Introducing...Lucky Boy
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.
Episodes 1 and 2 are available to listen now.
To listen to episode 3 today, subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or download the Tortoise app.
To find out more about The Observer:
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Head to our website observer.co.uk
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Introducing...Lucky Boy
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.
Episodes 1 and 2 are available to listen now.
To listen to episode 3 today, subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or download the Tortoise app.
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
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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We are partnering with Greenpeace and Crowd Network, so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations on The Slow Newscast. You can join Tortoise as a member to get early and ad-free access to new series and support our investigations at www.tortoisemedia.com/invite
What does it sound like at the bottom of the ocean?
In this new podcast from Greenpeace and Crowd Network, you can find out. Join Wildlife Filmmaker Hannah Stitfall as she embarks on a journey across the planet and under the waves.
You’ll be swimming with dolphins, visiting the seabed, and meeting the people aiming to protect 30% of our oceans by 2030.
Part of the series was even recorded aboard the ship Arctic Sunrise in the Arctic Circle.
Season 2 is out now, listen on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sally Anne Bowen doesn’t want to speak about her relationship with Gareth, but it turns out there is a way of hearing her version of events. And after months of searching, Chloe gets a message from another ‘lucky boy’.
You can 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
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.
Chloe hears from a former teacher who seems to support what Gareth believes - that there was a cover-up. And it’s still going on today.
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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
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.
Gareth is convinced that his memories are true and that there are plenty of witnesses who can corroborate his story, so why will no one help him?
You can find out more about Tortoise:
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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.
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.
You can 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
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.
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.
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
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.
Introducing... Rogue Russia: Agents of mayhem
Last October, the head of MI5 said Russia was on a mission to cause "sustained mayhem" on European streets. It might be hard to spot at first, but it is there in plain sight. This is the unpredictable, violent world of the modern Russian intelligence services. You can listen to the episode on the Slow Newscast here.
Be the first to hear episodes of the Slow Newscast ad-free by subscribing to Tortoise+ or by becoming a Tortoise member.
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 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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We are partnering with Audiochuck, so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations like Elon's Spies. You can join Tortoise as a member to get early and ad-free access to new series and support our investigations at www.tortoisemedia.com/invite.
Introducing...Crime Junkie - MURDERED: JonBenet Ramsay
The morning after Christmas Day 1996, six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing... only for her body to be discovered hours later in her family’s home. Nearly three decades later, the questions remain: What really happened that night? Who is responsible for her death? And why has this case gone unsolved for so long? For years, Ashley Flowers vowed never to cover this infamous case – unless she could hear directly from the Ramsey family. In this episode, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat explore the chilling details of JonBenét’s case, the infamous ransom note, and the lingering theories surrounding the investigation. With exclusive insights from JonBenét’s father, John Ramsey, this is a story you won’t want to miss. Listen to the full episode here.
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.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
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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.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
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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.
You can 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: 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.
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
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.
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.
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
To find out more about Tortoise:
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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
To find out more about Tortoise:
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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
To find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
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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
To 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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