Spiral | Tortoise Investigates

Afleveringen

1. Introducing... Spiral

   22 oktober 2026 · 5 min

   Afspelen
   When The Observer’s Technology Editor, Patricia Clarke began investigating a new phenomenon initially dubbed ‘AI psychosis’, she found lives upended by long, intimate conversations with chatbots. But as she followed the evidence from a psychiatric ward in Bristol to the safety teams in Silicon Valley, a far darker story emerged. Lees meer

   Guided by AI industry whistleblowers, grieving families and hundreds of pages of chatbot transcripts, Spiral exposes how big tech is running an unprecedented experiment on the human mind.

   Spiral is a six-part series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer, produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.

   Reported by Patricia Clarke

   Produced by Katie Gunning

   Sound design by Hannah Varrall

   Development production by Jess Swinburne and Owen Thomas

   Artwork by Jon Hill and Michelle Thompson

   Narrative editor is Gary Marshall

   The executive producers are Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2. Live event | Careless

   19 oktober 2026 · 1 min

   Afspelen
   To culminate Careless, a new investigative series from The Observer, we invite you to join actor Nkechi Simms, broadcaster and Careless reporter Ashley John-Baptiste, and Observer producer Madeleine Parr for a special online event. Lees meer

   Together, they’ll take you behind the scenes of the investigation, explore why so many care leavers are being denied access to their own histories, and answer your burning questions.

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3. Bag For Life | Careless Ep 1

   22 september 2026 · 43 min

   Afspelen
   Journalist Ashley John-Baptiste joins actor Nkechi Simms as she returns to Camden to untangle the truth about her childhood and find out why she was taken into state care when she was 12. Lees meer

   Careless is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

   To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer.

   Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

   Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

   Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

   Sound design by Simon Panayi

   Artwork by Jon Hill

   The editor is Jasper Corbett

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4. Introducing...Careless

   16 september 2026 · 3 min

   Afspelen
   Nkechi Simms is a successful actor who’s had parts in Top Boy and the BBC comedy PRU. Outwardly life is good and she’s got everything going for her, but this hasn’t always been the case. When she was 12 Nkechi’s mother handed her over to Camden council and she was placed in foster care. Now Nkechi wants to find out what happened to her and why. The only way she can do this is by getting hold of her care records. But that’s easier said than done. And will those records answer her questions? Lees meer

   Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

   Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

   Sound design by Simon Panayi

   Artwork by Jon Hill

   The editor is Jasper Corbett

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5. Gareth | Lucky Boy Ep1

   27 augustus 2026 · 38 min

   Afspelen
   Gareth spent years believing he was a lucky boy. He was the 14-year-old who got the attention of the attractive young science teacher. Now, decades later, he wants the truth to come out about the damage it’s caused him. But his story is not straight forward. Lees meer

   Episode one is available to all listeners. To listen to all five episodes of Lucky Boy, subscribe to The Observer where you can access all Tortoise Investigates series. It’s easy to subscribe: sign up on Apple or Spotify or directly at observer.co.uk/subscribe/audio, where you can use the code AUDIO50 for 50% off.

   Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

   Producer - Gary Marshall

   Sound design - Hannah Varrall

   Podcast artwork - Lola Williams

   Executive producer - Basia Cummings

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6. A Flying Start | The Mandelson files Ep1

   18 augustus 2026 · 27 min

   Afspelen
   When Peter Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States over his links with Jeffrey Epstein people wondered how he ever got appointed in the first place. Lees meer

   Eventually Keir Starmer’s government was forced to publish more than a thousand pages of emails, messages and letters which reveal how Peter Mandelson was appointed, vetted and cleared to become the UK’s most influential diplomat.

   What emerges from those documents, is a story about who wields power in Britain today, how it works and how we conduct our politics.

   The Observer’s Ada Barumé tells the story of a political farce that begins with the appointment of Peter Mandelson and ends with the resignation of Keir Starmer.

   The Mandelson Files is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

   To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

   You'll get access to:

   This series and all our podcasts before anyone else

   Ad-free listening

   Premium newsletters

   Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword

   Exclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescape

   Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

   Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

   Reporter - Ada Barumé

   Producer - Amalie Sortland

   Sound design - Dominic Delargy

   Podcast artwork - Lucy Stevenson

   Executive producer - Jasper Corbett

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7. Diana of Damascus | We call her Emma Ep2

   14 juli 2026 · 46 min

   Afspelen
   When Asma arrives in Syria, there’s a palpable sense of hope. People in the country and around the world dare to believe that she is a force for good. Chloe hears from people who worked with her in the early years who - despite everything that’s happened - still believe her intentions were genuine but that she became trapped by the regime. Lees meer

   Episodes one and two are available to all listeners. To access the rest of the series, ad-free, subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or subscribe to The Observer for access to all our podcasts and newsletters seven days a week, plus puzzles, recipes and Culture Club. Use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

   We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

   Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

   Producer - Gary Marshall

   Field producer - Sarah Dadouch

   Sound design - Karla Patella

   Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

   Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8. The girl from Acton | We call her Emma Ep1

   7 juli 2026 · 41 min

   Afspelen
   Emma is a high achieving, middle class woman from West London - she’s destined for a successful career and a comfortable British life. But in 2001 she makes a decision that will come to define her - she marries the son of a dictator and becomes Asma al-Assad, the first lady of Syria. Lees meer

   Episodes one and two are available to all listeners. To access the rest of the series, ad-free, subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or subscribe to The Observer for access to all our podcasts and newsletters seven days a week, plus puzzles, recipes and Culture Club. Use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

   We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

   Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

   Producer - Gary Marshall

   Field producer - Sarah Dadouch

   Sound design - Karla Patella

   Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

   Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9. Introducing...We call her Emma

   1 juli 2026 · 4 min

   Afspelen
   Emma is a high achieving, middle class girl from west London. She seems destined for a successful career in banking and a comfortable British life. Until she makes a decision that will come to define her. In 2001 Emma marries Bashar al-Assad - the now infamous dictator of Syria. Lees meer

   In the early days, people inside and out of Syria dared to hope. Alongside his beautiful, progressive wife, Bashar promised to modernise the country.

   But when the Arab Spring reached Syria in 2011, Bashar's regime showed itself for what it really was: a brutal force, willing to capture and kill ordinary Syrians demanding change. And in all the years that a war raged on, Asma stood by her husband. She seemingly ignored the desperate pleas to stop her husband from killing his own people.

   But what did she really know about the atrocities her husband’s government was carrying out? And what choices did she really have? Some people allege that she actually assisted the regime and cashed in on the war, that she herself is a war criminal. Others say she tried to run away but was trapped, held hostage by a regime who threatened her life and her children.

   So, who is the real Emma?

   We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

   To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

   You'll get access to:

   This series and all our podcasts before anyone else

   Ad-free listening

   Premium newsletters

   Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword

   Exclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescape

   Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

   Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

   Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

   Producer - Gary Marshall

   Sound design - Karla Patella

   Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

   Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia …

10. Under one roof | Foundling Ep 2

    24 maart 2026 · 45 min

    Afspelen
    Jess does a DNA test. And she and Lucy travel to visit a house where Jess’s birth mother once lived, and try and work out how nobody noticed a thing. Lees meer

    Foundling is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer

    To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

    You'll get access to:

    This series and all our podcasts before anyone else

    Ad-free listening

    Premium newsletters

    Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword

    Exclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescape

    Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

    Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

    Reporter - Lucy Greenwell

    Producer - Katie Gunning

    Original theme music - Tom Kinsella

    Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop

    Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp

    Narrative editor - Gary Marshall

    Editor - Jasper Corbett

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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