We call her Emma

Afleveringen

1. Diana of Damascus | We call her Emma Ep2

   11 augustus 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

   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

   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.

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

   11 augustus 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

   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

   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.

3. Introducing...We call her Emma

   11 augustus 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 …