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BBC World Service


Have you ever locked eyes with a stranger and wondered, "What’s their story?" Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinary stories from around the world.


Lives Less Ordinary

Enter other people’s worlds. Welcome to the new weekly podcast from the Outlook radio team, finding amazing personal stories from around the world. Premieres on 25 April.

With Emily Webb, Mobeen Azhar and Jo Fidgen.

Introducing Lives Less Ordinary

Astonishing true stories, jaw-dropping twists. Why would an Olympic hopeful rob a bank? How does someone keep their double life a secret? From the team behind Outlook, incredible personal stories from around the world, to show you just how surprising and extraordinary humans can be.

With Emily Webb, Mobeen Azhar and Jo Fidgen. 

Premieres on 25 April.

The trailer

Olympic hopeful to audacious thief – the cyclist who turned to crime.
 
Movies influenced Tom’s biggest life decisions. Slacker film Reality Bites made him give up becoming an Olympic cyclist, and heist film Heat ‘inspired’ him to make the bizarre leap from fiction to reality. But there are only so many banks you can rob before your ego, and the FBI, start catching up with you.

Film clips: Reality Bites/Ben Stiller/Jersey Films
Heat/Michael Mann/Regency Enterprises and Forward Pass

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar 
Producer: Louise Morris

Bike-riding bank robber, part 1

The FBI close in. “It’s a wake-up call when police are trying to shoot you.” Tom Justice’s fantasy is fading, he’s now robbing banks to fund his addiction and things are about to get a lot worse.

Film clips: Heat/Michael Mann/Regency Enterprises and Forward Pass

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Louise Morris

Bike-riding bank robber, part 2

Anne's village thought her disability made her worthless. She had other ideas. Now a graduate and a Paralympian who's represented Kenya and the UK, this is the story of how Anne Wafula Strike forgave the unforgiveable and made her return.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen 
Producer: Louise Morris

You wanted me dead, but look at me now

Donna discovers her ex fiancé’s secret life. When Donna met Carlo at an anti-war protest she immediately fell for him. They just had so much in common, particularly their left-wing politics. When he moved into her flat she discovered they had all the same books - it was as if they were fated to be together. Donna couldn't believe her luck! There was just one thing that bothered her - he'd never introduced her to his family or friends.

Donna McLean has written a book, it’s called Small Town Girl.

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Fiona Woods

We need to talk about Carlo

Apartheid taught Charles to know his place, so how did he end up suing the gold industry? When Charles Abrahams told his teachers he was going to be a heart surgeon they laughed. This was Apartheid South Africa and kids like Charles had no business having such lofty ambitions. But Charles knew something those teachers didn't. He was destined for a bigger life and nobody was going to stand in his way. 

Charles has written a book, it's called Class Action: In Pursuit of a Larger Life. 

TV Clip: Dallas, Leonard Katzman, Lorimar Productions

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Fiona Woods

Township lawyer v gold giants, part 1

Charles sues his country’s richest companies on behalf of black gold miners. It’s a battle that could spell ruin for Charles, but this isn’t a man who takes no for an answer. 

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Fiona Woods

Township lawyer v gold giants, part 2

Blamed for killing her father through witchcraft, Monica Paulus fled for her life, but she didn’t stay in hiding for long. Monica realised she could be someone to stand up and prevent others being killed after accusations of sorcery. This is the story of how one brave woman took on the witch hunters and changed history in Papua New Guinea.

Taking on the witch hunters

Janina was six months pregnant when she travelled to Syria in 2015 to meet a school friend who’d become an extremist. Janina Findeisen, a journalist, was making a documentary about their friendship. The trip was only meant to last a few days – little did she know that she would end up being taken hostage and forced to give birth in captivity.

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producers: Emily Webb and Fiona Woods

Film clip: Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell, The Weinstein Company.

Giving birth as a hostage in Syria

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence

JP Bimeni risked his life to save a book of his verse. He started composing poetry to impress a girl, but was soon writing to address the ethnic tensions which threatened to tear his country apart. When violence did break out he dodged machete-wielding mobs to make it to safety. The mission to rescue his poetry almost cost him everything.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Louise Morris

A poet in a Burundi war zone, part 1

A poet in a Burundi war zone, part 1

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