Fame Under Fire

BBC
  • 3.2 (66)
  • ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Celebrities, athletes, politicians, influencers and even royalty can all land in the firing line. Why does it matter? Because we invest in them. We give them space in our homes, our budgets, our feeds, and sometimes, our hearts. We put them on pedestals. So when they fall, we want the truth. But in an age of AI-generated "evidence", misinformation, and unqualified newsfluencers, separating fact from fiction is a full-time job. Hot on the heels of covering the Diddy trial, Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty is up for the challenge. Each week on Fame Under Fire, she'll take a detailed look at the topics dominating the headlines. With the help of expert guests, she'll myth bust, debunk, pre-bunk, fact check and get to the truth behind the timeline. Got questions? We've got answers. Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. We'll let you know as soon as new episodes are available.

  1. 3 HRS AGO

    Scott Mills sacked, Epstein and Ramsey Elkholy emails

    Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills has been sacked from the BBC following allegations relating to his personal conduct. We look at what we know, and the ongoing uncertainty around the circumstances surrounding his exit. And there’s a fresh focus on the Epstein files. We examine exchanges between Jeffrey Epstein and model scout Ramsay Elkholy. Messages between the two include degrading descriptions of young women and references to arranging meetings under the guise of professional opportunities, raising questions about coercive behaviour and the blurred boundaries between modelling work and Epstein’s access to potential victims. Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Series Producer: Louise Clarke Impact Producer: Daniel Raza Junior Production Manager: Tom Dunster Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    31 min
  2. Pulled Off Air: The Bachelorette crisis

    26 MAR

    Pulled Off Air: The Bachelorette crisis

    A full season of The Bachelorette has been cancelled days before broadcast. ABC made the decision after a video surfaced of the latest Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul in a domestic incident from 2023. The case had already been through the courts. Taylor Frankie Paul was arrested and later entered a plea in abeyance on a charge of aggravated assault. This means she had accepted responsibility in court and the case was effectively put on hold. But now the case is active and open as police say further allegations have been made on both sides. The series was completed but will not be shown. Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and resident trial attorney Shaun Kent discuss what changed when the footage emerged, and whether ABC could now face legal or financial consequences. Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. We’ll let you know as soon as new episodes are available. Got questions? Send us a Whatsapp message on 0330 678 1114. Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Series Producer: Louise Clarke Impact Producer: Daniel Raza Junior Production Manager: Tom Dunster Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    22 min

  3. 19 MAR

    The trial of Marius Borg Høiby

    The case against Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has gripped Norway throughout its seven weeks. He faces 39 charges at Oslo District Court, including four counts of rape, coercive control of a former partner, drug offences, and repeated breaches of restraining orders. He denies the most serious charges. The most serious allegations center on four anonymous women who told the court they had been sexually assaulted while asleep, discovering what had happened only when police showed them video footage filmed by the defendant during the alleged offences. He maintains all sexual activity was consensual. The trial that has shocked Norway is coming to a close. Three judges will deliberate, with a verdict expected in the coming months. A warning: this programme contains graphic descriptions of rape and sexual violence. If you are affected by anything in the programme, details of help and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. Host: Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty Series Producer: Louise Clarke Impact Producer: Daniel Raza Production Coordinator: Tom Dunster Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    26 min

  4. 11 MAR

    Kanye West LOSES civil case over $57m house

    Controversial US rapper Kanye West - now known as Ye - has been ordered to pay $140,000 to a man he hired to renovate his $57m Malibu mansion. Handyman Tony Saxon claimed he was injured while working at the beachfront house in 2021, that he wasn’t paid properly and that he was fired after refusing to run generators that released carbon monoxide inside the property. West’s team had argued Saxon was an unlicensed contractor who “destroyed” the “architectural gem” while working as an independent contractor and that bank records showed Saxon was paid $240,000 during the six weeks he worked for the rapper. A jury sitting in Los Angeles Superior Court heard Saxon initially filed a lawsuit in 2023, alleging unsafe working conditions, unpaid wages and wrongful termination. In true Ye style, it’s not been a traditional trial - at one point he appeared to fall asleep while giving evidence on the stand. This claim was then refuted by his defence attorney, Andrew Cherkasky, who told the jury on Monday: “He wasn’t sleeping. He was bored. This is beneath him.” Resident Fame Under Fire attorney Shaun Kent joins Anoushka to discuss the details of what went down - plus what the latest legal battle means for future cases against the self proclaimed Yeezus. We love hearing from you - send us your questions or comments as a voicenote or message via Whatsapp to 0330 678 1114. Host: Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty Producer: Keiligh Baker Impact Producer: Daniel Raza Production Coordinator: Tom Dunster Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    27 min

  5. 5 MAR

    Singer D4vd named as Grand Jury ‘target’

    US singer D4vd has been named as the ‘Target’ of a Grand Jury investigation into the apparent murder of a teenage girl. The body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, was found decomposing in a car belonging to the singer in Hollywood last September - but so far there have been no arrests, no charges and no indictment. Resident Fame Under Fire attorney Shaun Kent joins Anoushka to discuss the latest in the legally fraught process, why crucial court documents have been sealed, and what happens next. We also answer your pressing questions on the latest Epstein files dump - does Madeleine McCann’s name appear? And was Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch linked to the convicted sex offender? Host: Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty Producer: Keiligh Baker Senior Impact Producer: Melanie Stewart-Smith Production Coordinator: Tom Dunster Technical Producer:Ben Andrews and Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    37 min

  6. 26 FEB

    Blake v Justin: Nerdiness, mean girls and how to dress for court

    We answer your pressing questions on the biggest legal cases of the moment. First up, the Blake Lively v Justin Baldoni case in New York. How did dragons, Game of Thrones and Taylor Swift get dragged into all of this? And how might it impact Taylor? Next, your questions on the case France’s first family, the Macrons, have brought against American online commentator and provocateur Candace Owens. Resident Fame Under Fire attorney Shaun Kent joins Anoushka to discuss nerdiness, mean girls and how to dress for court. Host: Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty Producer: Keiligh Baker Senior Impact Producer: Melanie Stewart-Smith Production Coordinator: Tom Dunster Technical Producer: Jonny Baker and Richard Hannaford Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    32 min

  7. 19 FEB

    Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni head to court.

    As Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni head to court together for mediation behind closed doors, we look at how this process works. Legally, both must try and reach agreement before their dispute goes to full trial in May. So what happens at hearings like these? How do they work? Can they reach agreement and avoid a full public trial? Resident Fame Under Fire attorney Shaun Kent walks us through the latest legal steps. Host: Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty Series Producer: Jim Frank Senior Impact Producer: Daniel Raza Production Coordinator: Hattie Valetine Technical Producer: Cameron Ward. Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    33 min

  8. 12 FEB

    The Epstein Files: Fact or Fiction?

    Social media has been rife with speculation about what is in the Epstein Files with stories of cannibalism, designer babies, and references to torture. But what is actually true? What more do we know? The episode answers the questions listeners most want answers to. And we hear about the latest legal developments from US lawyer Arick Fudali, who represents 11 survivors of Jeffery Epstein. What does justice now look like for them? Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Series Producer: Jim Frank Senior Impact Producer: Daniel Raza Production Coordinator: Hattie Valentine Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Editor: Lisa Baxter Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

    21 min
See All (108)

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

$6.99/month or $69.99/year

View Subscription FAQs

Hosts & Guests

3.2
out of 5
66 Ratings

About

Celebrities, athletes, politicians, influencers and even royalty can all land in the firing line. Why does it matter? Because we invest in them. We give them space in our homes, our budgets, our feeds, and sometimes, our hearts. We put them on pedestals. So when they fall, we want the truth. But in an age of AI-generated "evidence", misinformation, and unqualified newsfluencers, separating fact from fiction is a full-time job. Hot on the heels of covering the Diddy trial, Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty is up for the challenge. Each week on Fame Under Fire, she'll take a detailed look at the topics dominating the headlines. With the help of expert guests, she'll myth bust, debunk, pre-bunk, fact check and get to the truth behind the timeline. Got questions? We've got answers. Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. We'll let you know as soon as new episodes are available.

Information

  • Channel
    BBC
  • Creator
    BBC Sounds
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Fame Under Fire
  • Provider
    BBC Studios Distribution Limited

More From BBC

You Might Also Like