World of Secrets

Latest Episodes:

Searching for Soldier Dad: 2. Eureka Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

How did the hunt for an American serial killer inspire DNA detectives in Kenya?

Growing up, Kenyan lawyer Kelvin Kubai admired the British soldiers stationed in Nanyuki. Now, he is on a mission to hold them accountable.

Orphan Yvonne was told her dad died when she was a baby. She hopes to find relatives in the UK. But could she get much more?

Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.

Presenter: Ivana Davidovic Series producer: Josephine Casserly Sound design: Tom Brignell Executive producer: Matt Willis Commissioning senior producers: Katy Davis and Anne Dixey Commissioning editor: Jon Manel

Searching for Soldier Dad: 1. Love story Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Why don’t I have a father? Cathy is 10 years old when she starts asking questions. The secret her mum Maggie is forced to reveal changes everything.

Years later, when lawyers and a geneticist turn up in their hometown in Kenya to take DNA samples, Maggie hopes they can help her finally learn the truth.

Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.

Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model.

Searching for Soldier Dad: Trailer Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya then disappeared, leaving the children and their mothers without support. With access to every stage of this cutting-edge process, we follow as a team of lawyers and a leading geneticist travel to Kenya to help locate the British soldiers who fathered children then vanished. We witness the groundbreaking legal and scientific detective work used to find the missing dads.

Episodes released from 20th April.

Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.

Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model.

The Darkest Web: 6. My brother, the abuser Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

The time has come to arrest Alisa’s brother, Staton Grubert. Thirty armed agents commando crawl up a dirt track to his trailer in Texas. Staton has no idea that his time is up. Will Alisa finally get closure?

And in a state in the South West, Greg is reunited with Lucy, the girl who had been abused for six years.

This podcast includes some upsetting scenes and discussions of child sexual abuse.

For further information on the issues raised in the programme, contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Reporter and Presenter: Sam Piranty Writer and Producer: Annabel Deas Script advice: Matt Willis Sound design: Neil Churchill Composer: Rob Lewis Executive Producer: Rebecca Henschke Commissioning Senior Producer: Sarah Green Commissioning Editor: Jon Manel

The Darkest Web is a BBC Eye production for the BBC World Service.

The Darkest Web: 5. Buried hard drives Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

Pete and Greg have learnt about a paedophile calling himself “Twinkle”, who runs a website dedicated to sharing images of very young children. At first, they have no idea who he is or where he could be, but slowly Twinkle gives himself away. Working with investigators in Brazil and Portugal the agents discover that Twinkle is a young man living in rural Portugal. Greg flies out to assist with the arrest and discovers some very disturbing scenes. This episode talks about child sexual abuse from the very start, and includes some upsetting scenes.

The Darkest Web is a BBC Eye production for the BBC World Service.

The Darkest Web: 4. Undercover Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

After they rescue Lucy, Greg and Pete discover the dark web community is even bigger than they thought. There are hundreds of websites each sharing different images of different kinds of child sexual abuse. Overwhelmed by what they have found online and the sheer scale of the problem, Greg makes a decision to go undercover. He will go online on the dark web and talk to the paedophiles directly. They have to do everything they can to try to stop the abusers.

This podcast includes some upsetting scenes and discussions of child sexual abuse.

The Darkest Web: 3. The hidden child Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been sharing images of his abuse for six years on the dark web. They have to find her - and save her.

They were convinced that Facebook would be able to help them using its facial recognition technology, but the tech giant is unable to help. So they go back to the start, examining every single thing they can see in the room she is being abused in: the sofa, the bed and then finally they wonder what they might discover if they look at the room itself, specifically the exposed brick wall. Is there any way someone could identify these bricks? And could that person help them to find Lucy?

Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

This podcast includes some upsetting scenes, discussions of child sexual abuse, and there’s some strong language.

The Darkest Web: 2. Man with the amazing memory Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

They were convinced that Facebook would be able to help them using its facial recognition technology, but the tech giant is unable to help. So they go back to the start , examining every single thing they can see in the room she is being abused in: the sofa, the bed and then finally they wonder what they might discover if they look at the room itself, specifically the exposed brick wall. Is there any way someone could identify these bricks? And could that person help them to find Lucy?

Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

This podcast includes some upsetting scenes, discussions of child sexual abuse, and there’s some strong language.

The Darkest Web: 1. Meeting a monster Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning work together to track down people who sexually abuse children and share images of their abuse online. They thought they knew what they were dealing with but they’ve just discovered they have no idea. In a prison in Amsterdam they meet a prolific paedophile, Robert Micklesons, who reveals to them the vast online world created by paedophiles to share images and video of child sexual abuse. When they get back to the US they get an urgent call. A police officer in Denmark has found images of a girl in America who appears to have been sexually abused for six years. But no one has any idea where she is. Their job is to find her. But how will they do it?

Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

This podcast includes some upsetting scenes, discussions of child sexual abuse, and there’s some strong language.

The Darkest Web: Trailer Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Somewhere in America, a twelve year old girl is being abused in her own home. Her abuser is sharing photographs of her with a vast community of child abusers on the ‘dark web’ — an encrypted corner of the internet where users are untraceable. But, hidden amongst the paedophiles, are two men whose job it is to try and find her: US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning. For more than seven years, BBC Eye journalist Sam Piranty was granted rare access to follow their work, observing the extraordinary lengths they will go to hunt down offenders and rescue children. Every detail matters, and every decision has consequences. They will not look away. The race is on.

Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected