Bad People

Introducing... Gangster Presents... Sex, Drugs & Cell Block Parties

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The story of the biggest prison smuggling plot ever busted in the UK - and the love story at the heart of it.Journalist Amber Haque untangles what hap...

125. The Secret History of the Clubcard

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How one of the first Tesco Clubcards was used to pay off a blackmailer threatening to poison frozen food. And how that Clubcard was used to catch him....

124. Flashers: The case of Wayne Couzens

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former Metropolitan Police officer, Wayne Couzens, kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, in March, 2021.Hosts Amber Haque and Dr Julia Shaw dis...

123. My ex tried to have me killed

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Parkes’ ex-wife lied about him being a drug dealer and a gang member. Then she tried to hire a hitman to have him killed.Rob tells his remarkabl...

122. Trust Me I'm a Doctor

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Patterson was a sought after breast surgeon and patron of a charity supporting people with cancer, now he’s in prison.He was sentenced to 20 yea...

121. Understanding Violence: Bad People x The Reith Lectures

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Gwen Adshead has spent almost thirty years working with the some of the most violent offenders in prisons and high security psychiatric facilities....

120. We need to talk about Ethan

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Should the parents of a high school shooter be held criminally responsible for the actions of their son?The landmark case of James and Jennifer Crumbl...

119. The Ultimate Foul

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Faye Dunn was a professional footballer who played for the England women's team. In 2020, police discovered she had another career in organised crime....

118. Killed by Text

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The story of how teenager Michelle Carter's text messages to suicidal boyfriend Conrad Roy resulted in death for him and a charge of manslaughter for ...

117. The Bookkeeper and the Boss

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sherri Lynn Lamarche was the unassuming bookkeeper in a family real estate business in Nova Scotia. She was trusted so much that she managed to steal ...

116. Bad Momfluencer

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In February 2024, mother-of-six, beloved parenting guru and social media star Ruby Franke, was convicted and jailed for child abuse.The case struck at...

115. Lost at Sea

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca Coriam, a 24-year-old from Chester, was working on a cruise ship off the Pacific coast of Mexico when she disappeared in 2011. The story of ho...

114. Showtrial and the politics of protest

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Showtrial series 2 is a gripping BBC screen drama about climate activism, civil disobedience and police corruption. Screenwriter Ben Richards joins Ju...

113. It's in our DNA

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Magdalena Cruz did not know who her father was. But she knew he was a rapist. An ancestry DNA test led her to her likely family. When she looked at th...

112. Four Boys

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three boys from the same Sunderland school were found dead within a few months of each other in the early 1990s. Their deaths were initially blamed on...

111. Pretendians

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Pretendians" are people who falsely claim a native American or indigenous Canadian identity.In 2024, a 59 year old woman who falsely claimed her daug...

110. Delimar Vera

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Baby girl Delimar Vera is declared dead in a house fire. Years later, the bereaved mother thinks she recognises her at a party. The girl she thinks is...

109. Out of Character Criminal

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A law abiding businessman turns criminal after medical treatment. Are hormones to blame?Richard Davis was a 42 year old asexual with a highly successf...

108. I was Tinder Swindled

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Presenters Dr Julia Shaw and Amber Haque meet the world's most famous victim of romance fraud: Cecilie Fjellhoy. After exposing the so-called Tindler ...

107. Gatwick Blackmailer

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In TV dramas, criminal profilers solve crimes that the police cannot. Presenters Dr Julia Shaw and Amber Haque look at a real life case. An anonymo...

106. The Pyjama Killer

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bad People is back!Criminal psychologist, Dr Julia Shaw, is joined by a new co-host: journalist and documentary maker Amber Haque.The new season start...

Bad People is back!

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bad People is back! Criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw makes a return to the series with a new co-host: journalist Amber Haque. Each episode tell...

105. Dark Arts 2: Can we prevent campaigns of vilification?

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the Bad People finale. In this last ever episode, Julia and Sofie dig into the ethics of the media covering criminal cases. After a press “c...

104. Dark Arts 1: How biasing is pre-trial publicity?

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In December 2010, the UK media became fixated with the disappearance of 25 year-old Joanna Yeates. When her body was discovered, many tabloid newspape...

103. Bad People x People Who Knew Me

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Daniella Isaacs, the creator of the new BBC Sounds audio drama, People Who Knew Me, joins Dr Julia Shaw in a conversation about faking one’s own dea...

102. Paedophile Hunters: Do vigilantes help or harm justice?

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Convicted child sex offender Mark Sutherland has arranged to meet a 13 year-old boy at a bus station, but when he arrives a team of adult “paedophil...

101. Thalaikoothal: What is extreme elder abuse?

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2010 Pramila Krishnan, a journalist for the Deccan Chronicle, filed a story about a little-known practice called Thalaikoothal. The story was huge ...

100. Tough Love: How should we help troubled teens?

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 2001 and 14-year-old Anthony Haynes has died. He was one of some 50 kids who participated in a military-style, wilderness programme that was su...

99. Central Park Jogger 2: How should we interview children?

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Central Park Five confess on video to police and appear on every front page in America. But why did they confess if it’s not true? In this seco...

98. Central Park Jogger 1: Do you know your right to silence?

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 9pm in New York City. More than thirty young men have gathered on the corner of 110th Street and 5th Avenue. They are attacking innocent people...

97. Belt Selfie: Why don’t people kill their friends?

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2015 a woman in Saskatoon was strangled by a belt. Did her friend do it? She has been strangled by a belt that lies next to her body - the same bel...

96. Personification of Evil: Who becomes a prison pen pal?

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For her role in the Moors Murders, Myra Hindley was for many years described as ‘‘the most hated woman in Britain’’. So when her escape plot f...

95. Battle for Winson Green: Are prison riots inevitable?

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Winson Green, Birmingham a category B prison is fit to burst, and on the 9th of October 2018 it finally does. Armed with one syringe, three men set...

94. Bad People x The Shamima Begum Story

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2015, fifteen-year-old Shamima Begum left the UK with two of her friends on a flight bound for Turkey. But the East London schoolgirls were not goi...

93. Spirit Photographer: Are deepfakes a new problem?

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1861 William Mumler claims to capture a spirit of dead on camera and offers grieving people the chance to sit with a lost loved one, one last time....

92. Drugged Intent: Can intoxication excuse crimes?

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 1992 and Barry Kingston, a man with admitted paedophilic tendencies, is accused of indecently assaulting a child. The police have photographs a...

91. Knox: Can translators make innocence look guilty?

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 2007 in Perugia Italy. A body has been found, but the American suspect maintains her innocence. Amanda Knox spent 7 years in prison for a crime...

90. Trash Puppies: Why are some people cruel to animals?

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In April 2018, a sealed plastic bag is found tossed next to a dumpster in Coachella, USA. In it, seven tiny, squeaking, new-born puppies. CCTV footage...

89. Baby Snatcher: Does anyone deserve the death penalty?

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bobbie was eight months pregnant and shared the good news with her online community. But because she met Lisa Montgomery, Bobbie would never have the ...

88. Thoughtcrime: How dangerous is anti-intellectualism?

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There was international outcry in 2011 when the celebrated Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing airport and imprisoned. The charges agains...

87. Bad People x Please Protect Abraham

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Presenter and journalist Sam Holder speaks to Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen about his new BBC podcast, Please Protect Abraham and whether we’re fail...

86. Born Criminal: Is Violence Genetic?

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The only murderer in the family? When serial killer Robert Spahalski admitted to murder in 2005, police not only discovered his decades long criminal ...

85. Bad People x Bad Blood

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In November 2018 Chinese scientist Dr He Jiankui made a big announcement; he had illegally “edited” the DNA of Chinese twin girls Lulu and Nana in...

84. Sleepkiller 2: Is sleepwalking a valid legal defence?

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the 22nd of May 1987 Kenneth Parks killed his mother-in-law and almost killed her husband. He claims he was asleep with amnesia for most of the eve...

83. Sleepkiller 1: Can you murder someone while dreaming?

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the 22nd of May 1987 Kenneth Parks got into his car and drove 27 km up a three-lane highway to his beloved parents-in-law's home. He claims he was ...

82: Bad People’s 2022 True Crime Crackers: Part 2

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Julia Shaw unwraps Bad People’s choice of true crime podcasts in 2022.She talks to Gabriel Gatehouse about his series The Coming Storm, which beg...

81: Bad People’s 2022 True Crime Crackers: Part 1

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Julia Shaw unwraps Bad People’s choice of true crime podcasts in 2022.She talks to BBC social media and disinformation correspondent Marianna Spr...

80. Hot-dog Hubbub: Should it be a crime to do nothing?

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the early hours of the morning in Merseyside. Peter Stubbs is thrown out of Cindy’s Nightclub, then brutally beaten in the street. Constable ...

79. Unmasked: Could someone steal your face?

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2010 a serial robber was on the loose in Cincinnati, US. Surveillance footage shows a clear image of a black man, with a black hoodie and sunglasse...

78. Colston Four: Why are slaver statues still standing?

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1895 a bronze statue of slave trader Edward Colston was erected on top of a stone plinth in the centre of Bristol. Colston had made large donations...

77. Ambushed: Can reality TV humiliation break us?

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the 6th of March 1995 Scott Amedure reveals his growing sexual attraction to a friend in front of a large studio audience. Behind the scenes, Jonat...

76. Burn Wild: How far is too far to save the planet?

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Bad People, producer and journalist Georgia Catt speaks to Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen about her new BBC podcast, Burn Wild.Georg...

75. Wrong Wife: Should we be worried about DIY firearms?

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A popular chef instructor at a culinary school in Oregon is found shot dead in the campus kitchen. Police think it’s a homicide but have trouble est...

74. Web of Deceit: When should offenders be released?

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2009 London taxi driver John Worboys was found guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting five, as well as twelve charges of drugging women...

73. Fire bath: Is it a “slow burn”, or murder?

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1989 Kiranjit Ahuwalia set fire to her sleeping husband who was found running around their front garden. It emerged that she had suffered years of ...

Gamergate: What is doxxing?

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2014 the ex-partner of video game maker Zoe Quinn released an online essay with intimate details of their relationship and breakup. The story takes...

71. The Oversteegen Sisters: Is it ever OK to kill?

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

During the German occupation of the Netherlands two shy teenagers, Truus and Freddie Oversteegen, were recruited into the Dutch Resistance. They quick...

70. Pharma Bro 2: Why do we hate?

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In September 2015, Martin Shkreli quickly became ‘the most hated man in America’ after he raised the price of the life-saving drug, Daraprim, by m...

69. Pharma Bro 1: Is greed inherently bad?

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In September 2015, Martin Shkreli’s name made headlines. He quickly became ‘the most hated man in America’ after he raised the price of the life...

68. The Letterman: When does dark humour go too far?

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

During an operation in 2013 a nurse sends the surgeon, Dr Simon Bramhall, a sharp look. He shrugs it off and tells her “this is what I do” and con...

67. Gangster: Career Criminals

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you‘ve already made millions and you know you’re being watched, why keep offending?Curtis Warren was one of Britain’s wealthiest drug barons,...

66. Respawn: What is child-to-parent violence?

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel Petric grabbed his father's 9mm handgun from a lockbox and while his siblings were away shot both of his parents. He had been planning his reve...

65. Bloody footprint: What rights does a dead body have?

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1987 in the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, a “peeping Tom” is spotted lurking by the windows of women. Soon after, Wendy Knell and Caroline Pie...

Bi People 4: Are bisexuals invisible at work?

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

US politician, Katie Hill, is one of the first politicians to openly identify as bisexual while campaigning for office. However things quickly take a ...

Bi People 3: Could you prove your sexuality?

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Omar comes to the UK after falling in love with a British woman. After his relationship breaks down, he seeks asylum, claiming it is unsafe for him to...

Bi People 2: Why did Pride begin?

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Police officers are locked in a pub in New York. People attempt to set the building on fire. And a riot begins. It spreads across the city and lasts f...

Bi People 1: How queer are you?

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Running a bookshop might sound like the epitome of a quiet life. But for one man, the act of selling a very specific book resulted in his arrest - and...

Bi People is coming soon

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of Pride Month Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen explore the history, science and culture of bisexuality. They discuss research on how we c...

64. Underworld Aristocracy: Who chooses solitary confinement?

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John McAvoy’s biological father passed away shortly before he was born, leaving him to be raised by a community of women. As a child, John loved his...

63. No socks: Why do people confess their crimes?

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1983 Kieran Patrick Kelly, who was living on the streets of London at the time, was brought into Clapham Police Station for attacking and stealing ...

62. Unabomber 2: A mastermind with a lack of insight?

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After six years of inactivity, the Unabomber is back. The FBI reinvigorate the investigation and the chase begins once more. When Ted Kaczynski’s b...

61. Unabomber 1: How far are technophobes willing to go?

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From 1978 to 1995, Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, built and mailed a series of homemade bombs, killing three people and injuring many mor...

60. Little Helen: How fallible are forensics?

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the 20th of April 1934, eight-year-old Helen was sent to buy bread for her mother. She reached the bakery around 1.30 in the afternoon, spent exact...

59. Poster boy: When is homophobia a hate crime?

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1998 Matthew Shepard, becomes the victim of radical homophobia in Wyoming. Two suspects, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson are almost immediatel...

Message for our listeners

13 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A Bad People special episode will be available shortly. Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen speak to Gordon Corera, the Security Consultant on Killing Eve.T...

58. Africa Eye: Black Market Babies

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Klenice grew up in a village in rural Western Kenya. When both her parents passed away, she dropped out of school and started working to support herse...

57. The Iceman: Who becomes a contract killer?

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Iceman, Richard Kuklinski, was a notorious contract killer. Over the course of his ‘career’ he, by his own admission, killed over 100 people. ...

56. Death on camera: How can we tackle white fragility?

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1998, Christopher Alder spent the evening at the "student night" of a nightclub in Hull, England. The night escalated dramatically and eventually l...

55. Jon Ronson: The Satanic Panic

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When day-care employee, Kelly Michaels, is accused of playing the piano naked in front of children, she is speechless. The case escalates and soon Kel...

54. The Jump: Is jealousy a useful emotion?

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Three friends - Babs, Els and Marcel - jump out of a plane together. They are regular sky divers and as they approach the ground they activate their p...

53. Wiretapped: Can you hear colour?

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Clifford brokers a small drug deal he doesn’t know that the police are listening in. Clifford is arrested and when the case goes to trial, the ...

52. Uncivilised Cruelty: Should rough sex be illegal?

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Studies show that nearly half the UK population have experimented with bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism (BDSM). It is surprisingly common, so wh...

51. Fen-Phen Scandal: What would you risk to be thin?

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Linnen, a woman in her late 20s, had just gotten engaged and she wanted to lose some weight for the wedding. Her doctor prescribed a combination ...

50. Death Truck: What motivates people smugglers?

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the 27th of August 2015, a chicken truck is abandoned in Austria when smugglers realise the worst has happened. The tragedy shook Europe and lead t...

49. Black Pill: Are incels dangerous?

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

23rd April 2018 was the date selected by John Doe as the day he would kill as many residents of Toronto as possible. Witnesses describe seeing a white...

48. Family Reunion: Research opportunity or ethical nightmare?

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Robert Shafran arrives for his first day of college he is overwhelmed by the friendliness and familiarity of the other students. Dazed and confus...

47. Bad Influencer: Can you spot pseudo-scientific health claims?

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2009, Belle Gibson shared on her blog that she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and had only four months to live. She then began documentin...

46. Tiny Shoes: Can we heal injustices against Indigenous peoples?

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at Canadian residential schools. What is the truth behind what really happened at these...

45. Call Centre Crooks: How do you catch a scammer?

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When 80-year old Kathleen is called up by a nice man from her computer company she does not suspect foul play. And when he tells her that she is owed ...

44. Operation Island: What do we know about male victims of rape?

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The UK’s most prolific rapist only targeted men, but the case is largely unknown. He would wait outside clubs in Manchester and offer men who looked...

43. Le Fake: Are con artists pathological liars?

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When a young man claiming to be an heir to the Rockefeller estate turns up in a silver Ferrari in The Hamptons in the US, the rich and the famous invi...

42. Jonestown: How can you tell that you’re in a cult?

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1970s, a charismatic cult leader, Jim Jones, promised his followers that they would create a utopian community based on Christian values a...

41. 666devil: Could anyone become a victim of sextortion?

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Falder is the UK’s worst “sextorter”. A convicted serial sex offender, he used online accounts to blackmail over 40 victims into sending hi...

40. Hungry like the Wolf: Can we ever understand filicide?

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1983 Diane Downs carries her three small children into a hospital in Oregon, all suffering from gunshot wounds.The mother explains that she had bee...

39. King of Farum: Why do we love anti-heroes?

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian Sofie Hagen takes us back to her childhood where she unexpectedly received a laptop and free holiday from the municipality. The former tax mi...

38. The Yorkshire Ripper: Do women need to reclaim the night?

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Sutcliffe, better known as the Yorkshire Ripper murdered 13 women and attacked many others. The case involved 5 million hours of mostly futile p...

New series coming 16th September

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Con-artists. Corruption. Cult leaders. Murders. Rapists. Extortionists. Dr Julia Shaw and comedian Sofie Hagen are back soon with stories of the wors...

37. Mr Creepy: Can gun bans prevent school shootings?

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

25 years ago, a man walked into Dunblane Primary School and opened fire on a gymnasium full of school children. The horror of this event led to a chan...

36. Nazi on Trial 2: Is Evil banal?

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We continue the story of the notorious Nazi officer and organiser of the Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann, as he goes on trial in Israel. Political theorist ...

35. Nazi on Trial 1: Can “just following orders” justify horrific crimes?

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our story starts in Argentina in 1960. A middle-age man is on his way home. As he gets off the bus, hooded men grab him and shuffle him into a van. Th...