Leon Neyfakh is a journalist and podcaster best known as the co-creator and host of Slow Burn, Fiasco, and Backfired. He has been a reporter for Slate, The Boston Globe, and The New York Observer and is the author of the book The Next Next Level. Listen to his newest podcasts here. Season 3: OnlyFantasy In this provocative investigation into OnlyFans— the adult platform where subscribers around the world spent more than $7 billion in 2024— journalist Leon Neyfakh teams up with comedian and OnlyFans creator Gracie Canaan for a one-of-a-kind exploration into the current state of human connection. Throughout, they discover that the site originally built for spicy adult content has quietly and surprisingly become something more complicated— an emotional marketplace where desire, performance, care, fantasy, and vulnerability seemingly blur together. As Neyfakh and Canaan navigate timely questions about autonomy, performance, and profit, a question emerges: is connection mediated by a screen still authentic? To find the answer, they meet creators building lucrative businesses, subscribers who believe they’ve found something real, professional “chatters” who are paid to simulate affection, and pioneers who have helped engineer intimacy at scale. Captivating and tender, OnlyFantasy is ultimately about the cost of loneliness, the seductive power of desire, and how the rules of human intimacy are being rewritten online. Is what’s happening on OnlyFans real? Or is it only a fantasy? Season 2: Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer Jerry Springer wasn’t supposed to become the host of The Jerry Springer Show. Before the chairs started flying and the fights became a daytime TV staple, the man then known as Gerald Springer was an idealistic rising star in Democratic politics, with ambitions to one day be elected governor of Ohio. From Leon Neyfakh and Prologue Projects — the team behind Slow Burn, Fiasco, Backfired, and Think Twice: Michael Jackson — comes Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer. You may think you know Springer, the notorious ringmaster of what TV Guide once called “the worst show in television history.” But long before Springer’s name became synonymous with outrageous guests, taboo confessions, and vicious on-stage brawls, he was the mayor of Cincinnati — a serious and popular politician who many believed was the future of the Democratic Party. So, what happened? This series traces Springer’s unlikely transformation — from the son of Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany, to a respected public servant, to the face of a show many called a symptom of cultural decline. Through intimate interviews with the people who knew him best — family, political insiders, and the producers who helped shape his show — Final Thoughts will bring you closer than ever to the man behind the spectacle, and maybe even cause you to rethink some of your own life choices. Final Thoughts isn’t just a story about one man’s improbable career path. It’s about how far someone can go for success and what they’re willing to trade to stay on top. Was Springer pulled into the gutter, or did he just understand it better than anyone else? Season 1: Think Twice: Michael Jackson More than a decade since Michael Jackson’s death, his legacy remains complicated and unresolved. Think Twice: Michael Jackson is an exploration of the King of Pop’s life and impact — and an investigation into why his global influence continues to endure, despite the disturbing allegations against him. In this ten-part series, journalists Leon Neyfakh and Jay Smooth bring you a new perspective on the Michael Jackson story, based on dozens of original interviews with people who watched it unfold from up close.
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Documentary
Dr. John Schneider rode into town like a character out of a Western: an outsider on a Harley-Davidson, in trademark cowboy boots. He promised relief to patients suffering in Wyoming and Montana. He seemed like the hero they needed. But when surgeries go wrong and a strange letter exposes a bitter feud, medical professionals and government officials search for the truth about this cowboy doctor. They discover claims of broken bodies, bullying, fraud, and lawsuits. From Audible, the fifth season of the hit series Dr. Death returns with The Cowboy: the story of a surgeon who took advantage of a broken system and the fight to bring him to justice. Listen to the whole series now ad-free on Audible. Episodes are available weekly everywhere you listen to podcasts. Season 4: When a charismatic young doctor announces revolutionary treatments for cancer and HIV, patients from around the world turn to him for their last chance. As medical experts praise Serhat Gumrukcu’s genius, the company he co-founded rockets in value to over half a billion dollars. But when a team of researchers makes a startling discovery, they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a secret. Season 3: Paolo is a smart and handsome surgeon, renowned for his ability to perform surgeries that transform his patients’ lives. When television producer Benita covers him for a story, he’ll transform her life too, but not in the ways she expects. As Benita crosses professional lines to be with him, she learns how far Paolo will go to protect his secrets. And halfway around the world, four doctors at a prestigious medical institute make shocking discoveries of their own that call everything into question. Season 2: If someone you love is diagnosed with cancer you want them to get the best treatment from the best doctors. In 2013, patients in Michigan thought Farid Fata was that doctor. Between his prestigious education, years of experience and pleasant bedside manner, Fata was everything you could want in a doctor. But he was not who he appeared to be. This is the story of hundreds of patients in Michigan, a doctor, and a poisonous secret. Season 1: We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. We trust the person at the other end of that scalpel. We trust the hospital. We trust the system. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Which begs the question: who - or what - is that system meant to protect? Dr. Death is a story about a charming surgeon, 33 patients and a spineless system. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Dr. Death ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
4.7 (281)
True Crime
Ed is the grandson of footballing legend Gordon Banks. He was a national icon, the only goalkeeper ever to win the soccer World Cup for England. But Ed’s heard a rumour: that in 1970, while defending the title, his granddad, his hero, was poisoned… by the CIA. All part of a Cold War plot to bolster a military dictatorship in Latin America, supposedly. Could this possibly be true? Banks did get ill in Mexico in 1970 with food poisoning. And England crashed out, marking the start of decades of hurt. Ed enlists the help of investigative journalist Gabriel Gatehouse. Together they embark on a journey into the bewildering world of Cold War espionage, a journey that threatens to unravel 60 years of sporting history; or possibly… to knock Ed’s granddad off his pedestal. Episodes 1 & 2 out May 28th, then released weekly. Want to skip the wait between episodes? Subscribe to Audible from launch to binge the entire series in one go - completely ad-free. Foul Play is an Audible Original, produced for Audible by Grayhouse Productions.
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True Crime
Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage. Scandals have shaped America since its founding. From business and politics to sports and society, we look on aghast as corruption, deceit and ambition bring down heroes and celebrities, politicians and moguls. And when the dust finally settles, we’re left to wonder: how did this happen? Where did they trip up, and who is to blame? From the creators of American History Tellers, Business Wars and Tides of History comes American Scandal, where we take you deep into the heart of America’s dark side to look at what drives someone to break the rules and what happens when they’re caught. Hosted by Lindsay Graham. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of American Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
4.8 (46)
History
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… Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
4.9 (21)
History
These are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma and Raza Jaffrey, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of The Spy Who ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
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