The History Podcast

The History Podcast

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

$2.99/month or $29.99/year

Uncover new perspectives on unforgettable stories from our past. The History Podcast is the home of story-driven history series from BBC Radio 4. Each series will take you inside the most pivotal events in history, through the people who were there, to uncover new perspectives on the moments that still define us now.

  1. EPISODE 1

    The Lucan Obsession: The Double Mystery

    One winter's night, 50 years ago, a crime took place that obsessed the nation. Lord Lucan is said to have killed the family nanny, attacked his wife and vanished. Newspapers ran wild with lurid detail and it became a story hardwired into British culture. Why did this case capture the British imagination, and spark one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th Century? Historian Alex von Tunzelmann unpacks the story of our obsession, taking us into a dizzying world of high stakes gambling and exclusive London clubs, powerboat racing and pet tigers. It’s also a dark realm of bankruptcy, gaslighting and stalking, and at its heart, a story with a violent and very tragic death. Across the series she investigates the two mysteries at the centre of this story: was Lord Lucan the murder, and where on earth did he go? Told and retold, the facts of the Lucan story have got lost. Alex finds herself in a hall of mirrors where truth and lies distort themselves into new myths and new mysteries. Was the truth obscured by booze and backhanders, class deference and journalist spin? As she tries to get to the bottom of this case, she meets eyewitnesses from the '70s, people caught up in the crime, and those who just can’t let it go. She unearths long forgotten tapes and letters, piecing together fragments of a legend to discover why the Lucan myth still holds such power. Series contributors: Algy Cluff, Pierrette Goletto and Mandy Parks Journalists: Bob Strange and James Fox Author: Laura Thompson Crime writer: Claire McGowan Police: Geoff Lewry, Richard Swarbrick and Jackie Malton UK Missing Persons Unit: Louise Newell Presenter: Alex von Tunzelmann Series Producer: Sarah Bowen Content Producer: Becca Bryers

    14 min

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • The day’s top stories from BBC News, including the latest on the Middle East conflict – bringing you developments from Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and Iran. Delivered twice a day on weekdays, daily at weekends.

  • The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

  • A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.

  • Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.

  • Tim Harford tells the fascinating stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which have helped create the economic world.

  • How did the planet's richest people make their billions? From celebrities and secretive CEOs to sporting legends and tech titans, Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng find out, and then decide whether they think they’re good, bad, or just another billionaire. Ever wondered how Taylor Swift went from country singer to money-spinner? How Amazon boss Jeff Bezos came to launch one of the biggest corporations of the internet age? And how six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan made his fortune with Nike? Good Bad Billionaire is here to analyse the minds, motives and money of some of the world's wealthiest individuals. No detail is too small and no story too wild to uncover. Join us on a global journey, discovering all we can about some of the richest people on the planet. We hear about billionaires in Russia, China, New Zealand, India, Nigeria and the UK. In the United States, there are those who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and high street fashion. Exploring the lives of Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, El Chapo, Narayana Murthy and Kim Kardashian, this podcast paints a vivid picture of business, entrepreneurship, capitalism and how our world really works. In season two, we learn how the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Peter Jackson, Doris Fisher and George Soros came to join the billionaires' club. We explore how Tiger Woods went from a child golfing prodigy to the world’s highest paid athlete, how a communist mime artist became the boss of fashion house Prada and how Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought an English football club. Find out how Mukesh Ambani became Asia’s richest person, and how Patrice Motsepe became the first black billionaire in a post-apartheid South Africa. Plus, we examine some of the biggest names behind the technology shaping our world – the founders of TikTok, Google, ChatGPT, Alibaba and Bumble. But it's not just how these billionaires made their money; it's what they did with it next. Ultimately, Simon and Zing consider whether they think these people are a force for “good”, the opposite, or somewhere in between. Join Simon Jack, business editor for BBC News, and journalist, author and podcaster Zing Tsjeng as this podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, ambition and moral responsibility, and invites you to make up your own mind: are they Good, Bad, or Just Another Billionaire? New episodes released on Mondays.

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

$2.99/month or $29.99/year

About

Uncover new perspectives on unforgettable stories from our past. The History Podcast is the home of story-driven history series from BBC Radio 4. Each series will take you inside the most pivotal events in history, through the people who were there, to uncover new perspectives on the moments that still define us now.

More From BBC

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada