Best SCANDAL Mongers Podcasts (2025)

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Private Lives and Public Gaze - with Tiffany Jenkins | Ep.119 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 57:24

4d ago57:24

57:24

Mok O’`Keeffe returns as co-host and, together with Phil, explores the complex subject of privacy with Tiffany Jenkins, whose new book Strangers and Intimates makes the case that we need to restore the idea of a truly private life back to the heart of our society. So when does the right to know over-rule our right to privacy? Ranging from the Refor…

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London’s Legal Shame - with David Hooper | Ep.118 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 47:57

11d ago47:57

47:57

Phil is joined again by the lawyer David Hooper, who has a new edition of his book Buying Silence coming out. David is one of the world’s great campaigners for open, affordable justice and a fierce opponent of the practice - common in London - of the legal suppression of free speech. He acted for Vanity Fair in its long and bitter case against Moha…

1
The UK Grooming Gang Cover Up - with Julie Bindel | Ep.117 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 59:14

18d ago59:14

59:14

Phil is joined by campaigner and writer Julie Bindel, the first person to investigate the grooming gang scandal that has so shocked Britain over the last two decades, and which seems to be continuing. A lesbian rights activist and life long campaigner against violence aimed at women and girls, Julie expected that politicians and state agencies woul…

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Meghan, Dragons Oh My + Vatican Secrets | Ep.116 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 53:34

25d ago53:34

53:34

Our friend Gerald Posner returns to bring his unique insight into the story BEHIND the election of a new Pope - the overlapping financial and sexual scandals that have plagued the Vatican for many decades. Gerald explains why is has proved so hard to reform a famously opaque (and sometimes corrupt) institution - and how a Pope can pursue and punish…

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The Most Scandalous Drink In The World | Ep.115 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 41:13

1M ago41:13

41:13

This week we enter the demi-monde of the belle epoch to explore the strange and scandalous story of Absinthe, with writer Nina Studer. By the time it was banned in 1915, the famous 'green fairy' had become the green peril, feared for its connection with declining birth rates and its apparent capacity to induce degeneration, madness, and murderous r…

1
The Secret War Between Britain and… France! | Ep.114 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 49:56

1M ago49:56

49:56

This week we continue exploring the Second World War by revealing one of its most surprising, colourful and sometimes farcical stories - the two year undeclared war between Britain and Vichy France. Tim Bouverie is Phil’s guest and he tales us through some of the terrific - and little known - stories in his new book Allies At War. Although London a…

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The Secret History of Hong Kong - with Paul French | Ep.113 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:10:31

2M ago1:10:31

1:10:31

Phil begins this episode with his thoughts on the rather shocking news that the UK government has pulled back from the already limited inquiries into the ‘grooming and rape gang scandal’. What’s going on? Then Paul French returns to the podcast to share his hugely impressive knowledge of the Far East - through the story of Hong Kong. The rise and f…

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Scandalous Stories of WW2 | Ep.112 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 47:57

2M ago47:57

47:57

Phil’s new book, 1945 The Reckoning, is published on April 24 2025 in the UK, India, Australia and New Zealand and in this special episode he is switching roles with his friend and occasional co-host Mok O’Keeffe. Mok has been reading the book - but Phil has no idea what questions, thoughts and comments he might have. And he’s feeling nervous! 1945…

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Catherine The Great - with Carolyn Harris | Ep.111 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:07:39

2M ago1:07:39

1:07:39

Phil is promising to open with another reading from his upcoming book 1945 The Reckoning - but you can always skip! After that we welcome Carolyn Harris back. This extraordinarily well-read Canadian academic is a gifted communicator and an expert on royal women - and she has all the goss about out of history’s most powerful female rulers. Catherine…

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Imperial Revelations - with Sathnam Sanghera | Ep.110 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 47:25

2M ago47:25

47:25

Phil has been thinking a lot about the British Empire recently, and it is a major theme of his upcoming new book about 1945. And so he was delighted to speak with best-selling writer Sathnam Sanghera. Sathnam has written extensively on how the empire shaped modern Britain - and much of the ret of the world too, upending the conventional view of imp…

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The Secrets of Gay London | Ep.109 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 56:21

2M ago56:21

56:21

Not everyone enjoyed Phil’s parody of Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show last week. Are we all being too cruel about her? Mok O’Keeffe thinks we might be. This week he joins Phil in another co-hosted episode and talks about his feelings for Meghan, Harry and the deep divisions at the heart of the royal family. Then Mok’s friend Peter Parker comes ont…

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The Real Ruth Ellis Story | Ep.108 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:01:05

3M ago1:01:05

1:01:05

What's this? Meghan Markle in Phil's Australian Bar? Then Carol Ann Lee joins Phil to discuss her incredible book on Ruth Ellis, on which the new international TV drama is based and in which Ruth is played impeccably by the British-American Actress Lucy Boynton. A CRUEL LOVE: The Ruth Ellis Story (Official ITV Trailer)... https://www.youtube.com/wa…

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William's Message to Harry + The Story of Seduction | Ep.107 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 58:23

3M ago58:23

58:23

Phil has spent decades analysing royal spin - from the age of Diana to the current TransAtlantic stand off between her two sons. He thinks that the interview Jason Knauf gave this week to the Australian 60 Minutes series is one of the most significant things to happen in terms of ‘Palace Kremlinology’ in many years. The interview did not happen by …

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An Aussie Justice Scandal | Ep.106 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:14:55

3M ago1:14:55

1:14:55

One of Phil’s former colleagues, Quentin McDermott, joins him from Australia to report on the remarkable case of Kathleen Folbigg - one of the greatest miscarriages of justice of our age. After four of her children died under the age of 20 months, Kathleen Folbigg was charged and convicted of their murder in 2003. After 20 year in prison she was fr…

1
Portland on the Brink, Whoopi gets Whooped, and Head Injury Chris Kluwe 1:00:48

3M ago1:00:48

1:00:48

Send us a text What if misguided economic policies and entrenched ideologies are pushing a major American city to the brink? Join us as we unravel the complexities of Portland's precarious state, with Mayor Keith Wilson—a "spineless nice guy"—struggling against union pressures and DEI policies that leave city governance paralyzed. Drawing insights …

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Saudi Peace Talks, Liberal Scare Tactics, and Trump's Trash Convenes in DC 57:46

3M ago57:46

57:46

Send us a text What if the principles of yesteryear could illuminate the political chaos of today? Join us as we embark on a nostalgic yet critical examination of the Reagan era, drawing audacious parallels with the current political landscape under Trump. We question the controversies surrounding DEI initiatives and their real impact on Black smal…

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Europe's Unfounded Hesitation and the Rise of David Hogg: A Radical Moron 53:35

3M ago53:35

53:35

Send us a text Why is Europe still hesitant to step up its military game? Join me, Chad Law, on the Last Gay Conservative Podcast as we scrutinize the European Union's lackluster response to the Ukraine conflict. With a critical eye, I examine the reluctance of European leaders like Emmanuel Macron, who seem more comfortable discussing solutions th…

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Political Blue Balls- Government Challenges and Ideological Battles in Today's America 57:51

3M ago57:51

57:51

Send us a text What if the liberal playbook is stuck in the past, oblivious to lessons from electoral losses? Join me, Chad Law, from the sunny shores of Newport Beach as we dissect the current political climate, drawing unexpected parallels between my competitive spirit in golf and the world of politics. With a focus on Trump's approval ratings, w…

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What Next For Harry - And The Real Queen Charlotte | Ep.105 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 51:38

3M ago51:38

51:38

For a long time the Invictus Games was one event that even critics of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex admired - but the latest games have drawn criticism for their conduct? Is it fair? And where do the rebel royal couple now stand? Then Dr Natalee Garrett from the Open University joins Phil to talk about her work on one of the most important royal w…

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LGBTQ Mafia, Government Overhaul and Conservative Ideals 59:20

4M ago59:20

59:20

Send us a text LGBTQ identity and conservative values merge in a compelling discussion about the significance of merit over victimhood. Chad Law explores these ideas by spotlighting Scott Bessent's achievements and encouraging LGBTQ individuals to thrive without constraints tied to their sexual orientation. • Discussion on President Trump's commitm…

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Britain’s Rogue Agent + Starmer’s Voice Coach Scandal | Ep.104 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:08:07

4M ago1:08:07

1:08:07

Phil reacts to the emerging story of a possible new British political scandal. Having come to power partly because Boris Johnson fell foul of Britain’s tough Covid rules, did our current Prime Minister break them too and, if so, should it even matter? Phil’s article from 2022 is also relevant here. https://thecritic.co.uk/im-done-with-po-faced-poli…

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Opium! The British Empire’s Dirty Drugs Scandal | Ep.103 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:03:35

4M ago1:03:35

1:03:35

This week Prof Alan Lester joins Phil to lift the lid on a little known - but certainly scandalous - slice of British imperial history - the Opium Wars. There’s much debate today about slavery and how much - or little - it contributed to the wealth of the great European empires. But much less is known about the role that Britain and other empires p…

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HARRY WINS, or does he? Plus The Real Marie-Antoinette | Ep.102 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:16:25

4M ago1:16:25

1:16:25

After the dramatic conclusion of Prince Harry’s case against the Murdoch Empire - which was supposed to be the media trial of the Century - Phil asks whether it was all worth it. Then Carolyn Harris - a renowned expert on royal consorts - joins us from Canada again to talk about perhaps the most famous - or is that notorious? - consort of them all.…

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Harry v Murdoch - The Final Countdown | Ep.101 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 49:58

4M ago49:58

49:58

Britain's headstrong royal exile is soon to step into the legal ring with the media mogul and his entourage, in Harry's continuing campaign to make senior executives accountable for the hacking and other tabloid scandals in the UK. And pre-trial transcripts obtained by Vanity Fair show just how much damage the prince is threatening to do. Clive Irv…

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The Walls Have Ears - with Dr Helen Fry | Ep.100 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 48:48

5M ago48:48

48:48

In our final episode of the year - and the 100th edition of the podcast - Helen Fry returns to share some more remarkable stories from the Second World War. Helen tells Phil of a long secret intelligence operation designed to extract information from enemy soldiers, sailors, pilots - and some of Hitler’s most senior Generals. Many of these men knew…

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Heiresses! Tales of Scandal, Seduction & Sacks of Cash | Ep.99 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 54:19

5M ago54:19

54:19

Writer Laura Thompson returns to the podcast, bringing all the insights and cleverness that has made her one of our most popular guests. And this time her subject is 'the heiress', including some of the most celebrated women in high society and literature. In her book 'Heiresses: the Lives of the Million Dollar Babies', Laura tells an incredible st…

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A Most SCANDALOUS Royal Marriage - with Carolyn Harris | Ep.98 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 58:49

6M ago58:49

58:49

This week Carolyn Harris joins Phil to talk about one of the most extraordinary royal relationships of all time; between the future George IV and his unhappily married wife Caroline of Brunswick. From a disastrously drunken wedding night, which nevertheless produced a princess, through years of mutual loathing, numerous affairs and illegitimate chi…

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Wallis Simpson’s Secret Life In China - with Paul French | Ep.97 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:10:05

6M ago1:10:05

1:10:05

Long before she became one of the most famous women in the world - and the love of a man destined to become a King-Emperor - Wallis Simpson had lived an extraordinary life. Perhaps the most incredible part of it was when she went to live in China as the unhappy wife of a drunken US Navy officer and ended up leaving him and entering a world of hedon…

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Lord Byron & Friends: Mad, Bad & Scandalous! | Ep.96 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 59:55

6M ago59:55

59:55

Mok O'Keefe - aka 'The Gay Aristo' - returns to the podcast this week as a guest host. Mok - who lives in an actual castle - is a great fan of all things Gothic and so he's the perfect person to help Phil explore the scandalous life of Lord Byron and his circle of friends, and the creation of classic gothic tales during a memorable summer in a smal…

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Rory Cellan Jones - My Mum, Scandal & Me | Ep.95 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 55:27

6M ago55:27

55:27

When BBC reporter Rory Cellan Jones uncovered a pile of old love letters under his mother Sylvia's bed after she died, he unearthed the secret story of his own life. The result was a bestselling book of real power and intelligence, in which he reconstructs the scandalous relationship that created him - but that also limited his mother’s life choice…

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Prince Andrew Home Alone + Churchill’s Bandits | Ep.94 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 58:45

6M ago58:45

58:45

Phil has the latest on the semi-public tug of war over Prince Andrew’s living arrangements. How much longer can he cling on to Royal Lodge? And why do key figures in the British establishment find it so easy to cling onto power and position for so long, despite the most shocking scandals? The story of the Archbishop of Canterbury this week may help…

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The Super Smart Women Who Won The War - with Helen Fry | Ep.93 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:06:21

7M ago1:06:21

1:06:21

This week we dip into the remarkable - and often scandalous - world of military intelligence with historian Helen Fry. Her widely acclaimed new book Women in Intelligence reveals a huge number of fascinating stories of the critical - and often deadly - work done by British and American women throughout the 20th Century. Some of these stories - and …

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Boeing, Boeing, Gone? + The Latest on Fayedgate | Ep.92 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 51:03

7M ago51:03

51:03

Phil considers the feedback from last week’s remarkable interview with David Hooper and asks what Diana, Princess of Wales might have been told when she first agreed to go on holiday with Mohamed Al Fayed. Then this week’s guest - our friend Clive Irving - joins Phil to reveal the story behind perhaps the greatest disaster in the history of the avi…

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Mohamed Al Fayed’s Private Army Exposed! EXCLUSIVE interview | Ep.91 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 48:06

7M ago48:06

48:06

Top British lawyer David Hooper has made a career out of standing up to the powerful and the wealthy, and so when Vanity Fair magazine needed someone to defend its groundbreaking 1995 expose of Mohamed Al Fayed - the first time sexual allegations about him were ever published - David was the natural choice. What happened next was extraordinary, as …

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Urban Decay, Celebrity Politics, and the Future of Governance: A Call for Balance 1:02:18

7M ago1:02:18

1:02:18

Send us a text Can Portland, Oregon truly be called “America’s Mumbai”? Join me, Chad Law, as I recount my journey writing a book that explores the once-vibrant city now grappling with urban decay, homelessness, and drug addiction. Portland's struggles offer a glaring example of how political supermajorities can lead to urban decline, and how the m…

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Taylorgate! And The Women The Kennedys Destroyed | Ep.90 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 52:55

7M ago52:55

52:55

Britain’s new government is caught in a series of scandals about freebies, cronyism and ‘cash for access’. And now we have allegations surrounding the recent Taylor Swift concerts in London which might - or might not - be responsible for the downfall of a key Downing street aide. Phil wonders whether any of this really matters, and what it tells us…

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Simon Heffer on the Abdication Crisis + Freebiegate! | Ep.89 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 55:40

8M ago55:40

55:40

Britain’s new Labour government has been shaken by stories of ‘gifted’ suits, penthouse flats and tickets for Taylor Swift concerts. Phil explains why this matters - and what it tells us about the problems of governing in the internet age. Distinguished historian Simon Heffer then joins Phil to talk about his new book on Britain in the Interwar yea…

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Harry & Meghan Separate Lives + Women Detectives That Changed Policing | Ep.88 | Scandal Mongers 52:17

8M ago52:17

52:17

Phil has spoken before about how he’d love to see Harry back in the royal fold. Are we seeing the first signs of this now, with a series of solo appointments that look a lot like old traditional royal visits? Meanwhile Meghan appears to have removed herself - or has been removed - from Harry's public life while she concentrates on her own new solo …

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Fayed - Was Diana Warned? And Cricket’s Most Scandalous Player | Ep.87 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 55:56

8M ago55:56

55:56

The revelation of many sexual allegations against Mohamed Al-Fayed has shocked the UK. The former owner of Harrods, confidante of Princess Diana and friend of British high society has been accused of a litany of crimes and a decades-long career of harassment and abuse. Given that Princess Diana died whilst under the care of the Fayed family, many h…

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Harry, Meghan & Charles + America’s Forever War With Itself | Ep.86 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:08:33

8M ago1:08:33

1:08:33

Former BBC correspondent Nick Bryant joins Phil to discuss his many years working in the USA, and reveals how and why his love for that country turned into something closer to despair about its future. But first our friend Clive Irving - a legendary investigative journalist and now star writer at The Daily Beast - returns to give us his update on t…

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'Vodka with Stalin' with Giles Milton. Plus Kate’s New Royal Video | Ep.85 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 45:00

9M ago45:00

45:00

Bestselling author Giles Milton joins Phil to discuss his incredible book THE STALIN AFFAIR about the ‘Big Three’ of the Second World War, and how this turbulent three way relationship shaped the world we live in today. Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin were very different men with often clashing personalities and agendas. Behind their famous wartime…

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Coco Chanel - The Self-Invented Survivor Who Redefined Beauty | Ep.84 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 47:36

9M ago47:36

47:36

Anne de Courcy returns to the podcast by popular demand to talk about her astonishing book on Coco Chanel, and the glamorous but dangerous society that she dominated. From the most deprived of backgrounds Chanel conquered the worlds of fashion and perfume. With her fast friends, wealthy and titled lovers and her appetite for the best things in life…

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William and Harry’s Summer of (not) Love - with Simon Vigar | Ep.83 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 45:41

9M ago45:41

45:41

With their non-royal but actually quite royal 'anti colonialism' tour of Colombia seen as a success by many media commentators, what message was Harry and Meghan trying to send to the world, to Britain and - especially - to their royal siblings and siblings in law in London? And why did a curiously timed but well sourced profile appear on the front…

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Meghan’s Mental Struggles & The Criminal Crusaders | Ep.82 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 51:24

10M ago51:24

51:24

We’re exploring a completely new era this week, so buckle up your sword belts, pour yourself a jug of mead and grab that armour! Phil’s guest today is Steve Tibble, author of a brand new book on the dark (and VERY dark) side of the Crusades, which he describes as being like a two hundred year pub fight! Steve is a great storyteller and his book is …

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Prince Philip Sex Scandal & Trump Assassination Plot | Ep.81 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 39:57

10M ago39:57

39:57

Our friend Gerald Posner returns to the podcast this week to discuss the recent attempt to kill former President Donald Trump. As the author of the definitive book on the JFK assassination - Case Closed - and many other books and articles on political violence in the USA, Gerald knows a huge amount about how Presidents are meant to be protected, an…

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Peggy Guggenheim - the Mistress of Modernism | Ep.80 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 42:13

11M ago42:13

42:13

This week - in the first of his summer solo specials - Phil speaks to writer Mary Dearborn about her biography of the remarkable Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy was probably the most significant collector of - and advocate for - the visual art of the 20th Century and she helped launch the careers of numerous internationally famous artists. She was also as …

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The Royals, The Truth and $$$ - plus SLAPPS! | Ep.79 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:02:50

11M ago1:02:50

1:02:50

Andrew and Phil go where many royal reporters fear to tread, to reveal the shocking sexual allegations and dirty financial dealings that are alleged to lie behind the tangled and scandalous lives of numerous famous royal names. What has Andrew found our about the secret lives of the royals as he researched his numerous books? Improving access to in…

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The War on Truth - with Stephen Davis | Ep.78 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 43:55

12M ago43:55

43:55

Award winning reporter and investigator Stephen Davis joins us to explore the world of fake news, conspiracy theory and the weapons used by the rich and powerful to prevent truth from coming out. In an extraordinary career Stephen has investigated some major scandals, including the sinking of the ferry ESTONIA and BA Flight 149 and the Gulf War. **…

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Nazis & The Holocaust - on British Soil! | Ep.77 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 1:00:09

12M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

This week author and broadcaster Martin Bright joins Andrew and Phil to discuss what he believe is a little known but massive wartime cover up. As a new official report is due on the extent of Nazi crimes in the occupied Channel Islands during WW2, Martin believes that the suffering of Jewish and other prisoners on the islands has been hidden for m…

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Aristos, Adultery and Fascism - with Anne de Courcy | Ep.76 | The Scandal Mongers Podcast 54:54

12M ago54:54

54:54

The human dynamo that is Anne de Courcy returns to the podcast by popular demand after her brilliant interview about Princess Margaret and Tony Snowdon. This week she is speaking about one of her most successful books ‘The Viceroy’s Daughters’, the saga of Lord Curzon and his three talented, beautiful but often wayward daughters at the pinnacle of …

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SCANDAL Mongers Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen