Episodes
It’s 1891 and Oscar Wilde’s star is rising. His book, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, is a bestseller, and his first West End play is about to open. And then he meets Bosie Douglas, a young, handsome and beguiling poet. But homosexuality is illegal and they must keep their relationship secret. When Bosie’s father, the dogmatic Lord Queensberry, finds out, he resolves to do whatever it takes to keep them apart forever.
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Published 05/30/23
Matt and Alice speak to Linda Lusardi, former Page 3 model and close friend of Paul Gascoigne. She takes us inside the highs of their raucous nights out, and the lows of his battles with addiction. Plus, she tells us why Gazza’s life wouldn’t be all that different had he never become a footballer.
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Published 05/23/23
Glenn Hoddle has a decision to make. As the England team's new manager, it’s time to select his 1998 World Cup squad. Include Gazza, and he’ll have to take drastic action to stop him going off the rails. But exclude the star player and the country could well turn against him. Gazza played a blinder in the qualifying matches, but will it be enough to get him to France?
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Published 05/16/23
When Paul Gascoigne steps out with his new girlfriend, Sheryl, interest in his personal life soars, and the Press takes advantage. Gazza’s alcohol-fuelled benders and turbulent relationship make him easy prey for tabloid journalists seeking headlines. Sheryl befriends one with the hope of turning the narrative around.
If you or someone you know is struggling with issues like those touched on in this episode, here are some UK resources:
For eating disorder support, call Beat on 0808 801 0677...
Published 05/09/23
All Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne has ever wanted to do is play football. So when he’s taken on by Newcastle United, he’s determined to impress. His exceptional talent is obvious to everyone and he quickly becomes the most talked-about player in England. But as his fame grows, so too do his inner demons - and the doubts. Now he's playing for his country on the greatest stage of all: the 1990 World Cup. Fans are holding their breath. The world is watching. England expects. Can Gazza deliver?
If you...
Published 05/02/23
Alice and Matt sit down with biographer Andrew Lownie, who spent over 30 years researching Guy Burgess and spoke to over one hundred people who knew him personally. He tells us why Cambridge University was a particularly fertile breeding ground for Soviet recruits, how much damage the spy ring wrought on the British establishment and why five people who knew each other should never have become spies in the first place.
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Published 04/25/23
Kim Philby’s job is to uncover other people’s secrets. But now, his oldest friend is on the verge of exposing his own. As two other Cambridge spies are unmasked, Philby’s reputation comes under fierce scrutiny. And Nicholas Elliott is determined to find out whether his old confidante is also a KBG agent. Can Philby wriggle free of Elliott’s sting operation and a government desperate to catch traitors?
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Published 04/18/23
Kim Philby and Guy Burgess are at the height of their power, working as double agents for the Soviet Union. But while their careers are going from strength to strength, their personal lives are in free fall. Destructive habits and paranoia are creeping to the surface. But that's not all... The CIA has just made an explosive discovery - and Philby and Burgess are at the heart of it.
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Published 04/11/23
Kim Philby and Guy Burgess are two Cambridge students with a shared purpose: fighting fascism. When they’re introduced to a KGB recruiter in the 1930s, he tells them they could do just that by sharing British secrets with the Soviet Union. So how far will they go to further the cause? As far as betraying their own country?
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Published 04/04/23
Alice and Matt speak to Colin Mackenzie, the tenacious reporter who managed to track down train robber, Ronnie Biggs, after he escaped prison. A Fleet Street veteran, he takes us back to a golden era in British journalism, and into the whirlwind 48 hours he spent with Biggs in Brazil.
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Published 03/28/23
Bruce Reynolds is rich. But he’s also a wanted man. An entire nation wants to know where he is. But there's one person who wants to find him more than any other: Tommy Butler. A relentless detective who’s solved more cases than anyone else in his squad, Butler won’t let anything come between him and the capture of Britain’s biggest thief. And so the hunt begins.
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Published 03/22/23
Cracks are showing in Bruce Reynolds' 16-man crew and the farm where they’ve been hiding out is a pressure cooker. But today's the day they plan to stage the daring train robbery, and the stakes are far too high to turn back. Can the group hold it together long enough to pull off Britain’s biggest ever heist?
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Published 03/15/23
Bruce Reynolds is a master of the criminal trade. Canny, well-dressed and suave, he’s transcended his humble origins by taking advantage of London’s illegal underworld. Robbing jewellery allows him to satisfy his taste for the finer things, but now he wants more. His ultimate fantasy is to find an ‘Eldorado’ that will set him up for life. So he concocts a plan more ambitious and much riskier than anything he’s pulled off before. If it succeeds, he’ll become richer than he could have ever...
Published 03/08/23
Alice and Matt talk to Norman Scott, the man at the very heart of our story, whose chance meeting with Jeremy Thorpe in 1961 would lead to an attempt on his life. He describes the first time he caught the former Liberal leader's eye, the painful years living under his control and the terrifying night his life was in the balance. And he delivers his verdict on Hugh Grant’s portrayal of Thorpe in the BBC’s A Very English Scandal.
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Published 03/01/23
If Jeremy Thorpe’s plan had worked, Norman Scott would now be permanently silenced. But he’s alive and able to tell the world about their affair and the terrifying attempt on his life. For years, Norman has felt shackled by Thorpe. Now it’s Thorpe who could end up behind bars. But will the world believe the powerful former party leader? Or the unknown model with a wild story?
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Published 02/22/23
Jeremy Thorpe’s star has risen. As Liberal Party leader, he’s busy tackling the problems of 1970s Britain. But there’s a distraction. Norman Scott is telling his story to anyone who will listen. Thorpe will stop at nothing to keep him quiet, but he can’t do it alone. He takes on a new accomplice: one whose lack of experience will be Thorpe’s downfall - and Scott’s saving grace.
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Published 02/15/23
Jeremy Thorpe's political career is on the up. But his personal life is threatening to bring him down. He is one of the brightest stars in Westminster. Perhaps even a future PM. But rumours about his sexuality are swirling. And in 1960s Britain, homosexuality is illegal. Now his former lover, Norman, is preparing to go to the papers to reveal all. And Thorpe decides to risk everything to stop him.
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Published 02/08/23
Ambitious Liberal MP Jeremy Thorpe has a secret. He's got his eye on a handsome but troubled young stable boy. But in 1960s Britain, homosexuality is illegal. Soon he's forced to choose: politics or passion?
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Published 02/01/23
Alice and Matt talk to Adam Raphael, an author and journalist who, in 1987, was subpoenaed to give evidence for The Daily Star in Archer’s libel trial. He takes us inside the trial, discusses Archer's political skill and compares him to a certain blonde British Prime Minister.
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Published 01/25/23
Jeffrey Archer is running for London Mayor and he thinks he can win. But is his web of lies about to unravel?
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Published 01/18/23