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The Guardian
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The week in audio: The Toxic Waste Scandal; How Do You Cope?; Broken Veil; Dish
In Detail… The Toxic Waste Scandal BBC Local/ BBC SoundsHow Do You Cope? WonderyBroken Veil Cheese & PickleDish Waitrose There were a few intriguing new series out last week, here to take your mind off the current terrifyingness of the world. May I offer: a long-fought battle by local people to find out how toxic waste affected babies in Corby; a sensitive interview series in which famous people talk about how they cope with their darker sides; and an is-it-real paranormal serial that may keep you up at night. Come on in, the audio's lovely! In Detail: The Toxic Waste Scandal is the true story behind new Netflix drama series Toxic Town. An eight-part podcast produced by BBC Radio Northampton, it's an excellent investigation, brilliantly hosted by George Taylor, one of several people from the Corby area in Nothamptonshire who were born in the 1990s with physical deformities. In March 1992, George was born 'navy blue', says his mum, Fiona, who features along with his dad, Brian. Poor baby George had serious heart and lung problems, and the thumb and first finger of his right hand were unable to curl into a fist. 'Like I was doing a cheesy 'finger gun' pose,' says George wryly. 'You know, like David Brent in The Office.' (His humour and personality sing out from this show from the start when he narrates: 'The English spring weather has turned to shite.') Corby was built around its steelworks. 'The whole town was so proud of it,' says Fiona. The works were closed under the Thatcher government, and the council employed contractors to clean up the site. But the 'clean-up', with lorries to-ing and fro-ing laden with soil, wasn't as clean as it might have been: much of the lorries' cargo wasn't properly covered and a fine orange dust spread all over the town. 'It got everywhere,' recalls Fiona, who was a cleaner in Brian's pub. 'The tabletops were covered in dust. It was thick; it was every single day.' She, like many others, just cleaned it up. Nobody knew how toxic that dust was, nor what it could do to babies growing in the womb. They would soon find out. There are moments in this series that I found very moving, a lot that is sad, and much that made me smile. And, gratifyingly, the combined power of local mums determined to get to the bottom of things, a whistleblower and a never-give-up lawyer leads to a conclusion that, if not happy-ever-after (there are too many terribly ill children for that), does at least provide some proper justice. The Netflix show might boast Jodie Whittaker, Rory Kinnear and Robert Carlyle (it's good!), but George digs into the truth of it all, and this podcast is definitely worth your while. Comedian John Robins is usually found in laugh-out-loud 5 Live podcasts with compadre Elis James, as well as on TV and on stage. He's become an even funnier performer since getting sober a couple of years ago. A workaholic, among his many commitments he's now solo-hosting popular interview podcast How Do You Cope?, which he previously presented with James, and the series has moved from the BBC to Wondery. This new version is more earnest (the music's syrupy, the sincerity has gone up a notch, plus there are bonus mini-episodes called The Gratitude List), but don't let that put you off. The interviews are great. There are four of them so far, and I highly recommend the ones with rapper-writer-actor Jordan 'Rizzle Kicks' Stephens and comedian-writer-actor Sophie 'Alma's Not Normal' Willan. Both are hugely gifted, effortlessly charismatic people who are riddled with insecurities. Both discuss with intelligence and insight how their backgrounds have affected how they think, feel and, yes, cope. They're just great, and it's enjoyable to hear Robins's delight in his interviewees' revelations; the moments when you can hear him learning from them. Funny and honest; great stuff. Broken Veil is the strangest item on my take-your-mind-off-things list. A spooky series from writers Will Maclean and Joel Morris, this is a thoroughly uncanny listen in which they investigate weird things that have happened to friends. We hear cynical, clever people describing similar situations of liminal strangeness. An actor goes for a medical check-up, a comedian is booked for a corporate gig, and both separately end up in an anonymous facility that just… doesn't seem right. Maclean and Morris set out to find the place where these bizarre encounters took place, and what they find is at once everyday and very odd. Sarah, the comedian, loses the person who's showing her where to go, and finds herself in a corridor that she can't get out of. 'There were these double doors and they'd shut, and I was pressing on them and they were completely locked,' she recalls. 'That was when I started to get really scared.' Yeah, me too. Maclean and Morris's presentation styles are complementary – Maclean inclined to believe everything he hears, Morris is more cynical – but everything else here is weird, off-centre. There are just-heard noises and crackly voices that stay in the mind. It's hard to work out if everything happened, or nothing did. Highly recommended. Finally, if you want some straightforward, in-your-face joy, then check out American actor/singer Billy Porter on Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett's Dish. Porter is just a whirlwind of positivity. 'Seasoned food in England!' he exclaims. 'Hallelujah!' Honestly, he's the best.
BBC News
27-02-2025
- BBC News
BBC Local's new podcast The Toxic Waste Scandal investigates birth deformities linked to heavy metal dust in Corby
The Toxic Waste Scandal is a riveting new podcast series by BBC Local that tells the story of the harrowing real-life battle faced by a group of families in Corby, Northamptonshire to get justice. These families alleged their children were born with deformities due to exposure to toxic waste in the1980s and 1990s during the cleanup of the town's Steelworks. This podcast sheds light on their struggle for justice and the impact of the alleged environmental negligence on their lives. In the 1970s, Corby's massive steelworks employed around 10,000 people, transforming the town into a single-industry hub. But, after years of recession, the costly and unprofitable steelworks closed down in 1980. Consequently, Corby faced the worst unemployment crisis in England. To revive the town, the local authority secured millions of pounds in government grants and devised a grand plan. They purchased the wasteland left by the steelworks and paid contractors to clean up the hazardous materials. During the cleanup, residents began to complain about mud on the roads, dust in their lungs, and a metallic taste in the air as lorries transported waste to the site tip, Deene Quarry. In 2010, Corby Borough Council admitted to making mistakes in the cleanup process, and many families reached out-of-court settlements after claiming their children were born with deformities due to the contaminated air. This new eight-part series from BBC Local, The Toxic Waste Scandal, launches on BBC Sounds on Tuesday 4 March, and is narrated by 32-year-old, George Taylor, who was born with a deformed thumb and forefinger in 1992. The series recounts his family's journey. It took 10 years for the case to reach the High Court, where in a landmark ruling the judge accepted that airborne contaminants could have caused the birth defects. The court heard that George's mother, Fiona, had inhaled potentially toxic particles while working with his father, Brian, at a local pub where dusty workers from the clean-up would go. Through the series, we experience this story from the perspective of the Taylor family and their fight for justice all the way to the High Court. For George, it offers a chance to truly understand his family's history for the first time. Their story is also the story of a town at a pivotal moment in the country's industrial history and even attracted the attention of the American legal campaigner Erin Brockovich, who followed George's story. George said: "All this happened to me and the others when we were just babies. Once I was out of special care, Mum and Dad moved me 500 miles North to Aberdeen and since then I've never had the chance to really understand what happened in Corby that left me and other kids the way we are. Even if people know this story – I think they'll be surprised by what we found. It's been an eyeopener.' The podcast features rare interviews with key figures, including the barrister Stephen Grime QC who led the council's controversial fight against the Corby mums, and one of the most important men on the cleanup team who still believes they did a good job. Neither have ever spoken publicly before and both still believe passionately that the council should have won this case. Chris Burns, Local Audio Commissioning Controller, said: 'This is exactly the kind of story that BBC Local excels at, shedding a light on experiences of ordinary people, who wouldn't normally have a voice. It's a story that deserves a wider audience, because it's important and we hope people find it as fascinating as we do.' The Toxic Waste Scandal will be available from Tuesday 4 March on BBC Sounds. HM3
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC Local radio unveils new podcast - DNA Trail: The Promise
The eight-part series, DNA Trail: The Promise launches on BBC Sounds on today (Thursday 20 February) and follows a dynamic duo, BBC journalist, Laura Ancell, and her mum, Jayne as they navigate what becomes an epic search for family, identity and the truth. Throughout the series we hear about Laura's dad, the charismatic Billy from Brighton who discovered in his 30s that the man who raised him wasn't his biological father. Armed with only this mystery man's name - William Anderson - and the fact that he'd served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Billy manages to track him down only to be left feeling rejected when he never hears from him again. However Billy had inherited a potential clue to his past though, thanks to a tin which his mother Madeleine kept some of her most personal possessions in. One of them was photograph which shows his mother smiling on Brighton beach in 1945, with a man's arm lovingly wrapped round her, but Madeline had meticulously cut out the face of the mystery man. When Billy passes away in 2006, Laura and her mum Jayne promise to find his biological family he never got to meet. This is an inspiring family love story, about how far a young girl will go in order to keep a promise to dying father. It's a story full of twists and turns as Laura and Jayne's determination is severely tested as they confront revelations that shake their understanding of Billy's story—and their own. But they never lose their sense of humour and, although there's some tears, there's lots of laughter too! DNA Trail: The Promise is an emotional tale of tenacity, identity, and clarity that will keep listeners hooked until the very last episode. Spanning from 1944 to the present day it unravels Billy's family mystery and explores lost connections across generations and continents. With worldwide appeal, this new BBC Local podcast will resonate with anyone seeking to understand their roots. Speaking of her journey, Laura said: 'Knowing where I come from is so important to me. I hope people will be able to relate to our story. My dad always felt like a big part of him was missing and when he died there was a big part of me missing, too. So, I took the baton from him and continued his search. For me, it was about uncovering the truth and making my dad proud.' BBC Controller of Local Audio Commissioning, Chris Burns said: 'This podcast is a truly compelling listen, with superb soundscaping brought to life by BBC Local. It takes our audience on an extraordinary journey. Everyone has a desire to uncover their truth, and as Laura discovers, fulfilling a promise made on her father's deathbed is far from straightforward. These untold stories are at the heart of what BBC Local excels at sharing, and I hope listeners are as captivated by this podcast as we are.' DNA Trail: The Promise is available from Thursday 20 February 2025 as a box set on BBC Sounds. HM3
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC Local appoints new Head of BBC Midlands
Kay Wright has been appointed Head of BBC Midlands. Kay will lead all of the BBC's local services for radio, TV and online across the West and East Midlands. She will be responsible for the region's digital output, Midlands Today, East Midlands Today, two Sunday Politics programmes, BBC Radio WM, BBC CWR, BBC Radio Stoke, BBC Radio Shropshire, BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester, BBC Radio Derby, BBC Radio Leicester and BBC Radio Nottingham. She takes over from Hayley Valentine who became Director of BBC Scotland last year. Kay has a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion for the region. She joined the BBC in 1999 and went on to lead BBC Radio Leicester and BBC CWR in the Midlands as Executive Editor and before joining the BBC worked in regional and national newspapers. Most recently she has been heading up TV and digital news output in the North East of England and before that headed up the BBC in the Midlands on an interim basis in 2023. Kay Wright says: 'Having spent much of my career in Leicester, my heart truly belongs in the Midlands. I can't wait to get back to work with the enormously talented, creative and committed news and programme-makers this region boasts. It will be a huge privilege to work with BBC colleagues as well as regional stakeholders to deliver the highest quality content for our audiences.' Jason Horton, Director of Production for BBC Local, says: 'Kay is a hugely experienced editorial leader who has led a number of teams across the Midlands over the past few years. Her relentless focus on our audiences, understanding what they want from BBC Local, her creativity and her leadership, are qualities that I am sure will make her time leading the BBC across the Midlands a huge success. I am excited to see what she achieves.' The BBC has transformed local services in the Midlands, and across England, by putting local information at the heart of the online experience for audiences. This means greater news provision for 43 areas including a new dedicated online service launched in Wolverhampton last year. Across BBC Local, our News Online websites have seen huge growth since we transformed our offer. Between Jan-Oct 2022 and Jan-Oct 2024 we have seen an increase of 41% in terms of average weekly traffic (from 11.8m to 16.7m). Our regional news programmes including Midlands Today and East Midlands Today at 6.30pm are the most watched news programmes on any channel in the region and are significant part of a family of programmes consistently reaching more viewers than any other news programme in England. The Midlands is a big part of the BBC's Across the UK strategy to better represent and serve audiences by moving shows, talent, teams, and content to the region. In the last few years the BBC has moved hundreds of additional hours of network radio programming to the city – including BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, three new 1Xtra shows meaning the network will be live from Birmingham every weekday from 10am-4pm. This week we announced that BBC Asian Network will complete its move to Birmingham by April. Hit drama series Silent Witness has moved to the West Midlands and the MasterChef brand has moved production to new studios in Digbeth. Kay will take up her new role as Head of BBC Midlands from Monday 17 March. JK
BBC News
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Loved Bombed with Vicky Pattison is back with a host of new romance fraud stories
BBC Local podcast Loved Bombed is back with Vicky Pattison telling the real-life stories of people who have been the victims of betrayal, deception and mental manipulation. In this new five-part series, TV star, author and podcast host Vicky Pattison hears from people who thought they had found their soul mate but ended up being tricked out of thousands of pounds and on some cases almost lost their home. In the series available on BBC Sounds, Vicky Pattison, hears from Priya (not her real name), who started to date a man she met online, but eventually discovered he was not who he said he was. Priya lost a hundred thousand pounds including priceless family heirlooms to the ruthless fraudster, who preyed on her desire for love, companionship and marriage. Priya says at the start of the relationship they seemed to have so much in common. They were both home birds, they shared a culture and thought family and friends were important. But then requests for money began, only modest amounts at first but then becoming thousands. Priya said: 'I didn't realise this was a scam. I thought romance scams only happened online. They didn't happen face to face so for me it didn't feel like a scam until I stopped talking to him and started reflecting. I guess I was in a really bad state and I'm not going to deny that but I knew there was only one way up and that was to get justice.' Vicky also hears from Suzanne in Hertfordshire, who almost lost her heart, home and hairdressing business to the fraudster she met. However, it was one lie too many about his health that was to catch him out. She has since fought to get back the twenty thousand pounds she gave him and wants others to hear her story as a warning. Suzanne said: 'There is not enough support for victims like us, or I prefer survivors. It's a very lonely crime because you honestly feel like you're the only one. When I went through it I was 36. How many 36 year olds do you see on TV that this is happened to.' There will also be a bonus episode 'Love Bombed Presents- Celebrity Scammers' with Vicky talking to author Becky Holmes who turns the tables on a particular type of online fraudster – those who pretend to be celebrities and ask fans to send money for membership cards, meet and greets and charities. On this podcast Vicky and Becky reenact conversations she has had with those pretending to be the likes of Keanu Reeves and Mick Jagger. Together they pinpoint the tactics a host of fraudsters and scammers use in order to get cash. Vicky Pattison said: 'Romance fraud is a particularly cruel crime, preying on people's trust and emotions in the most intimate of ways. It often lurks in the shadows, hidden behind carefully crafted lies and manipulation, making it incredibly difficult to spot until it's too late. I'd like to thank all the brave contributors who have shared their stories and trusted us with their experiences. By shedding light on this issue, we hope to empower others who may be going through something similar to recognise the signs, seek help, and find the courage to speak out. No one should suffer in silence.' Chris Burns, Controller Local Audio Commissioning, said: 'It's great to have Vicky back tackling this tough topic. I hope the range of stories she covers will help us all understand a bit more about how people are affected and how, even after the worst betrayal, it is possible to rebuild your life." Loved Bombed Presents: 'Betrayed' is a BBC Local production for BBC Sounds, The full series is available now (Wednesday 5th February) on BBC Sounds. Listen to Love Bombed on BBC Sounds HM3
