British Scandal

4.3 (4.4K)
HISTORY
WEEKLY SERIES

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In a country obsessed with gossip, the great and the good fear one thing more than any other - scandal. British scandals change the course of history. They bring down governments, overthrow the rich and cause the mighty to fall. Some are about sex, others about money. In the end, they’re all about power. But often at the heart of a scandal, there are ordinary human stories. Stories of those caught up in the swirl of outrage. Who was really to blame for what happened? Why did they do it? And when all is said and done, did anything really change? From the creators of Business Wars, American Scandal and Ghost Story, comes British Scandal. Each week, hosts Alice Levine and Matt Forde delve into the murkier side of the British elite, from Phone Hacking to Profumo to the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss. Because sometimes the truth doesn’t set everyone free… Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.

EPISODE 1

The Scandalous Life of Charles Dickens | Christmas Special

Think Dickens was all jolly carols and festive cheer? Not so. Behind the snowy scenes and spirit of goodwill, the so-called “Father of Christmas” was hiding a scandalous love life. Matt and Alice dive into the details with co-hosts of Wondery’s Legacy podcast, writer Afua Hirsch and historian Peter Frankopan. Plus, did Britain's most famous novelist really "invent" Christmas? Afua and Peter weigh in. Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at britishscandal@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

48 min

See All Season 50 (1)

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4.3

out of 5

4,387 Ratings

Tip top ear entertainment

3 Dec

RPWell

No idea why I resisted this series of podcasts for so long. But, I have made amends and caught up on the majority. Love the accents, imagined dialogue and humour between Alice & Matt.
Aitken Episode

3 days ago

EverythingHasGoneGreen

Great story but the presenters/narrators simply not as funny as they think they are. In fact, they do their best to distract and irritate the listener. Also, this could easily be a family show but Delaney & Levine get a little over-excited and litter the episode with some swear words they've just heard at playtime.
Out of place & unnecessary commentary

12 Dec

Shira1pl

I was very intrigued when I heard the ad for the podcast while listening to Legacy, and added it to my shows. What a disappointment.. The topics are interesting and the narrative is also good but what is it with the stupid NOT jokes? The interactions bring nothing to the table and are NOT funny. They are not even so called “dad’s jokes”. Cut it out. Drop it. Also, it is a history you are presenting, yes. But these were real people. Have some respect and dignity. I tried to get into it by listening to couple of seasons and I will stop listening to this. So annoying.
Frighteningly misogynistic

4 Dec

]ourneyman

A largely well-crafted and entertaining diversion, with genuinely engaging and likable hosts, this feels like a can’t miss listen. And in many ways it is; which makes it’s casual dissemination of tired gender tropes all the more worrisome. Maddeningly, in pushing close to 50 series, you will struggle to find one single female character afforded any agency whatsoever over her own story. Near every representation of women in this show is defined by guilelessness. This infantilisation of women, the victimisation and disempowerment of the female experience, is becoming incessant. I really struggle to see what is so insistent about a protagonist’s gender that it so colours your interpretation of their stories: If you’re hungry, you seek food; if you’re thirsty, you seek drink; if you’re cold, you seek shelter; if you’re lonely, you seek solace; if you’re poor, you seek restitution; if you’re imperilled, you seek asylum. A cursory look at the world around will you confirm our strategies here are defined by our individual personalities, not monolithically by gender. Such lazy narratives do your subjects a disservice by denying them a role in their own narrative; but moreso, it encourages a wider malaise amongst your audience. The reason we fight for equality of opportunity is not to assert uniformity, it is to recognise difference. It is to understand a destination might be reached by many varied routes; the aptitude of the navigator more valuable than the circuit followed. Our rights are largely illusory. They exist only because we assert them. When we’re encouraged to deny our rights it is an attack on our freedom.

In a country obsessed with gossip, the great and the good fear one thing more than any other - scandal. British scandals change the course of history. They bring down governments, overthrow the rich and cause the mighty to fall. Some are about sex, others about money. In the end, they’re all about power. But often at the heart of a scandal, there are ordinary human stories. Stories of those caught up in the swirl of outrage. Who was really to blame for what happened? Why did they do it? And when all is said and done, did anything really change? From the creators of Business Wars, American Scandal and Ghost Story, comes British Scandal. Each week, hosts Alice Levine and Matt Forde delve into the murkier side of the British elite, from Phone Hacking to Profumo to the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss. Because sometimes the truth doesn’t set everyone free… Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.