The disappearance of 14 year old schoolgirl Charlene Downes is one of the most notorious missing person cases in UK history. When Charlene vanished from Blackpool in the North West of England in November 2003, it resulted in a media frenzy, one monetized by tabloids cashing in on rumours and exploited for political purposes by the far-right. In the two decades since she vanished, countless theories have been suggested and dozens of suspects put forward, including members of Charlene’s own family. Very few missing person cases have received such coverage and scrutiny, yet, today, her loved ones are no closer to learning what happened to Charlene that night, than they were over twenty years ago. For more information on this case, and every episode from every series visit https://themissingpodcast.org And to visit details of the most recent appeals - like the one you may have heard in this episode, please visit : https://missingpeople.org.uk/recent If you want to listen to The Missing COMPLETELY ad-free, and help to support the show, then please subscribe to our channel. What's The Story? Crime is your home for the very best in true-crime podcasts. You can get early access to series, bonus episodes, ad-free listening and even exclusive series you can't hear anywhere else. We will never put episodes behind a paywall, because we want as many people as possible to listen and spread the word about these important cases. But if you love the show, your subscription helps to fund the episodes. As well as The Missing, there's a whole collection of shows on What's The Story? Crime. From the stories of the most pivotal assassinations throughout history, to series' dedicated to forensic science, limited series about extraordinary conmen, and investigations into miscarriages of justice - What's The Story? Crime has you covered. Coming up in January, we have a brand new sister show to The Missing - called Jigsaw - which is only available here.  And we have a brand new series of Smoking Gun, and a spin-off show called 'Under The Microscope', which is exclusive to subscribers.  Signing up is quick and simple. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, just search for What's The Story Crime, sign up, and all the exclusive content will be in your Apple Podcasts app. If you're listening on Spotify, Amazon, Castbox, Pocketcasts, or any other player - you can sign up directly here : WTS CRIME With a couple of clicks, you'll receive all the exclusive content in your chosen platform. The Missing is presented by Pandora Sykes https://www.instagram.com/pandorasykes The Missing is a What's The Story? original https://www.whatsthestorysounds.com/ The series is made with the support of two amazing charities, Missing People and Locate International https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/ https://locate.international/ This episode was first produced in conjunction with Podimo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.