Spiral | Tortoise Investigates - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Spiral | Tortoise Investigates — Documentary
Spiral | Tortoise Investigates

The home of investigative podcasts from Tortoise, from Sweet Bobby to Lucky Boy. Listen to the latest original series from Tortoise, including We call her Emma and The Mandelson files.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 for 50% off an annual digital subscription.

You’ll get access to:

This series and all our podcasts before anyone else

Ad-free listening

A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week

Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword

Recipes for every occasion

Free tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for access to this series and ad-free listening to Observer podcasts.

Reporter – Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer – Gary Marshall

Sound design – Karla Patella

Podcast artwork – Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

Executive producers – Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Tortoise Media

Latest Episodes:

Known risks | Spiral Ep 3 Nov 10, 2026

Show notes

After 23-year-old Zane Shamblin dies by suicide, his parents uncover the chat logs detailing his final months talking to ChatGPT. And Patricia meets the lawyer now taking on OpenAI, arguing the company’s chatbot is legally liable for Zane’s death.

Reported by Patricia Clarke

Produced by Katie Gunning

Sound design by Hannah Varrall

Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

Executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

Spiral is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer.

Music credit:

Birds1-1644-FS-Mst1-320Kbps.mp3 by naturenutt -- https://freesound.org/s/99897/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Model behaviour | Spiral Ep 2 Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

OpenAI extends the memory of a ChatGPT model with startling consequences for a screenwriter in California. Patricia traces what went wrong and hears from Google and OpenAI insiders who say they warned of the risks.

Reported by Patricia Clarke

Produced by Katie Gunning

Sound design and additional production by Hannah Varrall

Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

Executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

Spiral is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer.

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Music credit:

Malibu.wav by EricBuechel -- https://freesound.org/s/703429/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spiral: Video Bonus Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

When The Observer’s Technology Editor, Patricia Clarke began investigating a new phenomenon initially dubbed ‘AI psychosis’, she found lives upended by long, intimate conversations with chatbots. But as she followed the evidence from a psychiatric ward in Bristol to the safety teams in Silicon Valley, a far darker story emerged.

Guided by AI industry whistleblowers, grieving families and hundreds of pages of chatbot transcripts, Spiral exposes how big tech is running an unprecedented experiment on the human mind.

This is the video trailer for Spiral, a six-part series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer, produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.

Reported by Patricia Clarke

Produced by Katie Gunning

Sound design by Hannah Varrall

Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

The executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The dials of belief | Spiral Ep 1 Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

Jim asks an AI chatbot a simple question about how to earn some extra cash. He ends up in a psychiatric ward. Patricia Clarke investigates how design choices made by AI labs can lead to human delusions.

Reported by Patricia Clarke

Produced by Katie Gunning

Sound design by Hannah Varrall

Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

Executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

Spiral is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer.

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing... Spiral Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

When The Observer’s Technology Editor, Patricia Clarke began investigating a new phenomenon initially dubbed ‘AI psychosis’, she found lives upended by long, intimate conversations with chatbots. But as she followed the evidence from a psychiatric ward in Bristol to the safety teams in Silicon Valley, a far darker story emerged.

Guided by AI industry whistleblowers, grieving families and hundreds of pages of chatbot transcripts, Spiral exposes how big tech is running an unprecedented experiment on the human mind.

Spiral is a six-part series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer, produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.

Reported by Patricia Clarke

Produced by Katie Gunning

Sound design by Hannah Varrall

Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

The executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live event | Careless Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

To culminate Careless, a new investigative series from The Observer, we invite you to join actor Nkechi Simms, broadcaster and Careless reporter Ashley John-Baptiste, and Observer producer Madeleine Parr for a special online event.

Together, they’ll take you behind the scenes of the investigation, explore why so many care leavers are being denied access to their own histories, and answer your burning questions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You Can’t Unknow | Careless Ep 3 Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

After months of bureaucratic delays, Nkechi finally sits down with her care files. But is it always better to know? Ashley asks Baroness Lola Young, who grew up in care, about the impact of reading her care records. A social worker reveals the reality of how records are written.

Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

Sound design by Simon Panayi

Artwork by Jon Hill

The editor is Jasper Corbett

Careless is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer.

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking Off | Careless Ep 2 Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Nkechi is frustrated by the lack of clarity and delays from the council. She seeks advice from the poet, Lemn Sissay, who also grew up in care. A lawyer recommends she should go bananas.

Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

Sound design by Simon Panayi

Artwork by Jon Hill

The editor is Jasper Corbett

Careless is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer.

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bag For Life | Careless Ep 1 Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Journalist Ashley John-Baptiste joins actor Nkechi Simms as she returns to Camden to untangle the truth about her childhood and find out why she was taken into state care when she was 12.

Careless is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer.

Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

Sound design by Simon Panayi

Artwork by Jon Hill

The editor is Jasper Corbett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing...Careless Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Nkechi Simms is a successful actor who’s had parts in Top Boy and the BBC comedy PRU. Outwardly life is good and she’s got everything going for her, but this hasn’t always been the case. When she was 12 Nkechi’s mother handed her over to Camden council and she was placed in foster care. Now Nkechi wants to find out what happened to her and why. The only way she can do this is by getting hold of her care records. But that’s easier said than done. And will those records answer her questions?

Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

Sound design by Simon Panayi

Artwork by Jon Hill

The editor is Jasper Corbett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Related Podcasts