Sam’s Summer Picks

What can facing death and danger teach us about humanity and the world we live in, and what wisdom can be learned from working in war zones? In every episode, foreign correspondent Ramita Navai, talks to a fellow war reporter about the life-changing moment they faced death. Guests recount extraordinary stories of kidnap and danger and ref;ect on how it’s changed their perspectives on life.

A podcast to make you wonder ‘how well do do know your partner’? This is the story of a Jenifer and Spencer who seemingly lead a fairy tale life, until the police arrived at their door with a search warrant. In the days that followed Spencer’s arrest, Jenifer uncovered a dark, secret life her husband had been living during their entire marriage.

Have you every wondered what life is really like behind bars? Chris Atkins is a documentary maker who went to prison for tax fraud in 2016. He spent nine months in HMP Wandsworth, one of the most dangerous and dysfunctional prisons in the UK, and has now interviewed 20 ex-prisoners about their time in jail. Their stories are shocking, uplifting, heartbreaking, hilarious, and often downright weird.

The Agent is the remarkable true story of Jack Barsky, the longest-surviving known member of the KGB illegals program operated during the height of the Cold War. Barsky hid in plain sight in America for 10 years, all the while leading dual lives on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. On one fateful day, he was confronted with an impossible choice.

10 episodes

It begins in a maximum security prison in Louisiana and it ends in thousands of deaths. This is the story of people poisoned, families torn apart by grief and a mass cover up. Cara McGoogan (The Telegraph)  investigates one of the biggest medical disasters in history.

7 episodes

Have you ever locked eyes with a stranger and wondered, “What’s their story?” Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinary stories from around the world. A weekly podcast telling fascinating stories from the BBC Outlook radio team.

For 20 years, Sarah Delashmit told people around her that she had cancer, muscular dystrophy, and other illnesses. She used a wheelchair and posted selfies from a hospital bed. She told friends and coworkers she was trapped in abusive relationships, or that she was the mother of children who had died. It was all a con. Sympathy was both her great need and her powerful weapon.

After you’ve listened watch the Dr Phil episode below where Sarah faces the people she conned.

6 episodes