BBC Radio Podcasts from Bad People
105. Dark Arts 2: Can we prevent campaigns of vilification?
It’s the Bad People finale. What makes crime coverage bad, or good?
104. Dark Arts 1: How biasing is pre-trial publicity?
Joanna Yeates is found dead and the media decide they know who did it.
103. Bad People x People Who Knew Me
Who fakes their own death? Daniella Isaacs talks about her new BBC Sounds audio drama.
102. Paedophile Hunters: Do vigilantes help or harm justice?
A man is confronted about his sexual texts to a child. But is the “sting” effective?
101. Thalaikoothal: What is extreme elder abuse?
A 64-year-old man dies while in his son’s care. Was it senicide?
100. Tough Love: How should we help troubled teens?
A teenager is scorched in the Arizona desert. Did wilderness therapy kill him?
99. Central Park Jogger 2: How should we interview children?
Five teenagers falsely confess to a brutal crime. The media villainises them.
98. Central Park Jogger 1: Do you know your right to silence?
Five teenagers confess to a brutal crime. But none of them did it.
97. Belt Selfie: Why don’t people kill their friends?
A key piece of evidence in a murder case is posted on social media.
96. Personification of Evil: Who becomes a prison pen pal?
Patricia Cairns tries to help a notorious prisoner escape. But, why?
95. Battle for Winson Green: Are prison riots inevitable?
When a prison is fit to burst. How prison riots happen.
94. Bad People x The Shamima Begum Story
What compelled a teenager to join ISIS?
93. Spirit Photographer: Are deepfakes a new problem?
A man photographs spirits of the dead. What should we do if we can't trust what we see?
92. Drugged Intent: Can intoxication excuse crimes?
Can we be convicted of crimes committed while unknowingly under the influence?
91. Knox: Can translators make innocence look guilty?
Can we defend ourselves in a language we don’t speak?
90. Trash Puppies: Why are some people cruel to animals?
What kind of person abandons puppies by a dumpster? And, why do we care so much?
89. Baby Snatcher: Does anyone deserve the death penalty?
Lisa Montgomery horrifically steals a baby. But should she be executed for it?
88. Thoughtcrime: How dangerous is anti-intellectualism?
A famous artist is imprisoned. Can the Chinese Cultural Revolution help explain why?
87. Bad People x Please Protect Abraham
Are we failing vulnerable witnesses?
86. Born Criminal: Is Violence Genetic?
What does the case of murderous identical twins tell us about hereditary violence?
85. Bad People x Bad Blood
From editing DNA to breeding “better people”, is it ever ok to mess with our genes?
84. Sleepkiller 2: Is sleepwalking a valid legal defence?
One person is dead, another barely escaped. Will the killer’s sleepwalking defence work?
83. Sleepkiller 1: Can you murder someone while dreaming?
A man awakens with bloodied hands. Can he blame his parasomnia?
82: Bad People’s 2022 True Crime Crackers: Part 2
Bad People talk to the people behind the best BBC true crime podcasts of 2022.
81: Bad People’s 2022 True Crime Crackers: Part 1
Bad People talk to the people behind the best BBC true crime podcasts of 2022.
80. Hot-dog Hubbub: Should it be a crime to do nothing?
A police officer watches a man get beaten to death, but does nothing to help.
79. Unmasked: Could someone steal your face?
Could someone steal your identity with a hyperreal mask?
78. Colston Four: Why are slaver statues still standing?
Why do we still have statues of people who did horrible things?
77. Ambushed: Can reality TV humiliation break us?
Who is to blame when reality TV turns violent?
76. Burn Wild: How far is too far to save the planet?
Georgia Catt on Burn Wild and how far is too far to save the planet.
75. Wrong Wife: Should we be worried about DIY firearms?
A man is shot using a gun that doesn't exist. Can we track the untraceable?
74. Web of Deceit: When should offenders be released?
Why was John Worboys offered parole and when is a criminal no longer a threat?
73. Fire bath: Is it a “slow burn”, or murder?
Is it possible to defend yourself against a sleeping attacker?
Gamergate: What is doxxing?
An online post sparks a devastating harassment campaign with real life consequences.
71. The Oversteegen Sisters: Is it ever OK to kill?
Two teenagers become the secret and deadly weapon of the Dutch resistance.
70. Pharma Bro 2: Why do we hate?
Martin Shkreli seemingly loved playing the world’s villain. Why do we hate?
69. Pharma Bro 1: Is greed inherently bad?
In 2015, Martin Shkreli raised the price of a life-saving drug by more than 4000%.
68. The Letterman: When does dark humour go too far?
A photo of a newly transplanted liver reveals a crime.
67. Gangster: Career Criminals
If you‘ve already made millions and you know you’re being watched, why keep offending?
66. Respawn: What is child-to-parent violence?
Can Daniel Petric’s love of video games help explain why he attacked his parents?
65. Bloody footprint: What rights does a dead body have?
New evidence leads the police to possibly the most notorious necrophile in UK history.
Bi People 4: Are bisexuals invisible at work?
One of the first openly bisexual politicians in the US becomes part of a scandal.
Bi People 3: Could you prove your sexuality?
A man seeks asylum on the basis of his bisexuality. How can he prove it in court?
Bi People 2: Why did Pride begin?
How the “mother of pride” turned riots into a revolution.
Bi People 1: How queer are you?
A man is arrested for selling a book. What made it so scandalous?
Bi People is coming soon
Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen discuss the history, science and culture of bisexuality.
64. Underworld Aristocracy: Who chooses solitary confinement?
An athlete with an unusual past. What are the consequences of solitary confinement?
63. No socks: Why do people confess their crimes?
The serial killer you’ve probably never heard of. Why do people confess their crimes?
62. Unabomber 2: A mastermind with a lack of insight?
After six years of inactivity, the Unabomber is back. Will he finally be caught?
61. Unabomber 1: How far are technophobes willing to go?
The Unabomber terrorised American citizens for nearly two decades. Why?
60. Little Helen: How fallible are forensics?
Eight-year-old Helen is sent to buy bread for her mother. She never returns.
59. Poster boy: When is homophobia a hate crime?
The case of Matthew Shepard and the “gay panic” defense.
Message for our listeners
A Bad People special episode will be available shortly.
58. Africa Eye: Black Market Babies
Poor and desperate, Klenice is on the verge of selling her baby to traffickers.
57. The Iceman: Who becomes a contract killer?
The Iceman admitted to killing over 100 people. Who becomes a contract killer?
56. Death on camera: How can we tackle white fragility?
A bar fight at a "student night", leads to Christopher Adler being horrendously detained
55. Jon Ronson: The Satanic Panic
Kelly is accused of horrific crimes. But all is not what it seems.
54. The Jump: Is jealousy a useful emotion?
A skydiver fell to her death after her parachute failed. Was it murder?
53. Wiretapped: Can you hear colour?
A police officer testifies that he can hear a person’s race.
52. Uncivilised Cruelty: Should rough sex be illegal?
Why did a group of men end up in prison after having sex?
51. Fen-Phen Scandal: What would you risk to be thin?
A “diet miracle” turned nightmare.
50. Death Truck: What motivates people smugglers?
A chicken truck is abandoned in Austria when smugglers realise the worst has happened.
49. Black Pill: Are incels dangerous?
A man in a van mounts a pavement in Toronto, killing ten people. What was his motive?
Message for our listeners
Head to BBC Sounds for Bad People holiday specials.
48. Family Reunion: Research opportunity or ethical nightmare?
Two brothers are overjoyed to find each other. But something isn’t quite right.
47. Bad Influencer: Can you spot pseudo-scientific health claims?
Something about Belle Gibson’s clean eating journey isn’t quite right.
46. Tiny Shoes: Can we heal injustices against Indigenous peoples?
What can be done to heal the wounds caused by poor treatment of Indigenous Canadians?
45. Call Centre Crooks: How do you catch a scammer?
“Roger” makes his money by scamming old ladies. But someone is watching.
44. Operation Island: What do we know about male victims of rape?
The UK’s most prolific rapist only targeted men. How did he get away with it for so long?
43. Le Fake: Are con artists pathological liars?
A man manipulates his way into the lives of the rich & famous to devastating consequences
42. Jonestown: How can you tell that you’re in a cult?
What started out as a promise of a utopian community ended with a massacre.
41. 666devil: Could anyone become a victim of sextortion?
Matt Falder blackmailed over 40 victims online into sexual acts.
40. Hungry like the Wolf: Can we ever understand filicide?
Diane Downs’ children are shot on a small country road. But all is not as it seems.
39. King of Farum: Why do we love anti-heroes?
Sofie idolised her former mayor in Denmark. Was he a modern Robin Hood or just corrupt?
38. The Yorkshire Ripper: Do women need to reclaim the night?
Peter Sutcliffe murdered 13 women and attacked many others. Why wasn’t he stopped sooner?
New series coming 16th September
Con-artists. Corruption. Cult leaders. Bad People is back soon.
37. Mr Creepy: Can gun bans prevent school shootings?
Did banning handguns after the Dunblane massacre work?
36. Nazi on Trial 2: Is Evil banal?
The prosecution had a problem: The Nazi bureaucrat Adolf Eichmann was terrifyingly normal
35. Nazi on Trial 1: Can “just following orders” justify horrific crimes?
“The Architect of the Holocaust” is kidnapped and put on trial
34. #Pizzagate: Why do people believe conspiracy theories?
How a pizza restaurant became the center of a horrific conspiracy theory.
33. Kill Team: Could you be trained to kill on command?
American soldiers murdered three innocent civilians in Afghanistan.
32. Jimmy McGovern: Doing Time
Mark is drunk. Again. But this time it lands him in prison for an awful crime.
31. Horrorhaus Höxter 2: Should we judge offenders for being ice cold?
Angelika was called the ‘torture witch’. Why?
30. Horrorhaus Höxter 1: Do you need to be a sadist to torture people?
A snowstorm in April led to a shocking discovery – Germany’s house of horror.
29. Tuskegee Trauma: How lethal is medical racism?
128 Black men left to die from syphilis. What is the legacy of this racist research?
28. Eating Fireballs: Is prison education a good idea?
Lyle May murdered a young woman and her son. Should he be able to get a degree in prison?
27. Hollywood Predator: Would you keep an open secret?
Everybody knew about Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assaults. Why didn’t they speak up?
26. House of Tears: Why do we mistreat young mums?
A mass grave is found at a former Irish Baby Home. Who is to blame for the 978 deaths?
25. Suicide Voyeur: Why is assisted dying a crime?
An online predator coaxes death. But, should assisted suicide always be a crime?
24. Missing Little Princess: Can we detect high-stakes lies?
In 2008 a girl goes missing on a council estate in England. A frantic search ensues.
23. Blue Lips: Does good cop / bad cop actually work?
What did the 1972 murder of Maxwell Confait teach us about police interviewing?
22. The Butcher of Baghdad: Would you kill a dictator?
Should Saddam Hussein have been killed for his crimes?
21. No Angel: When is spreading infectious diseases a crime?
The case of Nadja Benaissa, a German popstar convicted for recklessly transmitting HIV.
No fooling, Bad People is back
Murderers. Dictators. Sex offenders. Bad People is back for another series
Bad People x The Serpent Part 3: Hunting Sobhraj
Convicted killer Charles Sobhraj is the inspiration behind new BBC One drama, The Serpent
Bad People x The Serpent Part 2: Psychopathic charm
Journalist & author Julie Clark tells us what it was like to meet killer Charles Sobhraj
20. Murder Behind Bars: How does prison change you?
What happens when a man serving multiple life sentences keeps killing in prison?
19. Livestreaming Killer: Would you kill for fame?
Why was this brutal murder shared online?
Bad People x The Serpent Part 1: The hippie trail
We discuss the murderer at the centre of new BBC TV drama The Serpent
18. Lone Wolf: Who becomes a far-right terrorist?
What can psychiatrists tell us about the mind of far-right terrorist Anders Breivik?
17. Black Saturday: Why is wildfire arson common?
In the midst of Australia's worst natural disaster one man adds fuel to the fire - why?
16. The Pearl Earring: No body, no parole?
No body, no parole?
15. "Insanity": Can schizophrenia cause violence?
Three men are dead – but is the killer responsible under an "insanity" defence?
14. Piggy's Palace 2: Are serial killers intelligent?
An excavation reveals horrific truths about Robert Pickton
13. Piggy's Palace 1: Why are witnesses reluctant?
More than 60 sex workers go missing in Vancouver
12. Ward Four: Can you spot Munchausen by Proxy?
How police identified the nurse who was always on duty when children died unexpectedly
11. Plant Pot Killer: How do our biases blind us?
Toronto’s Gay Village is in distress when men start to go missing.
Bad People is back
Murderers. Psychopaths. Sex offenders. Bad People is back.
10. Bad Blood: Should you fake it till you make it?
The story of a nine billion dollar start-up that went on to be worth nothing
9. Unimaginable: Can we understand paedophiles?
In a small Danish town an 11-year-old girl is regularly being sexually assaulted
8. The Land of Fires: What are green crimes?
In an Italian town, toxic waste is leaking into the environment from a nearby factory
7. River Rat: What leads to false confessions?
Could you confess to a murder you didn’t commit?
6. When Children Kill: Should we imprison kids?
How different countries respond to young killers
5. The Wrong Man: What causes misidentification?
Ronald Cotton spent 10 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
4. Cannibal Cop: What is your darkest fantasy?
How one woman found out that her husband was fantasising about cooking her alive.
3. Remembering Monsters: Can we trust memories?
John thought his father was a monster, but now he’s not so sure.
2. Murder in Peachland: When do women kill?
A house party stabbing, the most hated woman in Canada and a Transylvanian vampiress
1. The Nightstalker: Who marries a serial killer?
Richard Ramirez tortured and murdered countless people and yet women fought over him.
Welcome to Bad People
Dr Julia Shaw and comedian Sofie Hagen dissect criminal cases that intrigue and scare us.