Karla Patella 

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Could a nation state have deployed an online army to fight for Johnny Depp? Alexi discovers the curious relationship between the Hollywood star and an authoritarian world leader.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley 

Sound design: Karla Patella 

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

The astonishing case of a teenage killer helps lift the lid on how bot campaigns work – and offers the team a new path forward in the investigation.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley 

Sound design: Karla Patella 

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Disinformation experts come back with some startling results. The story begins to cross continents as the team find evidence of a global campaign.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley 

Sound design: Karla Patella 

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

 The team talk to a Hollywood insider and travel to Florida in search of their first big clue: a treasure trove of data that might show what happened to Amber Heard online – and who was behind it.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley 

Sound design: Karla Patella 

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Depp v Heard was the celebrity trial of the century. He won, she lost. But was Amber Heard the target of an organised trolling campaign?

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

Downloadthe Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribeto Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a memberand get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley 

Sound design: Karla Patella 

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Introducing… Who Trolled Amber?

What comes to mind when you think of Amber Heard? Liar? Survivor? Narcissist? Millions of us watched the celebrity trial of the century, Depp v Heard, in 2022. Amber Heard lost and Johnny Depp was vindicated. But what if Amber was actually the victim of an organised trolling campaign? What if the online hate against her was manufactured?

Alexi Mostrous, the reporter who brought you Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed, investigates what happened to Amber and who might have been responsible. It’s a story about how our own thoughts and opinions can be moulded without us even realising.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a memberand get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley 

Sound design: Karla Patella 

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Things begin to fall apart. Only a few years after Rebellion Defense’s rapid rise, it appears to be in trouble. The rebellion has failed to take off. 

In the secretive world of the military and big tech, Basia is met with a wall of silence as she tries to see inside the company… until a few former staffers agree to speak to her, revealing what happened behind closed doors. 

You can find out more about Tortoise:

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Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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Oliver’s company, Rebellion Defense, is on the rise. In 2019, it is full of promise and pumped with cash, trading on the hype around what’s possible with AI in war. It attracts influential backers and goes after big government contracts. And it becomes even harder to sort fact from fiction – where is the scrutiny, and who is checking that any of this stuff is… real? 

As Basia delves deeper into the world of artificial intelligence, she hears from another former girlfriend of Oliver’s who knows about the ‘tissue of lies’ – and why it matters now. 

All four episodes are available to Tortoise members on thefree Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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Basia begins unravelling the ‘tissue of lies’, but it becomes clear that some of Oliver’s claims exist in the grey area, and in the secretive world in which he works, it’s hard to sift fact from fiction. Did he serve in the military? Is he an aristocrat? And as she traces his rise in national security, she is pulled into a bigger story – about a company, and a threat that is facing us all. 

The first three episodes are available to Tortoise members on thefree Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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This story starts in 2012. Oliver is a dashing young diplomat, working in Afghanistan. Charlie is a graduate newly arrived in London, trying to find her feet in the world. The pair meet online and she falls in love. But only a few months later, she discovers that the story Oliver has told her about his life is not what it seems. 

A decade later, this man has climbed to the top of academia, the civil service, and into the world of national security, eventually founding a billion-dollar company selling AI to the military. 

But a mystery hangs over Charlie: did the untruths continue, and if they did, why haven’t caught up with him?

The first three episodes are available to Tortoise members on thefree Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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It’s London, 2012. Oliver is a dashing diplomat. Charlie is a young graduate trying to find her feet in the world. They meet online and she falls in love. With his encouragement, Charlie applies for a job in British intelligence. Then, she receives a text message that turns her life - and her relationship - upside down, and 10 years later, a mystery is still hanging over her. Walter's War is an investigation into what happened next – a journey through big tech and national security, hype and hucksterism, where anyone who can tell a good story can go far. But how much is true?

Episode 1 goes live on Tuesday 21st November. The first three episodes will be available to Tortoise members on thefree Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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Radicalised by Covid, the anti-vax movement goes mainstream – and RFK Jr emerges as a new figurehead.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

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Andrew Wakefield becomes a superstar thanks to the support of celebrities and an army of mothers – and establishes anti-vax as a moneymaker.

This is part 2 of a 3-part series - to listen exclusively to episode 3 today subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or become a member and listen on Tortoise's audio app. 

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise audio app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content 

Become a Tortoise member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more. 

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A British doctor sparks a global health panic about the safety of vaccines. But even though his work is discredited, he lights a fire that becomes the modern anti-vax movement. Hosted by Alexi Mostrous. 

This is part 1 of a 3-part series - to listen exclusively to episodes 2 and 3 today subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or become a member and listen on Tortoise's audio app. 

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise audio app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content 

Become a Tortoise member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more. 

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Introducing Dr Anti-vax: the making of a modern panic

How did the anti-vax movement become so mainstream?

25 years ago, a British doctor Dr Andrew Wakefield sparked a global vaccine panic. Today, Alexi Mostrous, the reporter behind chart-topping hit podcasts Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed investigates how anti-vaxxers have gone from the fringes of public life to the centre of the culture wars that divide America and so many other countries, and the beguiling fall and rise of the man who started it all.

Episode 1 goes live on Tuesday 24th October and all three episodes will be available to Tortoise members on thefree Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

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

Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Will Rudy die in jail for The Don?

Listen to the three part series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Will Rudy die in jail for The Don?

Listen to the three part series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Will Rudy die in jail for The Don?

Listen to the three part series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The police say they are not looking for any more victims of David Boyd but we met other women who were confronted by the killer. This episode contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Sharon's case should be extraordinary but it isn't. A few miles away from Sharon another mother was left to solve her own daughter's murder after being let down by police. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The number one suspect is interrogated by police until he confesses but it's not until 30 years later that the right man is put on trial.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Rumours choke the case and a vulnerable suspect is arrested. The first 48 hours after a crime are crucial: what did the police get so wrong in the days after Nikki went missing?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

In 1992 on a council estate in Sunderland a seven year old girl is murdered. It took the police 30 years to find the killer, a convicted child sex offender who lived three doors away from where Nikki Allan went missing. What happened on the night of her disappearance?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Introducing Three doors down: a murder, a mother and a thirty year investigation

In May in a packed room at Newcastle Crown Court, David Boyd, was found guilty of the brutal murder in 1992 of seven year-old Nikki Allan. Sharon Henderson, Nikki’s mother, called for a public inquiry into why it had taken the police so long to find and convict her daughter’s murderer. 

When Nikki was murdered, Sharon was a single mother of four living in Wear Garth, a rundown housing estate in Sunderland. David Boyd lived a few floors above Sharon in the same block. He was known to the police. He was the kind of offender who should have been caught. 

Three doors down tells the astonishing story of Sharon Henderson’s thirty year campaign to get justice for her daughter’s killing. It shines a light on police behaviour and their treatment of working class women. It’s a personal tale of trauma and resilience in the face of systemic police failure, that couldn’t be more timely. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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In the final episode, Ceri travels to meet Rob in a peaceful garden in rural Wiltshire. What unfolds is a heated exchange about what Rob's story really is and what adds up to the whole truth. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

When Global Witness out Rob in 2015, things quickly fall apart. He loses everything that matters to him but to this day he believes that if his voice had been heard, it would have all worked out differently. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Rob is adamant that in all the years he was undercover, he never sent information back to his spymasters that harmed the campaigners. But when you're the only one in control of the decisions, can you always get it right? 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Rob Moore says he can justify going undercover among anti-asbestos campaigners because he was following a Buddhist principle, turning poison into medicine. To this day he believes that if the people he infiltrated would really listen to his story they'd understand him differently. But does his story really stand up to scrutiny?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

It’s 2012 and Rob Moore goes 'into the dirt', undercover, to infiltrate a group of campaigners fighting for a ban on deadly asbestos. None of them knew they had a private spy in the camp. But it's hard to stay hidden forever.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Three years ago a former private spy came to our newsroom at Tortoise. He told an incredible story about infiltrating a campaign group, deceiving people for years but all the while being a 'double agent', before his world fell apart. And it all played out in the opaque world of corporate intelligence. 

Since then, journalist Ceri Thomas has been asking who Rob Moore really is and what his motivations were. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Over three years in the making, Tortoise introduces Into The Dirt – investigating the extraordinary story of private spy, Rob Moore and the shadowy world of corporate intelligence. Rob was tasked with working undercover to extract information from an environmental campaign group but he ended up turning on his employers and supporting the group he was meant to be infiltrating. Only it wasn’t that straightforward. Neither side knew the whole truth. 

Was Rob a misunderstood whistleblower or a traitor to a cause?

Into the Dirt is a wild story about truth, spies and the stories we tell ourselves.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Polly Curtis returns to investigate the world of private trans healthcare, and speaks to Gender GP and its founder Helen Webberley, labelled by one newspaper as one of Britain’s most controversial doctors. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Polly Curtis investigates why NHS England accelerated the closure of GIDS and what the future of the service could look like for children and young people. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The public debate around the work of the Tavistock is getting louder. Kiera Bell wins a landmark ruling at the High Court which halts all new referrals for puberty blockers for under 18s on the NHS in England and Wales. She was prescribed puberty blockers at 16 but later decided she wants to detransition. The Tavistock appeals and the ruling is overturned. But for many people the narrative of the Gender Identity Development Service is now set in stone. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable

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

The internal divisions at GIDS and the wider Tavistock centre spill out into the open. Whistleblowers are publicly critical of GIDS. One accuses the service of fast tracking young people onto puberty blockers after just one meeting with clinicians. The senior leadership team at GIDS desperately tries to hold the team together. Meanwhile the numbers on the waiting list tick up and up. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

As the increase in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service increases, the profile of the young people seeking treatment changes too. There are now two natal girls for every natal boy, a complete reversal of what it had been a decade before. Polly Curtis tries to make sense of this change and goes to Blackpool which has the highest referral rate of anywhere in England. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Polly Carmichael became the director of the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock in 2009. “I remember our office was literally a room that had probably been a broom cupboard at one stage”, she recalls. But the decision in 2011 to start offering puberty blockers to under-16s, and in 2016 to widen the professionals who could refer a child to GIDS had a major impact. The numbers of people on the waiting list ticked inexorably up, until the clinic felt it could barely cope. 

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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