The SCANDAL Mongers Podcast

Clive Irving from the Daily Beast returns to the podcast to tell the story of the rise and fall of the British tabloid press, as Prince Harry’s ‘hacking’ case make its way through the London courts - with the possibility that Rupert Murdoch might finally be made to give evidence about it in a court of law. The actor Hugh Grant has recently accepted a settlement from a Murdoch-owned company. He sai...

Not many books change the direction of an entire debate but, in 2023, Hannah Barnes’ ’Time To Think’ did just that. Through the testimony of whistle-blowers from inside the Tavistock hospital GIDS clinic, it revealed deep concern about the use of puberty blockers on gender-distressed children and how this approach - for which there is very little hard evidence - almost always led to further and ir...

Andrew Gold joins us this week to talk about his brand new book and his life as a 'heretic' podcaster and reporter. In recent months Andrew has established himself a leading voice in the anti-woke free speech broadcasting community, talking provocatively to natural rebels such as Robbie Williams, David Baddiel, John McWhorter, Jon Ronson, Amanda Knox, Richard Dawkins and Helen Lewis. Whether it's...

We're thrilled to get an hour to talk with Simon Vigar, one of Britain's most experienced royal correspondents and writers, who is now the Royal Correspondent for 5 News. Simon has had a ring side seat for all of the great royal dramas of the last two decades, and he brings an unusual level of sympathy and insight to the role. Amongst other things Phil and Andrew ask Simon for his views on the lon...

Lady Colin Campbell joins Andrew and Phil again with an exclusive sneak peek at her new and explosive book on Meghan, Harry, the angry confrontations that shook the British royal family and Meghan's troubled family background. Based on her connections in the highest reaches of the British aristocracy - and her friendship with the Markle family - this is an uncompromising account of social climbing...

In a special sports themed episode Andrew and Phil are first joined by writer and former newspaper editor Chris Blackhurst to discuss his investigation into Manchester United - the world’ favourite football team - and how it has fared under the ownership of the American Glazer family, plus the wider role of big money in professional football (or ‘soccer' if you’re American!). Chris also talks abou...

Why did Adolf Hitler's deputy and trusted confidante fly alone to an isolated corner of Scotland at the height of World War Two? Was it the act of a madman? Was it to conclude a secretly negotiated peace deal with some of the most senior members of the British aristocracy and - potentially - the royal family itself? Was it to help senior conservatives launch a coup against Churchill? Or...

We're joined by another of Andrew and Phil's journalistic hero's - Richard Norton Taylor. Richard has uncovered dozens of scandals in his time working for London newspapers, and turned several of them into successful plays. Here he speaks about his work on a range of stories and decades battling Britain's 'secret state'. He also comments on the case of Julian Assange, currently...

Jason Evans joins Andrew and Phil to reveal a shocking story of medical negligence and official delay - in Britain and numerous other nations - that tragically resulted from the desire to treat dangerous illnesses with better drugs. For many years blood donations - often collected for money in the USA - were used to make products to treat people with haemophilia and other illnesses. But so careles...

This was meant to be the second of our two spy episodes, and it still is - but first Andrew and Phil were able to speak with our friend, the VERY well connected royal reporter Valentine Low, about the speculation that's swirling around the prince and princess of wales? Phil also references this article of his about the psychological roots of our interest in monarchy.  https://thecritic.co.uk/...

'Spy mania' was at its height in the early 1960s when a junior clerk in the Admiralty was revealed to be spying for the Soviet Union, after he had been drugged and then secretly photographed by KGB agents in Moscow while being raped by at least two men.  At a time when sexual relationships between men were illegal, John Vassall was jailed and publicly humiliated, while tabloid newspaper ran s...

According to the court reports last week, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, pocketed more than £1 million from an allegedly corrupt financier acting on behalf of a Turkish millionaire. And nobody can say why. It’s one of many obscure stories of cash flowing into royal coffers that our Andrew - Lownie - has been trying to investigate for years. In this special episod...

When famous crime writer Agatha Christie suddenly vanished without trace in December 1926 it triggered one of the greatest tabloid sensations of the age. Behind it lay a twisted story of love, loss and love affairs that’s worthy of one of her greatest novels. Returning to the podcast for the third time, writer Laura Thompson peels back the layers to explain exactly what happened - and why this was...

When famous crime writer Agatha Christie suddenly vanished without trace in December 1926 it triggered one of the greatest tabloid sensations of the age. Behind it lay a twisted story of love, loss and love affairs that’s worthy of one of her greatest novels. Returning to the podcast for the third time, writer Laura Thompson peels back the layers to explain exactly what happened - and why this was...

(PRODUCTION NOTE : If you're hearing last weeks show on this episode please erase this episode and re-download it again.) In the second episode in this themed week, Canadian author Antony Anderson joins Phil and Andrew to discuss one of the greatest military and diplomatic disasters of the British Empire. In 1956 a new government in Egypt took control of the Suez canal and Britain - along with Fra...

At the start of a themed week this is one of the most celebrated imperial scandals of them all - the riotous misbehaviour of a wealthy expatriate community living in colonial Kenya which leads to a famous - and famously unsolved - murder in 1941. Later this week we get more political with a look at the famous ’Suez crisis’ of 1956.  In the so-called ‘Happy Valley case’ Sir Henry “Jo...

This week writer Anne de Courcy joins Andrew and Phil to discuss her extraordinary biography of Lord Snowdon, Antony Armstrong Jones, who was married to Princess Margaret for 18 tumultuous years. A gifted photographer, designer and charity entrepreneur, Lord Snowdon was also a notorious womaniser before, after and during his marriage. His relationship with Margaret veered between affection and bit...

In January 1889, when Rudolf, the crown prince of Austria, was found dead in an Imperial hunting lodge alongside his 17 year old mistress, Baroness Mary Vestera, it triggered a monumental cover up, a crisis that shook the royal families of Europe, and changed the direction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, one of the world’s great powers. Some believe it even helped set the scene for the outbreak of...

A packed episode featuring two of Britain’s most determined investigators.  Andy Webb returns to the podcast to tell Andrew and Phil of new developments in his long-running battle to uncover the truth behind Martin Bashir’s interview with Diana, Princess of Wales. Newly released BBC emails - some heavily redacted - reveal the scale of a 25 year cover up and shine new light on the case, i...

We have two scandalous stories this week, but on a similar theme. Firstly our friend Dai Davies - former top royal protection officer - returns to the podcast to talk about how his former colleagues in the Metropolitan police have been dealing with royal scandals recently, and especially their interest (or lack of!) in certain allegations involving Prince Andrew, the disgraced Duke of York, and hi...

According to Princess Diana, Prince Charles once asked her in a towering bad temper: ‘Am I to be the only Prince of Wales not to be allowed a mistress?’ Taking their cue from the landed aristocracy, British royals have for centuries ‘married for the dynasty’ then engaged in semi-official affairs - or even long term parallel relationships - with others in their circle. Those marrying into the famil...

We begin with the latest from the Post Office Scandal that we first covered with investigative journalist Nick Wallis 8 months ago. In recent weeks a powerful ITV drama has made the behaviour of the Post Office - and the cruel treatment of its employees - front page news in the UK. It’s truly blood boiling!! Then writer Neil McKenna joins Andrew and Phil to reveal a story of 19th Century sexual, p...

With so many new revelations concerning the Jeffrey Epstein scandal we begin this episode with Andrew and Phil’s assessment of what it all means for Prince Andrew and his hopes of returning to public life (and what it may also mean for our Andrew’s book on the Prince!) Top magazine editor and author Tina Brown then joins us from New York to discuss all things royal. Tina has had an incredible...

It’s New Year’s Day 2024 and we’re starting the year with a double dose of scandal, as writer John Preston joins as our main guest. But first Phil and Andrew react to the surprising sight of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, back at the heart of a royal family Christmas for the first time in decades. What does it mean for her, for her embattled husband Prince Andrew….and for our Andrew’s upcom...

As a surprise holiday treat Andrew and Phil review their year in the scandalsphere, compare the best and worst of the reviews, chat a little about Wallis Simpson, look forward to 2024 and thank everyone who has subscribed in 2023. Looking for the perfect gift for a special scandalous someone - or someone you’d like to get scandalous with? We’re here to help. https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Scand...