What It Was Like

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What It Was Like

Superreal

49 episodes

4 hours ago

Conversations with people who have lived through extreme events. Some stories are dark and twisted, others are light and funny. In all cases, we get an intimate portrait of 'what it was like' to be there.

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Hosted by Julian Morgans

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Documentary

Society & Culture

RSS

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Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Hosted by Julian Morgans

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Documentary

Society & Culture

Episodes (20/49)

What It Was Like

I Caught 'The Dating Game' Killer

You might’ve seen 'Woman of the Hour' on Netflix but this is the real story. In 1979, a 12-year-old girl vanished from Huntington Beach and Detective Craig Robison was assigned to the case. He tells us how he tracked down her killer, a man who had already murdered at least seven women, and how they eventually identified him on national TV as a dating show contestant.

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5 days ago

1 hour 18 minutes 24 seconds

What It Was Like

Catching My Sister's Killer (Classic)

This week we're re-running a favourite episode. In 1985, a 17-year-old girl named Shari Smith was abducted from her driveway and the family's phone started to ring. It was the kidnapper, his voice electronically distorted. He called repeatedly and it fell on Shari's 21-year-old sister Dawn to answer. In this episode, Dawn Smith Jordan recalls what she learned that week about her her sister's courage and her own resilience.

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1 week ago

58 minutes 42 seconds

What It Was Like

I Cooked and Ate My Own Foot

Today, we’re speaking with a man who lost his foot in a motorcycle accident and then served it to 10 friends for brunch. It’s a conversation about curiosity, taboos—and yes, we ask the question you want to know: what does human meat actually taste like?

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2 weeks ago

44 minutes 22 seconds

What It Was Like

I Was Nearly Killed by the 'Killdozer'

In 2004, a man named Marvin Heemeyer turned a bulldozer into a homemade tank and tore through Granby, Colorado, targeting people he believed had wronged him. One was local newspaper editor Patrick Brower, who barely escaped as the “Killdozer” demolished his office. Patrick recalls the rampage and what it revealed to him about vigilante revenge.

For more of Patrick's story, check out his book Killdozer: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage

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3 weeks ago

57 minutes 13 seconds

What It Was Like

I Had an Affair With an AI Girlfriend

Chris Smith started experimenting with ChatGPT in 2024 and quickly became hooked. Soon he’d customised the chatbot into a flirty persona he named “Sol.” What began as curiosity evolved into a full-blown romantic relationship. One that nearly derailed his real-life partnership. In this episode, Chris opens up about how his AI “affair” began, why it became so intense, and how it affected his family.

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1 month ago

52 minutes 52 seconds

What It Was Like

I Dated a Billionaire Weapons Dealer

Jill Dodd was a 21-year-old model when she started dating one of the world's richest men. Adnan Khashoggi made billions selling arms to Saudi Arabia and lived in mansions, superyachts, and among an entourage of women. Jill tells what it was like to live inside that fairy tale and the hidden costs that it entailed.

Check out Jill's memoir: The Currency of Love: A Courageous Journey to Finding the Love Within

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1 month ago

59 minutes 38 seconds

What It Was Like

Lighting Bushfires Made Me Feel Less Alone

In the late 1980s, Steve was a teenage firefighter in a small Australian coastal town. Lonely and looking for connection, he discovered that if he lit a fire in the nearby national park, he could impress the other firefighters by being the first on the scene. In this ep, Steve explains how getting caught and charged with arson saved his life, and possibly countless others.

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1 month ago

56 minutes 29 seconds

What It Was Like

A Nearly Impossible Story of Survival on 9/11

On September 11, 2001, Stanley Praimnath was on the top floor of the South Tower when he saw the second plane heading straight for his office. Against impossible odds, he survived and became one of a tiny number of people to escape from above the impact zone. In this 9/11 anniversary episode, Stanley recounts what it was like to be at the top of the World Trade Centre that morning.

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1 month ago

1 hour 16 minutes 28 seconds

What It Was Like

I Discovered Brad Pitt

With Brad Pitt back in the spotlight thanks to F1, we’re revisiting a classic episode from 2022. Casting director Lauren Lloyd recalls meeting a young, pimply Pitt in the 1980s and instantly knowing he’d become a star. In this episode, we unpack the making of Brad Pitt as an actor and as a Hollywood institution. Stay listening at the end for a sneak peek of this week's subscriber bonus episode.

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2 months ago

1 hour 18 minutes 43 seconds

What It Was Like

How it Felt Running a $700 Million Bank Fraud

In 2003, a Wall Street trader named John Rusnak was convicted of bank fraud and sentenced to more than seven years in prison. In this episode, John explains how a series of bad bets snowballed into one of the biggest white-collar crimes in US history and why he kept doubling down.

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2 months ago

1 hour 3 minutes 32 seconds

What It Was Like

What We Found Hidden in our Walls

A family moves into a new home in rural Pennsylvania and starts renovating. Only there's something in the walls that doesn't make sense. What they uncover upends their lives and reveals a fascinating piece of America’s history.

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2 months ago

53 minutes 6 seconds

What It Was Like

Three Deaths at a Spiritual Retreat

In 2009, motivational speaker James Arthur Ray hosted a multi-day retreat in Arizona. On the final day, three participants died. In this episode, the property’s owner, Amayra Hamilton, tells us what happened and what she learned about the dark side of the wellness industry.

For more, please check out Amayra's book: Transformation at Angel Valley

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2 months ago

1 hour 14 minutes 54 seconds

What It Was Like

The Meat Industry Veteran Who'd Seen Enough

For decades, David Magna worked as a safety supervisor in Canadian slaughterhouses. But then a crisis of conscience turned him from an industry insider to vegan activist. In this episode, we tackle the thing most people would rather ignore: what really goes on inside the meat industry—all through the lens of David’s personal journey.

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2 months ago

55 minutes 42 seconds

What It Was Like

I Called the Police on My Serial Killer Dad

As a child, April Balascio noticed that people would often vanish. One time it was a labourer working for her dad, another time it was a young couple in town. Then as an adult, April started googling cold cases in her childhood towns. In 2009 she got a match and called the police. In this episode, April shares the journey of realising (and accepting) her dad was a serial killer.

Check out April's incredible memoir, Raised By a Serial Killer

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3 months ago

1 hour 10 minutes 34 seconds

What It Was Like

I Accidentally Turned ‘The Macarena’ Into a Global Phenomenon

In 1995, Carlos de Yarza spent 90 minutes remixing a catchy Spanish song without giving it much thought. That version became 'The Macarena' the world knows today. Carlos joins us to talk about how a quick remix changed his life and created a dance craze known everywhere.

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3 months ago

56 minutes 37 seconds

What It Was Like

One Night, 852 People Lost in the Ocean

In 1994, a luxurious ferry called the MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea, drowning most of its passengers. Landscape architect Paul Barney was one of the few who survived. In this nail-biting episode, he describes how decisiveness, yoga training, and sheer luck kept him alive.

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3 months ago

59 minutes 44 seconds

What It Was Like

I Solved the 'Doomsday Mum' Murders

In 2019, two children vanished in Idaho, sparking an investigation that became one of America’s biggest true crime stories. At the centre were Chad and Lori Daybell, two religious fanatics with a fixation on the end times. In this episode, we speak with Lieutenant Ray Hermosillo, the detective who cracked the case and uncovered the kids' tragic end.

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3 months ago

1 hour 38 seconds

What It Was Like

What I’ve Learned Stopping Suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge

When Kevin Briggs joined the San Francisco Highway Patrol, he didn’t expect a key part of his job would be talking people down from the Golden Gate Bridge. In this episode, Kevin shares how he developed a method for these life-or-death conversations, and tells the stories of those he met and the words that brought them back.

Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbriggspivotalpoints/

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4 months ago

1 hour 4 minutes 34 seconds

What It Was Like

I Imported Rave Culture (and Ecstasy) to America

In 1991, Shaun Attwood arrived from the UK to find American rave culture in its infancy. Spotting an opportunity, he began importing potent Dutch ecstasy and built a drug empire through his network of dealers and party organisers. In this episode, he tells the story of his rapid rise and hard fall.

Check out Shaun Attwood’s YouTube channel here. His books and social media accounts can be found here.

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4 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes 57 seconds

What It Was Like

What Happens When Religious Leaders Take Magic Mushrooms?

A new study gave psilocybin to religious leaders, just to see whether their faith would be affirmed or rattled. In this episode we hear from one participant, Islamic leader Sughra Ahmed, who describes how the trip brought her closer to God but uprooted her belief in organised religion.

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4 months ago

1 hour 8 minutes 56 seconds