Unmissables: Explosive Lies
He said it could save lives. It didn’t. It couldn’t even find golf balls… Jim McCormick was a cocky English salesman with an outrageous claim: a black plastic gadget that could sniff out bombs using “electromagnetic energy.” The science was pure fiction. But in the panic after 9/11, governments bought the lie - paying up to $60,000 for a device that started life as a $20 novelty golf-ball finder. McCormick sold hope to armies and security forces across the globe. But hope turned deadly. Behind the deals were fragmented friendships, betrayals, and a truth so dangerous it would take years to drag into the light. Alice Levine uncovers the jaw-dropping story of a con that cost countless lives - and the unlikely people who stopped at nothing to uncover the truth.
Episodes
Introducing: Filthy Ritual
This is a story about a scam. But this isn’t any old scam. There's shamanism, a 'tree of life' in the jungle of Suriname, a bathing ritual in a dark rusty red lake, voodoo dolls, black magic and envelopes jammed full of sacrificial cash. There's even a wild capuchin monkey called Joey.At the turn of the 21st century, set in one of London's most wealthy suburbs, Hampstead, Juliette D'Souz
1. The Healer of Hampstead | Filthy Ritual
Episode 1. An eccentric osteopath, Keith Bender, meets a charming, mysterious woman named Juliette D’Souza.Keith’s life is falling apart, and Juliette seems to know just how to fix it. She wins his trust and whisks him off on a journey to meet a shamanic healer in Suriname, changing his life forever. Soon, she’s bringing her supernatural influence into the heart of the bohemian London suburb where
2. The Spirits Are Always Watching | Filthy Ritual
Episode 2. Keith starts spreading the word about Juliette D’Souza’s ‘powers’. Little by little, Juliette’s client base expands across Hampstead, as her promises of miracle cures captivate more and more of its residents.All is not well. Under Juliette’s influence, Keith has lost control of his own life. After she goes missing, Keith is left to reckon with her real identity.From Global and Novel, in
3. Wherefore Art Thou Juliette? | Filthy Ritual
Episode 3. In the face of apathy and ridicule from the police, Keith Bender takes his allegations about Juliette D’Souza to the only avenue that’s left to him: the media.A few months later, a newly formed investigative team of plucky journalists touch down in Suriname for the reporting adventure of a lifetime.From Global and Novel, in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.Filthy Ritual is a Global
4. How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? | Filthy Ritual
Episode 4. Sylvia Eaves, a retired Opera singer with a knack for making friends, who lost thousands of pounds to Juliette D’Souza finds herself back in the thrall of the healer of Hampstead.But this time, Juliette hasn’t counted on one DIY detective who will stand in her way: An intrepid nurse and amateur detective named Maria Feeney.From Global and Novel, in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.
5. The Paper Trail Trial | Filthy Ritual
Episode 5. At Blackfriars Crown Court, a long-awaited trial is about to commence. It could finally bring justice to this group of Hampstead victims.But Juliette D’Souza’s defence team are about to develop a new theory about who is really responsible for the last two decades of ‘magic’ and manipulation.From Global and Novel, in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.Filthy Ritual is a Global product
6. An Epiphany at the Hampstead Toy Boat Pond | Filthy Ritual
Episode 6. The trial is over, this should be the end of it. But as they gather on the steps of Blackfriars Court, Keith, Maria and Sylvia hear rumours of a new scam that’s been unfolding right under their noses.From Global and Novel, in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.Filthy Ritual is a Global productionIf you’ve been affected by anything you’ve heard in this podcast or think you, or someone
Introducing: Coining It with Lewis Goodall
In a damp Blackpool flat, James Parker is broke, restless, and stuck in a life going nowhere - until he discovers a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform that begins pouring millions into his account.Most people would keep it quiet. James doesn’t.He starts handing out money, buying cars for mates, throwing lavish parties in a town where fortunes are rare. To some he’s a hero, a modern-day Robin Hoo
1. Things Get Weird in Blackpool | Coining It
Episode 1. In Blackpool, one of the UK’s poorest cities, James Parker lives in a damp, mouldy flat. He’s in his mid-fifties, broke, but surrounded by a small circle of close friends. Then, one day, everything changes. James stumbles across a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform - a bug that could turn his fortunes around overnight. What follows is a wild, true story of instant riches, risky bets,
2. Wacky Races | Coining It
Episode 2. James Parker has turned a digital glitch into a fortune. Most would keep it quiet - but not James. The newly minted millionaire flaunts his wealth across Blackpool, playing Robin Hood to a tight-knit circle who share his secret. But his spending spree hasn’t gone unnoticed. One cop is watching, puzzled by the sudden riches of a man who, until recently, had nothing.Listen to all episodes
3. Money Spending Expert | Coining It
Episode 3. Destination: Dubai. James Parker and his newly hired financial advisor are on the trip of a lifetime - to meet a man who can turn their glitched Bitcoin into gold and cash. But just as they’re about to board the plane, James gets a call. It’s the owner of the trading platform… and he wants his money back. Now.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.Coini
4. The God Of Small Things | Coining It
Episode 4. James Parker’s secret has been rumbled. But he’s not about to give up his millionaire spending. And instead of handing back all his glitched bitcoin, he and his financial advisor have come up with a deal to broker. Meanwhile, James’ friends realise the depth of the trouble they’re all in... James wants his Bitcoin back.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Pl
5. Crash | Coining It
Episode 5. The party’s over. When one of James’ friends goes to the police, detectives finally connect the dots. James is hauled in for questioning - but doesn't give a monkeys. As greed and paranoia take hold, his last friendships fracture beyond repair.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.Coining It is a Global production
6. Generous To A Fault | Coining It
Episode 6. Who was the real James Parker? Lewis Goodall pieces together the truth behind the would-be Robin Hood, as his friends face jail for their actions. Penniless and abandoned, James is still holding one last twist - while the police close in on his missing millions.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.Coining It is a Global production
Something explosive is coming...
Lewis Goodall is joined by Alice Levine to let you in on a big secret. Something explosive is coming to this feed... your next podcast binge.Welcome to Unmissables, home to our most unmissable podcast series - the mysteries, the scams, the stories you can't stop listening to. It's a one stop shop for incredible real stories collated here for you.Follow or subscribe and get ready to listen to Explo
Introducing: Explosive Lies
He said it could save lives. It didn’t. It couldn’t even find golf balls…Jim McCormick was a cocky English salesman with an outrageous claim: a black plastic gadget that could sniff out bombs using “electromagnetic energy.” The science was pure fiction. But in the panic after 9/11, governments bought the lie - paying up to $60,000 for a device that started life as a $20 novelty golf-ball finder.Mc
1. The Mole | Explosive Lies
Episode 1. This story begins on the streets of Liverpool.Jim McCormick and his childhood friend Steve grew up side by side. But when Jim quits the police to chase big money as a salesman, their paths split. Years later, Jim is living it large with millions made from his so-called bomb detector. He reappears from the shadows with an offer that sounds too good to refuse.What happens when loyalty mee
2. Ultimate Betrayal | Explosive Lies
Episode 2. Loyalty or truth - which would you choose?Steve faces a brutal choice: protect his best friend of forty years or expose a secret that could shake governments. When he finally tries to speak out, every door slams shut.Meanwhile, journalists Caroline Hawley and Meirion Jones start asking questions - and what they uncover hints at a fraud far bigger than anyone imagined.From Global and For
3. Iraqi Bomb Squad | Explosive Lies
Episode 3. The higher the stakes, the harder the fall?Jim doubles down, pushing the ADE’s supposed power with the backing of a powerful Iraqi general. His empire looks untouchable.Meanwhile, Steve leaks secrets from the shadows, and journalists Caroline Hawley and Meirion Jones take their investigation public - sparking a reaction no one saw coming.From Global and Forest Sounds, in partnership wit
4. Expanding Web of Fraud | Explosive Lies
Episode 4. Steve and Meirion join forces as the investigation gathers pace, uncovering shocking complicity at the heart of the British state.Meanwhile, Detective Niki White quietly begins her own pursuit of Jim - setting the stage for a clash that could change everything.From Global and Forest Sounds, in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.Explosive Lies is a Global production.For any commercial
5. Dead End | Explosive Lies
Episode 5. The investigation is thrown into turmoil.As Niki White digs deeper into Jim’s empire, she discovers that exposing the truth will be far harder - and far more dangerous - than anyone imagined.From Global and Forest Sounds, in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.Explosive Lies is a Global production.For any commercial enquiries with this podcast including IP interest, please contact com
6. No Sign of Remorse | Explosive Lies
Episode 6. The fight for truth reaches its explosive final stage.At the Old Bailey, Jim’s legal team insists he genuinely believed the ADE worked. After years of investigation, the case hangs in the balance.But even as the verdict looms, one question remains: why are these bogus devices still in use around the world?From Global and Forest Sounds, in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.Explosive
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