On 6th October 1987, a newborn baby is found on the verge of a remote country lane in Suffolk. Police comb the area for clues and appeal for witnesses, but the mother is never found. The baby, Jess, is adopted. Journalist Lucy Greenwell has never forgotten the day when Jess was discovered. She was a child and lived nearby. For decades Lucy has wondered; what happened to Jess, and what could have driven a mother to leave her child in such an isolated place? When Lucy tracks Jess down, she finds a woman already deep in her own search for the truth, and a story far more tangled than either of them expected. What unfolds is a tale of long-held secrets and unintended consequences that spirals out of Jess’s control. Foundling is a six-part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer To binge listen to all episodes today ad free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription. Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads. Credits: Reporter - Lucy Greenwell Producer - Katie Gunning Original theme music - Tom Kinsella Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp Narrative editor - Gary Marshall Editor - Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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True Crime
Is the world ending, or does it just feel like it? "Are We Doomed?" investigates the greatest risks facing society, the planet, and our species. What’s real? What’s hype? And how do we actually make it out alive? Nukes. Asteroids. Autocracy. Rogue AI. Climate-driven pandemics. Angry hippopotamuses. Teeth clenched, curiosity engaged, quips ready, this “slightly narrative” podcast explores everything from the existential and the unexpected to the overblown. Award-winning public radio journalist Ben Bradford brings you wild true stories, high-production sound design, and world-class experts answering the questions they never prepared for (“Why is the Earth doing this to us?”). From NuanceTales and distributed by the NPR Network, this show delves into history, science, technology, and the natural world, to help you separate legitimate world-changing risks from doomsday fantasies. Come for the supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park (real), stay to learn why the post-apocalyptic wasteland won’t look like the movies (sorry, you won’t be wandering with a shotgun and a dog), and leave with a better understanding of how our brilliant, bumbling species can chart a path through our current, terrifying adolescence.
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Science
What I Survived explores the extraordinary true stories of people who survived the unthinkable. Each story takes you back to who these people were before everything changed, then inside the moment their lives were pushed to the edge, shipwrecked at sea for weeks, held captive by terrorists, falling 15,000 feet from a plane after a parachute failure, and other extreme, life-or-death situations. Through first-hand accounts, we follow the ordeal as it happened, the decisions made under unimaginable pressure, and the will it took to survive. Then what came after, the physical and psychological recovery, and the process of rebuilding a life forever altered. From the creator of award winning shows One Minute Remaining, Wanted and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Documentary
How two influencers made millions radicalising pregnant women with a simple message: they could exit the medical system and take back their power by free birthing. Now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world. A six-part investigation by the Guardian
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Documentary
Stories about the lives of real Montanans after they die. Co-hosted by old friends and colleagues Jad Abumrad (founder of Radiolab and creator of Dolly Parton’s America and 2025’s Fela Kuti: Fear No Man) and University of Montana professor and journalist Jule Banville (An Absurd Result). This 12-episode production of the Montana Media Lab at the UM School of Journalism started with a class of college students learning about the long tradition of obituary writing. It culminated with them and other journalists creating a new form that explores universal truths, legacies and reckoning with the memories of those we love. Hear the stories wherever you get your podcasts and on Montana Public Radio.
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Documentary
The Vikings terrified the medieval world. Yet they beguile us today. Who were they really? Welcome to Real Vikings - the new show from the award-winning Noiser Podcast Network, hosted by Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Resident Evil, Downton Abbey). Each week we’ll take a deep dive into the Viking age… boarding longboats bound for new lands, from Greenland to North Africa, Constantinople to Canada… following mighty warlords like Eric Bloodaxe and Olga of Kyiv… meeting master navigators like Leif Erikson… and uncovering the real figures behind the legends of the sagas. With contributions from leading historians, original music and immersive sound design. Real Vikings is available for free wherever you get your podcasts or at noiser.com Noiser+ subscribers get early access to new episodes and ad-free listening. Click the Noiser+ banner at the top of the feed or head to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Someone Knows Something is the investigative true crime series by award-winning documentarian David Ridgen. Each season tackles an unsolved case, uncovering details and bringing closure to families. Find episode transcripts at this page. Previous seasons: S1: Adrien McNaughton. S2: Sheryl Sheppard. S3: Dee & Moore. S4: Greavette. S5: Kerrie Brown. S6: Donald Izzett Jr.. S7: The Abortion Wars. S8: The Angel Carlick Case. S9: The Christine Harron Case.
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True Crime
From ghostly phantoms to UFOs, Danny Robins investigates real-life stories of paranormal encounters. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? Written and presented by Danny Robins Editor and Sound Designer: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme Music by Lanterns on the Lake Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
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Documentary
What are the real stories behind the most misunderstood and abused ideas in politics? From Conspiracy Theory to Woke to Centrism and beyond, Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey dig into the astonishing secret histories of concepts you thought you knew. Want to support us in making future seasons? There are now two ways you can help out: • Patreon – Get early episodes, live Zooms, merchandise and more from just £5 per month. • Apple Podcasts – Want everything in one place with one easy payment? Subscribe to our premium feed on Apple Podcasts for ad-free shows early and bonus editions too. From Podmasters, the makers of Oh God, What Now?, American Friction and The Bunker.
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Society & Culture
Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
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Society & Culture
Are you sick of hard hitting journalism and hot takes? Footy & Friends is the place for you. Join Dylan Buckley and his mates for three episodes a week of footy chat the way it should be: honest, light-hearted and from people who actually played the game (mostly not very well!) Mick Barlow and Brett Deledio unpack the weekend's action and look ahead on Mondays and Wednesdays, with Tommy Sheridan joining on Fridays. Sit back, relax and get ready for self-insertion, tangents and fun, the way footy should be.
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Sport
Kaitlyn Braun, a pregnant young woman in crisis, takes dozens of birth workers through an escalating series of disasters – rape, baby loss, and even a coma. One by one, the doulas struggle to support her and grieve with her, and even save her life as they’re led down a distressing path. And then the truth comes out. In this six-part true crime series, Sarah Treleaven untangles a complex web of lies and deception to ask who Kaitlyn really is and why she did the things that she did. Cases like these puzzle legal experts and raise intricate moral and ethical questions. This is not your average con. Kaitlyn is not your usual scammer. The Con: Kaitlyn's Baby is the 2026 Winner of the Podcast Academy’s Ambie Award for Best Documentary Podcast. Kaitlyn's Baby is Season 2 of The Con — a podcast exposing the art of deception — from CBC and the BBC World Service. Season 1 - the critically acclaimed catfishing quest, Love, Janessa, launched in January 2023. Content warning: The latest season of The Con contains references to medical emergencies, including baby loss. We also deal with sexual assault and there is some strong language.