The Observer
•Channel • 29 Shows
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- DocumentaryWeekly series
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- Three years ago travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving almost by accident. It’s an extreme and beautiful sport defined by one simple objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. Record holders are now routinely diving to more than 120 metres, pushing the sport and their bodies to find out what’s humanly possible. Through her coach, Lydia was drawn into a small but fanatical community of competition athletes all united in their drive for depth, and that’s where she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours swirled that a group of top divers were doping to get deeper, faster. As the community began to turn on each other over the allegations, one prominent diver decided to take the law into his own hands. A secret sting operation was meant to put an end to the problem by bringing the alleged dopers out of the dark, and into the light. But the issue hasn't gone away. And now, a lot of people who’ve been too scared to speak up, are ready to talk. Episodes 1-4 are available to listen now. Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series today. Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Click here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 4.6 (2461)
- DOCUMENTARY
- The Slow Newscast from The Observer takes the news slowly. We investigate, and every week we focus on stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. From wars in Ukraine and Gaza through to true crime and injustice and real life mysteries, The Slow Newscast team is devoted to narrative investigations covering some of the biggest topics of the day. Who are the people biohacking themselves in a quest for immortality? Or the man taking on an entire nation in the high seas to protect whales? And what happened when humanity's most distant messenger fell silent? From a newsroom with a different approach to journalism these are the stories we tell. Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Click here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 4.6 (766)
- DOCUMENTARY
- 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 four-part series in which Chloe Hadjimatheou asks who gets to be a perpetrator and a victim. 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. Thank you for listening to Lucky Boy. You can listen to more of our investigations on Tortoise Investigates. Follow the feed to be the first to hear when we release brand-new investigations. To get all our investigations early and ad-free, subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 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.
- 4.7 (38)
- DOCUMENTARY
- The week in culture, annotated. Writer and journalist Liv Little and Observer critic Miranda Sawyer get notes from editors all the time - now it’s their turn to hand them out. Every Wednesday morning, Liv and Miranda weigh in on the latest cultural happenings, from reality TV meltdowns and art house films, to gallery openings and TikTok trends. Smart, funny, and full of sharp observations. We Have Notes is culture with commentary. Let’s chat! Send us your voice notes! @WeHaveNotes_Pod on Instagram@WeHaveNotes_Pod on TikTokwehavenotes@observer.co.uk via email Hosts: Liv Little and Miranda Sawyer Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Producer: Casey Magloire Artwork: Lola Williams and Blythe Walker Sibthorp Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Click here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 4.4 (47)
- SOCIETY & CULTURE
- Kirat and Bobby have an unusual relationship. The circumstances of their individual lives mean it’s difficult for them to meet face to face but, despite everything, they end up falling in love. Their romance might play out online but in many ways it’s a traditional love story. Until Kirat discovers the disturbing truth. Sweet Bobby is the #1 chart-topping, award-winning series about a sophisticated ten year scam that almost destroyed one woman’s life, and the investigation into the catfisher behind it all. If you want to listen to more thought-provoking investigations, head to Tortoise Investigates - the home of all our investigative podcasts. To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free episodes. Head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 4.6 (225)
- DOCUMENTARY
- When Sarah watched her 23 year old daughter cycle away from her in Chelsea - a well-off corner of London - she had no idea it would be the last time they’d see each other for 6 years. What would make a loving child from a life of privilege sever ties with friends and family, and disappear? It turns out, Sarah wasn’t alone in losing a daughter. Something strange was happening to other young women, too. And they all had one thing in common: a kind of therapist figure - a woman they were all seeing and sharing their problems, their secrets, their fears with. But it took years for the truth of what was happening behind closed doors to emerge, and the extraordinary things this woman led them to believe. Dangerous Memories is the story of young women who wanted to be healed that became, for us, a story about the healer, and what we risk when we let someone else into our mind, and our memory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 4.8 (54)
- NEWS
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About
The Observer is the home of original reporting, narrative investigations and independent thinking.
If you’re new to The Observer audio, we release new podcast episodes every weekday. Our daily podcast The Sensemaker tells one story every day to make sense of the world. The Slow Newscast is our weekly investigative podcast focusing on the stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. Every Monday and Friday you can hear Observer journalists and special guests battle it out to see whose story should lead the news and why in The News Meeting. You can also listen to our award winning investigative series on Tortoise Investigates including hit podcasts Sweet Bobby, Hoaxed, Dangerous Memories and Lucky Boy.
For just £5.99 a month, or £49.99 a year, you can get exclusive subscriber benefits: early access to the Slow Newscast and our investigations before anyone else, bonus content and ad-free listening to all our podcasts. What’s more, your first 3 days are completely free.