Elon's Spies | Tortoise Investigates

A star is born | Elon's Spies Ep4 Nov 12, 2024

When Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential election, he told an adoring crowd that "a star is born". He was referring to Elon Musk.

After months of reporting on the billionaire's use of private investigators, Alexi asks whether the insights he gained from that investigation reveal how Musk will operate in his new political era, and what that means for everything in his orbit.

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Reported and produced by: Alexi Mostrous, Gary Marshall, Matt Russell & Patricia Clarke

Sound design: Bart Warshaw

Original Music: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

Amber | Elon's Spies Ep3 Oct 22, 2024

To his surprise, Alexi finds himself speaking to a local reporter at the Gold Coast Bulletin in Australia. It’s not where he thought the story would take him but it reveals a new case involving Elon and his spies.

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Horrible human being | Elon's Spies Ep2 Oct 15, 2024

When Martin Tripp worked at Tesla, he took the advice of his boss Elon Musk - if you discover a problem, tell me about it. But when Martin shares his concerns, his world begins to spiral out of control.

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Pedo guy | Elon's Spies Ep1 Oct 08, 2024

In 2018, Vernon Unsworth is at the centre of a global news story. He plays a crucial role in rescuing a young football team who became trapped in a flooded cave system. Overnight, he is a hero. But there’s a darker side of his story that’s less well known. That’s where Elon Musk and his private investigators come in.

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Introducing...Elon's Spies Oct 01, 2024

Elon Musk is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's a billionaire, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla and more. To his followers, he's a hero; to his critics, a far-right rabble rouser.

But for someone so public, there’s one part of his life that’s less well known.

Elon’s Spies investigates how this free-speech champion uses private investigators and surveillance to target everyone from whistleblowers at his companies, to online critics and people in his own life.

Episode 1 is available on Tuesday 8th October, with episodes releasing weekly. To get ad-free access and binge listen to all 3 episodes on Tuesday 8th October, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or by becoming a Tortoise member.

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Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Original Music & Sound design: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

The phone calls | Master Ep 6 Sep 12, 2024

A fifth woman comes forward with allegations against the author Neil Gaiman.

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Matt Russell

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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The NDAs | Master Ep 5 Sep 12, 2024

Almost a month since the investigation where two women came forward with allegations that the author Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted them - allegations he strenuously denied - more women have come forward. Including another woman made to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning and Matt Russell

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

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The fan | Master Ep 4 Sep 12, 2024

The second woman to allege Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her first met him as an 18-year-old fan. They began a consensual sexual relationship two years later. She alleges he was abusive and once penetrated her without her consent. He strenuously denies any unlawful behaviour and maintains all their sex was consensual.

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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The pond | Master Ep 3 Sep 12, 2024

New Zealand police tell the former nanny there isn’t enough evidence to actively pursue her sexual assault complaint against Neil Gaiman. He says he offered himself up for an interview with the police. But the facts may indicate otherwise.

Clip: 1968 interview with Neil Gaiman - BBC

Clip: Big Bang Theory, series 11, episode 21 - CBS/Warner Bros

Clip: Newsnight - BBC

Clip: William Morrow 2014

Clip: Politics and Prose bookstore 2013

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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

The Whatsapps | Master Ep 2 Sep 12, 2024

The former nanny who alleges Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her shares her WhatsApp messages with him. The messages appear friendly and affectionate. He says they’re evidence that she consented to sex with him. But is there another way of reading them?

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

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The bath | Master Ep 1 Sep 12, 2024

Neil Gaiman is one of the world’s most successful authors. And one of the most loved. His works have been adapted for film, TV and the stage. Now two women, a former nanny and a fan, allege he sexually assaulted and abused them while they were in consensual relationships with him. He strenuously denies all the allegations.

Clip: The Sandman trailer - DDC comics / Netflix

Clip: The Ocean at the End of the Lane trailer - National theatre

Clip: The Simpsons - Disney

Reporter: Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Additional reporting: Jess Swinburne

Original music and sound design: Tom Kinsella

Series editor: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Lightbulbs | Dangerous Memories Ep 6 Aug 06, 2024

After years of failed attempts, an expert flies over from America to help guide the parents on how to get their children back. But getting them home is not the end of the journey, for anyone caught up in Anne’s web.

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Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Who is Anne? | Dangerous Memories Ep 5 Jul 30, 2024

What motivated Anne in her work with the young women and did she believe what she was leading them to believe? In the search for answers, Grace turns to one of the only people who has heard Anne’s side of the story directly from her.

This is episode 5 of 6. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

The ‘other person' | Dangerous Memories Ep 4 Jul 23, 2024

As Huey’s dependence on Anne grows, she becomes increasingly isolated from the outside world. Until, after a series of events over the summer of 2014, the police turn up and start to investigate.

This is episode 4 of 6. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Do not say my name | Dangerous Memories Ep 3 Jul 16, 2024

After Huey cycled off into the distance, her mother had no idea what caused her to leave or why. She was in the dark about the extraordinary things Huey had come to believe about her own family. So she finds someone who can help track her down.

This is episode 3 of 6. To binge-listen to all episodes of Dangerous Memories ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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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 dangerousmemories@tortoisemedia.com

Written and reported by: Grace Hughes-Hallett & Gary Marshall

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

The Seagull | Dangerous Memories Ep 2 Jul 09, 2024

Fipsi starts to question what really happened in the soft pink room, and how to help her friends who are still on their journeys with Anne Craig. But for one of them it’s already too late, as she makes a series of life altering decisions.

This is episode 2 of 6 of Dangerous Memories. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch with us about your own experience, contact: dangerousmemories@tortoisemedia.com

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Written and reported by Grace Hughes-Hallett & Gary Marshall

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Additional editing: Claudia Williams

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

That amazing healer lady | Dangerous Memories Ep 1 Jul 09, 2024

A group of well-heeled young English women hear about an intriguing therapist figure, who describes herself as a ‘teacher of personal development’. One by one they start to visit her for sessions and, for some, it will lead to disastrous consequences.

This is episode 1 of 6 of Dangerous Memories. To binge-listen to all 6 episodes ad-free from today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch with us about your own experience, contact: dangerousmemories@tortoisemedia.com

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for early access and ad-free content

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Written and reported by Grace Hughes-Hallett & Gary Marshall

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Additional editing: Claudia Williams

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Introducing...Dangerous Memories Jun 28, 2024

Introducing...Dangerous Memories

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.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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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

Reporter: Grace Hughes-Hallett

Producer: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting and production: Imogen Harper

Sound design and original composition: Tom Kinsella

Theme music: Far Gone (Don’t Leave) by Pictish Trail

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Commissioning editor: Basia Cummings

Executive producer: Ceri Thomas

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

Devil's breath | The Gas Man Ep 6 Jun 13, 2024

In the final episode of the series, is the 40-year game of cat-and-mouse nearly over?

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional production: Imy Harper

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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

Truth serum | The Gas Man Ep 5 Jun 11, 2024

In this episode, Chloe looks into what happened to The Gas Man when he arrived back in Germany as a fugitive – and investigates whether his trade with Iran ever really ended

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Marten Hahn

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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

The other Gas Man | The Gas Man Ep 4 Jun 06, 2024

Chloe makes a startling discovery about another chemical trafficker that has consequences for her investigation. A Kurdish survivor of mustard gas shares her story.

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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

The escape | The Gas Man Ep 3 Jun 04, 2024

The team persuades The Gas Man to step out from the shadows. He reveals the first big clue in the investigation to how he got away with it – and makes a surprising claim about his role in the case

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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

The sting | The Gas Man Ep 2 May 28, 2024

Special Agent Bass has his target in his sights but he’s on another continent. If he wants him to talk he’ll need a clever plan – and maybe a bit of luck

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

FX credit: Boeing 737-800 Fly Over 3.wav by soundslikewillem at freesound

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

The special agent | The Gas Man Ep 1 May 28, 2024

In the 1980s Special Agent Dennis Bass received a tip-off that changed the course of his career. 30 years on reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou sets out to solve the mystery of how an international fugitive got away with his crimes – and why he's still on the run.

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

FX credit: Telex by YleArkisto at freesound - License: Attribution 4.0

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

Introducing...The Gas Man May 21, 2024

Introducing...The Gas Man

It starts with a tip-off.

It’s the late 1980s and US Special Agent Dennis Bass is warned about a shipment of suspicious chemicals headed to a secret destination. So he follows the lead – and ends up stumbling into a global plot helping fuel a war. The main suspect? The Gas Man.

In the decades since, Special Agent Bass has been locked in an international game of cat and mouse with the man who supplied a dangerous regime with the chemicals to make weapons. Every time Bass thinks he’s got his hands on him… The Gas Man somehow manages to slip the net. And he’s still on the run today.

But after more than 30 years, could his past finally be catching up with The Gas Man?

To find out more about Tortoise:

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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

Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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

Who Trolled Amber: Live May 20, 2024

"Misinformation, disinformation, and trolling campaigns are not just a celebrity story. They are everywhere. They affect how we see reality online."

In a year when four billion people are heading to the polls, and with the World Economic Forum warning that online misinformation is the most severe risk the world faces, Who Trolled Amber? shines a light on the shady industry of social media manipulation. It reveals how bots and trolls can sway opinions from celebrity trials to general elections.

On June 12th Alexi Mostrous will be joined by Jen Robinson, Amber Heard’s lawyer, and Gina Neff, Executive Director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge in the Tortoise newsroom to discuss Who Trolled Amber? and give their insights into the world of online disinformation and its effect on all of our everyday lives.

You can book your place here, to attend in person or online.

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

Public enemy | Who Trolled Amber Ep 6 Mar 26, 2024

Johnny Depp’s maverick lawyer Adam Waldman finally comes under scrutiny. Alexi uncovers Waldman’s links to powerful figures and investigates his role in feeding online abuse. Can the team get to the truth about who trolled Amber?

To find out more about Tortoise:

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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

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

The special relationship | Who Trolled Amber Ep 5 Mar 19, 2024

Could a nation state have deployed an online army to fight for Johnny Depp? Alexi discovers the curious relationship between the Hollywood star and an authoritarian world leader.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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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

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Through the looking glass | Who Trolled Amber Ep 4 Mar 12, 2024

The astonishing case of a teenage killer helps lift the lid on how bot campaigns work – and offers the team a new path forward in the investigation.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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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

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Into the dark | Who Trolled Amber Ep 3 Mar 05, 2024

Disinformation experts come back with some startling results. The story begins to cross continents as the team find evidence of a global campaign.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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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

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Gold dust | Who Trolled Amber Ep 2 Feb 27, 2024

The team talk to a Hollywood insider and travel to Florida in search of their first big clue: a treasure trove of data that might show what happened to Amber Heard online – and who was behind it.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Missing evidence | Who Trolled Amber Ep 1 Feb 27, 2024

Depp v Heard was the celebrity trial of the century. He won, she lost. But was Amber Heard the target of an organised trolling campaign?

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

Introducing: Who Trolled Amber? Feb 20, 2024

Introducing… Who Trolled Amber?

What comes to mind when you think of Amber Heard? Liar? Survivor? Narcissist? Millions of us watched the celebrity trial of the century, Depp v Heard, in 2022. Amber Heard lost and Johnny Depp was vindicated. But what if Amber was actually the victim of an organised trolling campaign? What if the online hate against her was manufactured?

Alexi Mostrous, the reporter who brought you Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed, investigates what happened to Amber and who might have been responsible. It’s a story about how our own thoughts and opinions can be moulded without us even realising.

All six episodes of Who Trolled Amber are now available to binge-listen.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Reporter and host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer and reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Editor: David Taylor

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Additional reporting: Katie Riley

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham

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

The confidence game | Walter's War Ep 4 Nov 30, 2023

Things begin to fall apart. Only a few years after Rebellion Defense’s rapid rise, it appears to be in trouble. The rebellion has failed to take off.

In the secretive world of the military and big tech, Basia is met with a wall of silence as she tries to see inside the company… until a few former staffers agree to speak to her, revealing what happened behind closed doors.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

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The rebellion | Walter's War Ep 3 Nov 28, 2023

Oliver’s company, Rebellion Defense, is on the rise. In 2019, it is full of promise and pumped with cash, trading on the hype around what’s possible with AI in war. It attracts influential backers and goes after big government contracts. And it becomes even harder to sort fact from fiction – where is the scrutiny, and who is checking that any of this stuff is… real?

As Basia delves deeper into the world of artificial intelligence, she hears from another former girlfriend of Oliver’s who knows about the ‘tissue of lies’ – and why it matters now.

All four episodes are available to Tortoise members on the free Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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The secret life of Walter Mitty | Walter's War Ep 2 Nov 23, 2023

Basia begins unravelling the ‘tissue of lies’, but it becomes clear that some of Oliver’s claims exist in the grey area, and in the secretive world in which he works, it’s hard to sift fact from fiction. Did he serve in the military? Is he an aristocrat? And as she traces his rise in national security, she is pulled into a bigger story – about a company, and a threat that is facing us all.

The first three episodes are available to Tortoise members on the free Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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An English gentleman | Walter's War Ep 1 Nov 21, 2023

This story starts in 2012. Oliver is a dashing young diplomat, working in Afghanistan. Charlie is a graduate newly arrived in London, trying to find her feet in the world. The pair meet online and she falls in love. But only a few months later, she discovers that the story Oliver has told her about his life is not what it seems.

A decade later, this man has climbed to the top of academia, the civil service, and into the world of national security, eventually founding a billion-dollar company selling AI to the military.

But a mystery hangs over Charlie: did the untruths continue, and if they did, why haven’t caught up with him?

The first three episodes are available to Tortoise members on the free Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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Introducing: Walter's War Nov 09, 2023

It’s London, 2012. Oliver is a dashing diplomat. Charlie is a young graduate trying to find her feet in the world. They meet online and she falls in love. With his encouragement, Charlie applies for a job in British intelligence. Then, she receives a text message that turns her life - and her relationship - upside down, and 10 years later, a mystery is still hanging over her. Walter's War is an investigation into what happened next – a journey through big tech and national security, hype and hucksterism, where anyone who can tell a good story can go far. But how much is true?

Episode 1 goes live on Tuesday 21st November. The first three episodes will be available to Tortoise members on the free Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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The movement | Dr Anti-vax Ep 3 Nov 07, 2023

Radicalised by Covid, the anti-vax movement goes mainstream – and RFK Jr emerges as a new figurehead.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

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The rock star | Dr Anti-vax Ep 2 Oct 31, 2023

Andrew Wakefield becomes a superstar thanks to the support of celebrities and an army of mothers – and establishes anti-vax as a moneymaker.

This is part 2 of a 3-part series - to listen exclusively to episode 3 today subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or become a member and listen on Tortoise's audio app.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise audio app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a Tortoise member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.

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The fall | Dr Anti-vax Ep 1 Oct 24, 2023

A British doctor sparks a global health panic about the safety of vaccines. But even though his work is discredited, he lights a fire that becomes the modern anti-vax movement. Hosted by Alexi Mostrous.

This is part 1 of a 3-part series - to listen exclusively to episodes 2 and 3 today subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or become a member and listen on Tortoise's audio app.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise audio app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a Tortoise member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.

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Introducing: Dr Anti-vax Oct 16, 2023

Introducing Dr Anti-vax: the making of a modern panic

How did the anti-vax movement become so mainstream?

25 years ago, a British doctor Dr Andrew Wakefield sparked a global vaccine panic. Today, Alexi Mostrous, the reporter behind chart-topping hit podcasts Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed investigates how anti-vaxxers have gone from the fringes of public life to the centre of the culture wars that divide America and so many other countries, and the beguiling fall and rise of the man who started it all.

Episode 1 goes live on Tuesday 24th October and all three episodes will be available to Tortoise members on the free Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

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

Trump and Rudy | Ep 3 Oct 09, 2023

Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Will Rudy die in jail for The Don?

Listen to the three part series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Trump and Rudy | Ep 2 Oct 09, 2023

Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Will Rudy die in jail for The Don?

Listen to the three part series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Trump and Rudy | Ep 1 Oct 09, 2023

Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Will Rudy die in jail for The Don?

Listen to the three part series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Inquiry | Three Doors Down Ep 5 Oct 02, 2023

The police say they are not looking for any more victims of David Boyd but we met other women who were confronted by the killer. This episode contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Conviction | Three Doors Down Ep 4 Oct 02, 2023

Sharon's case should be extraordinary but it isn't. A few miles away from Sharon another mother was left to solve her own daughter's murder after being let down by police.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Confession | Three Doors Down Ep 3 Oct 02, 2023

The number one suspect is interrogated by police until he confesses but it's not until 30 years later that the right man is put on trial.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Rumours | Three Doors Down Ep 2 Oct 02, 2023

Rumours choke the case and a vulnerable suspect is arrested. The first 48 hours after a crime are crucial: what did the police get so wrong in the days after Nikki went missing?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Missing | Three Doors Down Ep 1 Oct 02, 2023

In 1992 on a council estate in Sunderland a seven year old girl is murdered. It took the police 30 years to find the killer, a convicted child sex offender who lived three doors away from where Nikki Allan went missing. What happened on the night of her disappearance?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Introducing: Three doors down Oct 02, 2023

Introducing Three doors down: a murder, a mother and a thirty year investigation

In May in a packed room at Newcastle Crown Court, David Boyd, was found guilty of the brutal murder in 1992 of seven year-old Nikki Allan. Sharon Henderson, Nikki’s mother, called for a public inquiry into why it had taken the police so long to find and convict her daughter’s murderer.

When Nikki was murdered, Sharon was a single mother of four living in Wear Garth, a rundown housing estate in Sunderland. David Boyd lived a few floors above Sharon in the same block. He was known to the police. He was the kind of offender who should have been caught.

Three doors down tells the astonishing story of Sharon Henderson’s thirty year campaign to get justice for her daughter’s killing. It shines a light on police behaviour and their treatment of working class women. It’s a personal tale of trauma and resilience in the face of systemic police failure, that couldn’t be more timely.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The whole truth | Into the Dirt Ep 6 Sep 25, 2023

In the final episode, Ceri travels to meet Rob in a peaceful garden in rural Wiltshire. What unfolds is a heated exchange about what Rob's story really is and what adds up to the whole truth.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The verge | Into the Dirt Ep 5 Sep 25, 2023

When Global Witness out Rob in 2015, things quickly fall apart. He loses everything that matters to him but to this day he believes that if his voice had been heard, it would have all worked out differently.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Chicken feed | Into the Dirt Ep 4 Sep 25, 2023

Rob is adamant that in all the years he was undercover, he never sent information back to his spymasters that harmed the campaigners. But when you're the only one in control of the decisions, can you always get it right?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Poison into medicine | Into the Dirt Ep 3 Sep 25, 2023

Rob Moore says he can justify going undercover among anti-asbestos campaigners because he was following a Buddhist principle, turning poison into medicine. To this day he believes that if the people he infiltrated would really listen to his story they'd understand him differently. But does his story really stand up to scrutiny?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Project Spring | Into the Dirt Ep 2 Sep 25, 2023

It’s 2012 and Rob Moore goes 'into the dirt', undercover, to infiltrate a group of campaigners fighting for a ban on deadly asbestos. None of them knew they had a private spy in the camp. But it's hard to stay hidden forever.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The truth | Into the Dirt Ep 1 Sep 25, 2023

Three years ago a former private spy came to our newsroom at Tortoise. He told an incredible story about infiltrating a campaign group, deceiving people for years but all the while being a 'double agent', before his world fell apart. And it all played out in the opaque world of corporate intelligence.

Since then, journalist Ceri Thomas has been asking who Rob Moore really is and what his motivations were.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Introducing: Into the Dirt Sep 25, 2023

Over three years in the making, Tortoise introduces Into The Dirt – investigating the extraordinary story of private spy, Rob Moore and the shadowy world of corporate intelligence. Rob was tasked with working undercover to extract information from an environmental campaign group but he ended up turning on his employers and supporting the group he was meant to be infiltrating. Only it wasn’t that straightforward. Neither side knew the whole truth.

Was Rob a misunderstood whistleblower or a traitor to a cause?

Into the Dirt is a wild story about truth, spies and the stories we tell ourselves.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Gender GP | The Tavistock Ep 7 Sep 18, 2023

Polly Curtis returns to investigate the world of private trans healthcare, and speaks to Gender GP and its founder Helen Webberley, labelled by one newspaper as one of Britain’s most controversial doctors.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The real scandal | The Tavistock Ep 6 Sep 18, 2023

Polly Curtis investigates why NHS England accelerated the closure of GIDS and what the future of the service could look like for children and young people.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The noise | The Tavistock Ep 5 Sep 18, 2023

The public debate around the work of the Tavistock is getting louder. Kiera Bell wins a landmark ruling at the High Court which halts all new referrals for puberty blockers for under 18s on the NHS in England and Wales. She was prescribed puberty blockers at 16 but later decided she wants to detransition. The Tavistock appeals and the ruling is overturned. But for many people the narrative of the Gender Identity Development Service is now set in stone.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable

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

The enemy within | The Tavistock Ep 4 Sep 18, 2023

The internal divisions at GIDS and the wider Tavistock centre spill out into the open. Whistleblowers are publicly critical of GIDS. One accuses the service of fast tracking young people onto puberty blockers after just one meeting with clinicians. The senior leadership team at GIDS desperately tries to hold the team together. Meanwhile the numbers on the waiting list tick up and up.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

Thin ice | The Tavistock Ep 3 Sep 18, 2023

As the increase in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service increases, the profile of the young people seeking treatment changes too. There are now two natal girls for every natal boy, a complete reversal of what it had been a decade before. Polly Curtis tries to make sense of this change and goes to Blackpool which has the highest referral rate of anywhere in England.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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

The broom cupboard | The Tavistock Ep 2 Sep 18, 2023

Polly Carmichael became the director of the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock in 2009. “I remember our office was literally a room that had probably been a broom cupboard at one stage”, she recalls. But the decision in 2011 to start offering puberty blockers to under-16s, and in 2016 to widen the professionals who could refer a child to GIDS had a major impact. The numbers of people on the waiting list ticked inexorably up, until the clinic felt it could barely cope.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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A verdict | The Tavistock Ep 1 Sep 18, 2023

In the summer of 2022 the NHS announced it was winding up the Gender Identity Development Service for children and young people at the Tavistock. Critics of the service celebrated, its supporters were left in despair. Journalist Polly Curtis has spent months trying to understand what happened. Why has it attracted such criticism and what is the best way going forward of treating young people with gender dysphoria?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Introducing: The Tavistock Sep 18, 2023

This is the story of the Gender Identity Development Service for children and young people at the Tavistock. The Tavi, as it’s known is the only clinic in England and Wales which has treated children suffering from body dysphoria. Its critics have accused it of fast-tracking young people into changing gender. Its supporters argue it has provided help and support, even a lifeline. Now, the clinic will close. This is the story of what happened.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Out there | Pig Iron Ep 7 Sep 11, 2023

In the last episode of the series, the team finally hears from a man they’ve been chasing for months. And they return to Maine, to tell Christopher’s parents what they have discovered about their son's life and death.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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The rope | Pig Iron Ep 6 Sep 11, 2023

The team tries to understand the connection between Chris's trip to South Sudan, and one taken by a group of American fighters just weeks before. Could this explain why Chris was called a white rebel? And after months investigating, Basia finally speaks to the fighter who fascinated Chris, and she asks – how close really were you?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Kaya | Pig Iron Ep 5 Sep 11, 2023

Months after Jeremy first approached Basia, the team fly to Nairobi to sit down with the mysterious essay writer. And it turns out that he is not the only person ready to share what he knows about who killed Christopher Allen.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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The kaleidoscope | Pig Iron Ep 4 Sep 11, 2023

There is a new layer of horror to Chris's story – and in trying to understand it, Basia investigates the evidence that Chris was killed on purpose. The team figures out how to get to South Sudan – and how to finally meet the essay-writer.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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The lonely impulse | Pig Iron Ep 3 Sep 11, 2023

Basia traces Chris's career as a young freelancer. By now, it's clear his death is tied to his life as a reporter. But who was he trying to be? Just how close was he to a group of fighters? And after years in Ukraine, how did he end up in a remote corner of South Sudan?

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Spring break | Pig Iron Ep 2 Sep 11, 2023

At just 22 years old, Chris travels to Ukraine for his spring break, keen to see war up close. For the first time, he experiences the thrill and horror of the frontline. He's hooked. Five years later, Basia, along with Chris's cousin, Jeremy, visit Chris's parents in America to piece together who he really was. There they learn a troubling new detail about Chris's time in Ukraine.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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White rebel | Pig Iron Ep 1 Sep 11, 2023

Five years after his death on a distant frontline in South Sudan, the truth about what happened to Christopher Allen is still a mystery. Was he a reckless freelancer? A mercenary? Or a young and ambitious reporter, caught in the crossfire? Approached by a family member looking for answers, journalist Basia Cummings begins investigating.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Introducing: Pig Iron Sep 11, 2023

Christopher Allen was trying to make it as a war reporter when, aged just 26, he was shot and killed on the frontline in South Sudan. But as news of his death began to spread, suspicion grew. Some claimed he was really there as a mercenary, a fighter. Others said he was a reckless freelancer, in over his head. And there was another question: was he killed on purpose, or was this another accident of war? From Tortoise and the team behind Sweet Bobby, Pig Iron is a dark adventure in war and journalism – and into what really happened to Christopher Allen.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Bonnie and Clyde | Hoaxed Ep 6 Sep 04, 2023

In the final episode of Hoaxed, Alexi confronts Abraham and Ella. about what they. did in Hampstead - and why. And the police give Alexi some surprising news.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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The Healer | Hoaxed Ep 5 Sep 04, 2023

Alexi and his producer fly to Morocco to confront Abraham Christie - and learn dark secrets about his past.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Infiltration | Hoaxed Ep 4 Sep 04, 2023

For a conspiracy to spread, important people need to be listening. Alexi discovers that the perpetrators of the Hampstead hoax have friends in high places, while he and the team close in on Abraham's location.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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The Avengers | Hoaxed Ep 3 Sep 04, 2023

The perpetrators of the Hampstead hoax meet their match in an unassuming mystery novelist, who is determined to expose their lies and bring them to justice.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Ella's list | Hoaxed Ep 2 Sep 04, 2023

Seized upon by conspiracy theorists, Ella’s list of alleged cult members spreads like wildfire across the Internet. Hampstead parents start receiving death threats and lives are torn apart.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Secrets and lies | Hoaxed Ep 1 Sep 04, 2023

Two young children make horrific allegations in a London police station, lighting the fuse on the most serious British conspiracy theories in decades.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Introducing: Hoaxed Sep 04, 2023

In 2014, two children told police a shocking story: that they were being abused by a Satanic cult; a cult headed by their father and by parents and teachers at their school in the wealthy London suburb of Hampstead. The story was a lie. But on the internet, that didn't matter.

From the team who brought you Sweet Bobby, Hoaxed is an investigation into one of Britain's most serious-ever conspiracy theories. A story about a modern-day Satanic panic; about the victims whose lives were destroyed and about the conspiracists who spread the lie around the world.

Oh, and it's about our hunt for the perpetrators - the people who forced the kids to lie - the ones who started it all.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Introducing ... Tortoise Investigates Sep 04, 2023

Welcome to Tortoise Investigates, where we curate the best of our chart-topping investigative series in one place. Over the last three years we’ve covered everything from extraordinary tales of deception to suspicious deaths to one mother’s decades-long fight against the police. There's Sweet Bobby, Hoaxed, Pig Iron and more. Keep an eye on the feed, we’ll be updating it regularly with all of our best and most ambitious stories.

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Motive | Sweet Bobby Ep 6 Dec 02, 2021

In the final episode of Sweet Bobby, Kirat’s case against the catfisher takes an unexpected turn. As Alexi is putting the finishing touches to the series, he gets a phone call that changes everything.

To get exclusive access to the bonus episode, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Host and reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Assistant producer and reporter: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill

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(In)justice | Sweet Bobby Ep 5 Nov 25, 2021

After the confession, Kirat goes to the police. But their reaction to her case isn’t what she’s expecting. Plus: Alexi tries a new approach with the catfisher...

All 6 episodes are available to listen now.

To get exclusive access to the bonus episode, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Host and reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Assistant producer and reporter: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill

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

Dark triads | Sweet Bobby Ep 4 Nov 18, 2021

Kirat deals with the fallout from the confession. Alexi’s investigation reveals the startling true beginnings of the scam, as he tries to unravel the catfisher's motivation.

All 6 episodes are available to listen now.

To get exclusive access to the bonus episode, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Host and reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Assistant producer and reporter: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill

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

Confession | Sweet Bobby Ep 3 Nov 11, 2021

Bobby is now closer than ever – and yet he keeps slipping through Kirat's grasp. After being pushed to breaking point, she makes the life changing decision to confront him – and discovers the truth...

All 6 episodes are available to listen now.

To get exclusive access to the bonus episode, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Host and reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Assistant producer and reporter: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill

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

Witness protection | Sweet Bobby Ep 2 Nov 04, 2021

Bobby finds his way back into Kirat's life, and their relationship grows closer – with devastating consequences. Meanwhile, Alexi investigates the sophistication of the catfishing scam.

All 6 episodes are available to listen now.

To get exclusive access to the bonus episode, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Host and reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Assistant producer and reporter: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill

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

Sliding doors | Sweet Bobby Ep 1 Oct 27, 2021

Kirat is a successful marketer and radio presenter. Online, she’s contacted by a man she vaguely knows called Bobby, and they start chatting. Slowly, they become close… and she’s reeled in to a scam of epic proportions. All 6 episodes are available to listen now.

To get exclusive access to the bonus episode, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Host and reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Assistant producer and reporter: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill

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

Introducing: Sweet Bobby Oct 18, 2021

How much do you know about the person you love? Sweet Bobby is the #1 award-winning investigative series in search of the world's most sophisticated catfishers. All 6 episodes are available to listen now.

To get exclusive access to the bonus episode, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

Host and reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Assistant producer and reporter: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Jon Hill

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

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