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The Observer

Three years ago travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving almost by accident. It’s an extreme and beautiful sport defined by one simple objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. Record holders are now routinely diving to more than 120 metres, pushing the sport and their bodies to find out what’s humanly possible.

Through her coach, Lydia was drawn into a small but fanatical community of competition athletes all united in their drive for depth, and that’s where she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours swirled that a group of top divers were doping to get deeper, faster. 

As the community began to turn on each other over the allegations, one prominent diver decided to take the law into his own hands. A secret sting operation was meant to put an end to the problem by bringing the alleged dopers out of the dark, and into the light. But the issue hasn't gone away. And now, a lot of people who’ve been too scared to speak up, are ready to talk. 

Episode 1 will be available to listen on Tuesday 18th November.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

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

Who Trolled Amber? | Tortoise Investigates

Vertical Blue, 2023, the moment the doping scandal erupts. The competition organiser, William Trubridge, recounts his plan to catch the dopers – and Lydia investigates the fallout of a very controversial drugs bust.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

In the bag | Deep Water Ep3

Lydia travels to Kalamata, Greece, a renowned freediving spot to investigate the doping allegations. What substances are athletes meant to be taking? And what are the risks – to them, and to the sport she loves?

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Fair Play | Deep Water Ep2

Three years ago, travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving. An extreme and beautiful sport defined by one objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. It soon became a calling. Then, she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours that a group of top divers were doping to go deeper.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

Depth Wish | Deep Water Ep1

Three years ago travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving almost by accident. It’s an extreme and beautiful sport defined by one simple objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. Record holders are now routinely diving to more than 120 metres, pushing the sport and their bodies to find out what’s humanly possible.

Through her coach, Lydia was drawn into a small but fanatical community of competition athletes all united in their drive for depth, and that’s where she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours swirled that a group of top divers were doping to get deeper, faster. 

As the community began to turn on each other over the allegations, one prominent diver decided to take the law into his own hands. A secret sting operation was meant to put an end to the problem by bringing the alleged dopers out of the dark, and into the light. But the issue hasn't gone away. And now, a lot of people who’ve been too scared to speak up, are ready to talk. 

Episode 1 will be available to listen to on Tuesday 18th November.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 18th November.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Reporter - Lydia Gard 

Producer - Gary Marshall. 

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

Executive producer - Basia Cummings 

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

Introducing ... Deep Water

Rachel Sylvester travels to Greece to investigate whether genetic science could change the story in the case of Roula Pispirigou – a mother who was convicted of killing her three young children just last year.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

This episode is sponsored by The Life of Chuck. Join us across the UK for a preview screening on Wednesday 13 August, before it hits cinemas nationwide on 20 August. Find the locations and book now at SEEITFIRST.COM and enter the code CHUCK.

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

Myths and monsters | The Lab Detective Ep4

Scientist Carola Vinuesa and her team test their extraordinary genetic discovery in a court of law.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

Science versus the law | The Lab Detective Ep3

Kathleen Folbigg is just trying to survive. She’s a grieving mother, sentenced to life in jail for killing her four infant children. That is, until a small group of people start to question whether she might be the victim of a terrible miscarriage of justice.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

The eureka moment | The Lab Detective Ep2

Journalist Rachel Sylvester investigates the case of 'Australia's worst serial killer'. And discovers, in a story about mothers who have been accused of murdering their own children, there is one man who connects them all: a doctor called Roy Meadow.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. 

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

Three is murder | The Lab Detective Ep1

Introducing...The Lab Detective

Kathleen Folbigg experienced unimaginable loss. All four of her infant children died suddenly, over a 10-year period. Their deaths were unexplained. Until a police detective turned up at her door, and arrested Kathleen on suspicion of murder. 

She was labelled ‘Australia's worst female serial killer’, convicted, and was destined to spend most of the rest of her life in jail. 

Until a different type of detective entered her life. A scientist working in a lab who uncovered the truth behind the deaths. 

This is the story of a shocking miscarriage of justice, but as journalist Rachel Sylvester starts to investigate how this happened, she learns that Kathleen is not alone – other mothers have endured the same fate, and may also be in prison. 

The Lab Detective is a story about the power of science, and the determination of those searching for the truth.

The full series is available to listen now. 

Reporters: Rachel Sylvester 

Producer: Gary Marshall

Executive editor: Basia Cummings 

Music supervisor: Karla Patella 

Sound design: Rowan Bishop 

Artwork: Lola Williams 

Fact checking: Ada Barume and Madeline Parr

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights.

Watch a short documentary on the genomics team behind Kathleen Folbigg's case filmed at the Crick

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

Introducing...The Lab Detective

When Lucky Boy launched back in March, there was an important detail that didn't make it into the podcast, for legal reasons: the team had discovered that they weren’t the only people who had been investigating the allegations made by Gareth - the Metropolitan Police had been too. 

Now, reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou has an update.

To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com 

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

Fair Play | Deep Water Ep2

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