What It Was Like

In 1994, a luxurious ferry called the MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea, drowning most of its passengers. Landscape architect Paul Barney was one of the few who survived. In this nail-biting episode, he describes how decisiveness, yoga training, and sheer luck kept him alive. Find us on TikTok:  @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube:  @whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram:&nbsp...

In 2019, two children vanished in Idaho, sparking an investigation that became one of America’s biggest true crime stories. At the centre were Chad and Lori Daybell, two religious fanatics with a fixation on the end times. In this episode, we speak with Lieutenant Ray Hermosillo, the detective who cracked the case and uncovered the kids' tragic end. Find us on TikTok:  @whatitwaslikepodcast F...

When Kevin Briggs joined the San Francisco Highway Patrol, he didn’t expect a key part of his job would be talking people down from the Golden Gate Bridge. In this episode, Kevin shares how he developed a method for these life-or-death conversations, and tells the stories of those he met and the words that brought them back. Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbriggspiv...

In 1991, Shaun Attwood arrived from the UK to find American rave culture in its infancy. Spotting an opportunity, he began importing potent Dutch ecstasy and built a drug empire through his network of dealers and party organisers. In this episode, he tells the story of his rapid rise and hard fall. Check out Shaun Attwood’s YouTube channel here . His books and social media accounts can be fou...

A new study gave psilocybin to religious leaders, just to see whether their faith would be affirmed or rattled. In this episode we hear from one participant, Islamic leader Sughra Ahmed, who describes how the trip brought her closer to God but uprooted her belief in organised religion. Find us on TikTok:  @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube:  @whatitwaslikep...

Mary McGriff was 15 when she hitched a ride with a man named Lawrence Singleton. The next day, she lay at the bottom of a cliff, her arms severed with an axe. Somehow, she survived. In this episode, she shares how a voice in her head kept her going. It's a story about refusing to let the monster win. Find us on TikTok:  @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube:  @whatitwaslikepodcast Fol...

This week, we're re-running a classic. When abandoned farm houses started catching fire in rural Virginia, police weren't sure what to think. It took five months and almost 80 fires for a couple to be arrested and the story to emerge. In this episode, convicted arsonist Charlie Smith explains how he and his ex-partner lit fires to relax when their relationship soured. Find us on TikTok:  @wha...

In the early 90s, Paul Templer ran a business guiding clients down the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls. One afternoon, he was attacked by a hippo and found himself halfway down its throat. In this ep, Paul regales us with his wild story of survival, moment by moment. Find us on TikTok:  @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube:  @whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram:  whati...

In 2005, Malcolm Naden murdered two women and vanished into the Australian bush. For seven years he evaded police, until former detective Ricky Hennessy joined the case. In this episode, Hennessy shares how he helped track and capture one of Australia's most wanted men in remote wilderness. Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram: w...

John DeLorean was a star auto designer in the 1960s, but his own car company—the DeLorean Motor Company—never took off. When a cocaine deal offered a last-ditch lifeline, it ended in a dramatic arrest. In this episode, his daughter Kat DeLorean recounts the rise and fall of the iconic car—and how it found immortality in Back to the Future. Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtub...

In 1976, 20-year-old Rob Hunter was a month into his first teaching job at a remote Australian school when an armed gunman abducted him and his nine students. In this episode, Rob recounts the harrowing night they spent as hostages—and their dramatic escape via a high-speed car chase. Connect with Rob and book him to speak at your school at https://kidnappedteachertalks.com/ . Find us on TikT...

Last year, 23-year-old British porn star Lily Phillips announced plans to break the world record for the most sexual partners in a day—starting with a “practice run” involving 100 men. In this episode, she tells us what's motivating her, how her first attempt affected her—and why she’s still determined to go the whole way. Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: @whatitwa...

In the mid-80s, producer Linda Gottlieb heard a friend’s story about “dirty dancing” at summer camp and urged her to write a script. Despite rejections, budget cuts, and on-set drama, the film became a surprise hit. In this episode, Linda shares why she believed in it from the start—and what she saw that others missed.  Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: @whatit...

In 2024, Cass Taulaki fell pregnant to the man of her dreams—a 32-year-old engineer in the Australian Defence Force. Or so she thought. In reality, he was unemployed and wanted for impersonating military personnel and skipping out on multiple families. Cass' TikTok story went viral earlier this year—and now she's sharing the full saga. Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: @...

In the early 2000s, musician Nathan Munn moved into a tiny, ornate apartment in Montreal. At first, he and his flatmates brushed off its strange energy—but the nightmares and disturbances wore them down. Now, Nathan believes the apartment just wanted to be noticed. Check out Nathan's music on Spotify Find us on TikTok Find us on Youtube Follow us on Instagram A Superreal production Hosted on Acast...

In 2012, a cruise liner named the Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy, killing 32 people. But Australian couple Rob and Tracy Elcombe survived and the disaster brought them closer. Find us on TikTok Find us on Youtube Follow us on Instagram A Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Awá, an Indigenous group in Brazil's Amazon, had no contact with the outside world until recently. In 2010, BBC journalist Justin Rowlatt visited them in their new reserve, created to protect them from loggers. In this episode, he explores how modern pressures are impacting isolated tribes and what his ongoing friendship with the Awá has taught him about humanity. Find us on TikTok Find us on...

In 2009, Kari Ferrell was outed by the media for writing bad checks and robbing trust fund babies across Manhattan. Dubbed the 'Hipster Grifter,' Kari served a year in prison and is now sharing her story. In this episode, she unpacks her motivations, her methods, and what she learned about the psychology of grifting. Check out Kari's new memoir:  You'll Never Believe Me ....

This is the first episode of our new What It Was Like series, SCAMMERLAND. It's based on an episode we did last year, looking at how online scams are run by people living in modern slavery. We start our story with Small Q, a young Ugandan rapper and singer who thought he was traveling to Thailand for a dream job. However, everything changed the moment he stepped off the plane. Follo...

In 2015, wellness influencer Belle Gibson was outed for pretending to have cancer. Now she's back in the headlines thanks to a new show on Netflix. In this episode we talk to a woman named Beckii Jones, who once considered Belle a friend. She ran a Facebook group for mothers in the early 2010s when Belle joined and even suggested the name for her infamous app, The Whole Pantry. Beckii reflects on...

Tornado chasing was a niche hobby when Tim Marshall started in the 1970s. But over time, he watched it grow in popularity and then explode into the mainstream with the 1996 release of the film Twister . In this episode, Tim reflects on the times he was lucky to make it home, the friends who didn't, and the "internetization" of his beloved past time. Find us on TikTok Find us on Youtube Follow us o...

Julie Lindahl always knew there was something different about her family. Her German grandparents had fled to Brazil after the war, but she didn't know why. Until she discovered her grandfather was in the SS—the elite guard of the Nazi regime, responsible for some of their worst atrocities. In this episode, Julie explores guilt, accountability, and why confronting the past is the key to healing. J...

In 2014, Laurence Hearn was drinking too much and struggling to make ends meet. Then he accidentally got stuck in a washing machine. What followed was a series of unexpected events that would ultimately turn his life around. This is a one-of-a-kind tale of Australian larrikinism—told by the man who lived it. Find us on TikTok Find us on Youtube Follow us on Instagram A Superreal production Hosted...

In 1989, Melissa Fyfe was a high school student in Tasmania when her classmate killed his parents and younger brother. Shocked, the community buried the tragedy, leaving his motives a mystery. Now, Melissa shares what she uncovered when she finally started asking questions. Trigger warning: this episode contains child abuse themes. Find us on TikTok Find us on Youtube Follow us on Instagram A...

In 2019, a man named Fraser Harvey nominated himself 'Customer of the Week' at a Melbourne coffee shop. A woman named Harriett Noall retaliated and a game of oneupmanship arose. In this episode, we hear how a private prank accidentally became an internet sensation. Find us on TikTok Find us on Youtube Follow us on Instagram A Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...