Shadow World
Episodes
Impulsive: 10. Reflections
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Impulse control disorders are a common side effect of dopamine agonist drugs - it’s generally accepted that they will affect around 1 in 6 people ta...
Impulsive: 9. Blame Game
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Respected local solicitor Andrew is sent to prison - but the devastating impact of the side effects of his Parkinson’s medication continues.BBC Inve...
Impulsive: 8. Collateral
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew’s a respected local solicitor when one day he’s arrested. He has defrauded his elderly clients of more than £600,000, which he’s spent o...
Impulsive: 7. Missed connections
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy’s stumbled on a connection between her gambling problem and her medication. But her mental health team says they don’t know what she’s talk...
Impulsive: 6. Chasing Losses
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy’s on her lunchbreak when she tries her first scratchcard - soon, she’s hooked. She’s never been interested in gambling before, but after a ...
Impulsive: 5. Restless
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa has Restless Legs Syndrome - it feels like her legs are on fire and they keep moving around. It’s affecting her sleep, so she’s pleased to he...
Impulsive: 4. Big Pharma, Big Secret
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When BBC Investigations correspondent Noel Titheradge first started looking into this story, he set about finding insiders who knew what had gone on i...
Impulsive: 3. Dopamine Hits
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Freddie finds out his dad’s been scammed - to his horror, he hears that his father Bill has been speaking to multiple women in Ghana who he’d met ...
Impulsive: 2. Wonder drugs
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Not long after his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, Steve starts chatting to camgirls online. But soon he’s going on the sites every night, eve...
Impulsive: 1. Warning Signs
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When Freddie’s dad Bill is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, his medication gives him a new lease of life. He starts ticking things off his retiree buck...
Impulsive: Trailer
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Early in 2025, BBC Investigations Correspondent Noel Titheradge published his first story about a category of prescription drug with unusual side effe...
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 6. Post Mortem
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Razzall considers the fallout from the controversy surrounding Kate Clanchy’s award-winning memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me....
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 5. The Rewrite
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A sensitivity reader Helen Gould speaks publicly for the first time, revealing the emotional and professional complexities of revising a book already ...
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 4. The Defence of Kate Clanchy
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Although Kate Clanchy faces a torrent of criticism in the summer of 2021, many people supported her — fellow writers, journalists, and some of her o...
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 3. The Paper Trail
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Razzall considers the internal reaction at publishing house Pan Macmillan during the storm surrounding Kate Clanchy’s memoir Some Kids I Taugh...
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 2. The Words
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Razzall hears from critics who called out Kate Clanchy’s memoir ‘Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me’. The book, initially celebrat...
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 1. Kate’s Story
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When prize-winning author Kate Clanchy is accused of racism she asks her online followers for help. She’s shocked by the reaction. We hear the stor...
Anatomy of a Cancellation: Trailer
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Razzall reveals what happened when a prize-winning author was accused of racism, sparking what many saw as a culture war about race, class, and ...
The People vs McDonald's: 6. Judge for Yourself
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of the longest trial in English history, the verdict is finally delivered - and Helen uncovers who her former partner John really was.In 19...
The People vs McDonald's: 5. Clowning Around
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Helen digs out some old letters from her former partner John, she finds some potential clues.In 1986, members of environmental group, London Gree...
The People vs McDonald's: 4. A Proper Grilling
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A few months into the trial, Helen and Dave get an unexpected communication from the McDonald's Board of Directors.In 1986, members of environmental g...
The People vs McDonald's: 3. Flipping Burgers!
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When McDonald's discloses internal company documents to the court, they reveal somebody has been watching...In 1986, members of environmental group, L...
The People vs McDonald's: 2. Burger, Nugget, Ketchup, Spy
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The London Greenpeace numbers have been dwindling until new faces start turning up at meetings...but something isn't right.In 1986, members of environ...
The People vs McDonald's: 1. The Leaflet
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1986, members of environmental group, London Greenpeace, published a leaflet called ‘What’s wrong with McDonald’s?’ It claimed McDonald’...
The People vs McDonald's: Trailer
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Steel introduces an extraordinary battle between two activists - a gardener and a former postman - and one of the world's biggest fast food compa...
The Grave Robbers: 5. Ripe for the Taking
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where did the gang get the idea to use fake wills to steal the homes of the dead? Sue travels to Budapest to find out. As her investigation concludes,...
The Grave Robbers: 4. The Will to Steal
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It should be impossible to steal a home, but this new narrative podcast from multi award winning investigative reporter Sue Mitchell (Intrigue: To Cat...
The Grave Robbers: 3. The Good Spy
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Judd's neighbours watch on in horror as thieves take possession of his home - selling everything of value and destroying his much loved collec...
The Grave Robbers: 2. Strangers in the Street
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fake wills, stolen identities and cannabis farms - Sue Mitchell’s investigation gathers pace as she exposes how criminals are stripping the estat...
The Grave Robbers: 1. My Dear Friend
05 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two sisters, set to receive a surprise life-changing inheritance, have it snatched away by a stranger. As Sue Mitchell investigates, she reveals how f...
The Grave Robbers: Trailer
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It should be impossible to steal a home, but Sue Mitchell reveals it's all too easy. The multi-award winning investigative journalist (Intrigue: To Ca...
The Smuggler: 10. A Hidden Network
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Annabel Deas speaks to experts who fear Nick’s routes and methods are a back door for other people smugglers
The Smuggler: 9. The Arrest
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nick arrives in Kent with four Vietnamese migrants on his boat. But he’s met by police who arrest him for people smuggling.
The Smuggler: 8. The Boat Theory
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a near escape, Nick vows to never smuggle again. Meanwhile, police build a theory that Nick is smuggling Vietnamese migrants to work on cannabis...
The Smuggler: 7. A Dangerous Journey
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nick evades the police in France. But his boat is broken and taking on water. Meanwhile, journalist Annabel Deas hears about the dangerous journeys ta...
The Smuggler: 6. The Vietnamese Connection
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nick is paid thousands of pounds to bring Vietnamese migrants into the UK. But at what cost?
The Smuggler: 5. The Crossing
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nick buys a boat and searches for a new smuggling route across the English Channel.
The Smuggler: 4. The Final Border
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After serving time in prison for people smuggling, Nick becomes an informant, providing information about the Albanian gang.
The Smuggler: 3. The Mistake
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nick is growing in confidence, smuggling migrants across the channel on ferries. But human error is impossible to avoid.
The Smuggler: 2. Nick’s First Time
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nick is desperate to provide for his new family. He travels to Dunkirk to smuggle an illegal migrant into the UK. Meanwhile, a police operation swings...
The Smuggler: 1. The Passport
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
British builder Nick is struggling after the 2008 financial crash. He receives an offer from an Albanian people smuggling gang that’s too good to re...
The Smuggler: Trailer
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NEW in Shadow World: The Smuggler tells the story of a former British soldier who became an international people smuggler.In this intimate portrait of...
The Willpower Detectives: 8. Nearest and Dearest
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When The Willpower Detectives aired on BBC Radio 4, just before Christmas 2024, hundreds of listeners contacted the BBC with their own stories about p...
The Willpower Detectives: 7. Rescue Me
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The hidden scandal of Power of Attorney – how one man controls the finances of scores of vulnerable people. Sue Mitchell holds those responsible to...
The Willpower Detectives: 6. Falling on Deaf Ears
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A man receives compensation after abuse in a Catholic boarding school and wants to know what has happened to some of his money. He asks Sue Mitchell t...
The Willpower Detectives: 5. Rich Pickings
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Who do people turn to if they fear that vulnerable neighbours need help, especially when relatives live far away? Sue Mitchell follows cases, hearing ...
The Willpower Detectives: 4. Undue Influence
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pam and Sylvie ask for help finding their friend and warn of the pressure felt to sign Power of Attorney orders. Sue Mitchell helps them search and in...
The Willpower Detectives: 3. My Dying Wish
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Mitchell tracks what happens when a rock and roll roadie leaves his estate to his closest friends. They become increasingly concerned that things ...
The Willpower Detectives: 2. A Trust Betrayed
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Maisie was struggling to cope and thought giving someone control of her finances would help: she later regretted signing that Power of Attorney order ...
The Willpower Detectives: 1. The Doorstep Stranger
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Concerned neighbours ask Sue Mitchell for help in finding out how one man has taken control of the finances of scores of vulnerable people.This is the...
The Willpower Detectives: Trailer
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The hidden scandal of Power of Attorney - how one man controls the finances of scores of vulnerable people.
Thief at the British Museum: 9. An Ending, a Beginning
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ittai hands over his gems and the Museum launches a recovery process to try and find more of the missing items. But will it ever get back what has bee...
Thief at the British Museum: 8. Stateside
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Katie receives a tip-off that sultan1966 has been selling gems in the US. After speaking to a buyer in New Orleans, she learns about an even bigger co...
Thief at the British Museum: 7. Treasure Hunt
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ittai Gradel says he sold on some of the gems he thinks came from the British Museum. A mission to hunt them down leads the team through the backstree...
Thief at the British Museum: 6. Lone Wolf or Scapegoat?
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As news of the thefts breaks around the world, the boss of the British Museum turns on Ittai. Now he has to fight to clear his name.And what of the th...
Thief at the British Museum: 5. Secret Missions
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The inside story of how ancient treasures were stolen from one of the world’s most renowned institutions. And how one man believes he caught a thief...
Thief at the British Museum: 4. Seeds of Doubt
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ittai is convinced he’s found his thief, but not everyone is so sure. “I mean, to me, it just sounds like a setup. It sounds like he’s being fra...
Thief at the British Museum: 3. Lightbulb Moment
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For Ittai, the clues finally fall into place. Has he identified the thief?Ittai Gradel long suspected someone was selling ancient gems that once belon...
Thief at the British Museum: 2. White Paper Dots
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A mysterious seller appears with a seemingly endless supply of ancient, precious gems at bargain prices. Collector and dealer Ittai Gradel snaps them ...
Thief at the British Museum: 1. The Man with the Cardboard Box
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
People have called Dr Ittai Gradel a kind of Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems. He’s an antiquities dealer with an eye f...
Thief at the British Museum: Trailer
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The inside story of how ancient treasures disappeared from one of the world’s most famous museums. And how one man believes he uncovered a thief. B...