Extraordinary Lives

By LADbible Group

What's Extraordinary Lives about?

We speak to people with a unique life story to tell. From a North Korea escapee to an undercover cop, a Cold War spy to a shipwreck survivor. Hosted by LADbible's Ben-Powell Jones, this series is a window into remarkable experiences – with stories that paint a picture of extraordinary lives.

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Extraordinary Lives episodes:

07.19.2023
S2 Ep17: Former Gangster Who Worked For The Krays Opens Up On His Life
In this episode we sat down with Chris Lambrianou, former gangster, who worked with the Kray twins and was involved in the murder of notorious East End gangster Jack "The Hat" McVitie. Chris told us about his childhood, his way into...
07.12.2023
S2 Ep16: London "Celebrity Gangster" Dave Courtney Tells His Life Story
Dave Courtney has many titles - he has been a doorman in London's finest nightclubs, he became known as "celebrity gangster" after carrying out security for the Krays at their funeral and has been involved in some criminal activity. Dave...
07.05.2023
S2 Ep15: Ex Guantanamo Prisoner: Torture And Abuse Inside The World's Most Notorious Jail
Ruhal Ahmed was detained without trial by the US government in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He told us about the abuse and torture he experienced, and how he was eventually flown back to the UK in 2004 and released...
06.28.2023
S2 Ep14: Drug Mule: How I Survived Venezuela's Deadliest Prison
Natalie Welsh was caught at Venezuelan airport in 2001 smuggling £300,000 worth of cocaine out of the country - together with her four-year-old daughter. Natalie shares a story of how she got to that point in her life, how she...
06.21.2023
S2 Ep13: Art Forger: I Can Fake Any Famous Painting
Art Forger Max Brandrett has spent most of his life forging famous paintings. He shared stories about his childhood, explained how he got into forgery and what techniques he used to age paintings, as well how he now creates Banksy...
06.14.2023
S2 Ep12: Porn Star On The Secrets And Struggles Of The Adult Industry
Danny D, the UK's leading male porn star, told us about finding his way into the adult industry, his first shoots, living with more than average sized penis and what advice he would give to anyone thinking of getting into...
06.07.2023
S2 Ep11: Cult Survivor: Born & Raised In An International Cult
Natacha Tormey told us about her life growing up inside 'The Children of God' cult (now known under the name ‘The Family International’). She explains how she was sexually abused, made to live in a compound with strict rules and...
05.31.2023
S2 Ep10: $10,000 A Day Dominatrix On The Most Popular Kinks
$10,000 a day dominatrix Eva Oh talks us through her life as a high-end dominatrix. Eva Oh describes her journey - from working in brothels as a masseuse to escort work and finally the world of domination. We’ll hear about the...
05.24.2023
S2 Ep9: I Was Innocent But Spent 22 Years On Death Row
Nick Yarris survived 22 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. He'll take us through the circumstances that led to him being sentenced, his life inside from meeting Ted Bundy to the terrifying 'Gladiator Matches' and his...
05.03.2023
S2 Ep8: Grooming Gang Survivor: I Was Sexually Assaulted By 70 Men
Warning: this episode contains content you may find distressing. Kate Elysia is a survivor of gang grooming. Kate was just 18 and at college in Telford when the sexual abuse started - and changed her life forever. In this episode she...
04.26.2023
S2 Ep7: London Gangster: Being Shot In The Face And Most Violent Crimes
Former gangster Marvin Herbert talks us through his journey to becoming one of London's most notorious criminals. Marvin describes how he started his career in crime, how he was shot in the face twice by another member of the criminal underworld...
04.19.2023
S2 Ep6: I Was Forced To Marry My Cousin & Suffered Female Genital Mutilation Aged 6
Shamsa Sharawe was born in Somalia, where she was subjected to female genital mutilation aged 6. Scared by this experience, Shamsa was then brought to the UK and navigated her life there, slowly realising what happened to her. Trying to come...
04.12.2023
S2 Ep5: Corrupt Royal Guard: Exposing Prince Andrew
Paul Page is a former royal protection officer, who provided security to members of the Royal Family. He explains what the Royals were like and why Prince Andrew was the most difficult and unpleasant to deal with. As well as this,...
04.05.2023
S2 Ep4: How I Escaped North Korea Twice: Surviving Sex Slavery, Prison & Starvation
We meet Jihyun Park, an incredibly brave woman who escaped North Korea twice. Jihyun takes us through what life was really like in North Korea, how she manages to escape twice, how she ended up being sold into sex slavery in...
03.29.2023
S2 Ep3: I Drank Turtle Blood & Ate Sharks To Survive: My Life Shipwrecked At Sea
Douglas Robertson and his family were shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean after their boat was attacked by a school of killer whales. They survived for 38 days in a dinghy with barely any food or drinking water - this is...
03.22.2023
S2 Ep2: Undercover Football Hooligan: Inside England's Most Dangerous Club
Former police officer James Bannon sat down this us to share his story of infiltrating a British football hooligan firm. James spent two and a half years undercover with the infamous hooligans of London-based football team Millwall, known as the...
03.15.2023
S2 Ep1: SAS Soldier: What It Takes
Billy Billingham is a decorated military leader who served in the SAS for over 20 years. The SAS is famous for its gruelling selection process and are rightfully considered one of the best special forces in the world. After his...
03.09.2023
S2: Series 2 Coming Soon
Extraordinary Lives returns with more incredible stories from around the world.
12.28.2022
S1 Ep15: I Killed A Stranger On A Night Out
In 2011, Jacob Dunne killed someone he’d never met before with a single punch. It was a normal night out that quickly got out of hand and cost a man his life. Jacob tells us what happened that night and how...
12.21.2022
S1 Ep14: I Hacked The US Government Aged 16
Mustafa Al-Assam was once part of the notorious Anonymous organisation, hacking into the world’s biggest websites and databases. He then started his own hacker group, taking down the entire PlayStation network for three weeks and leaking the details of 73,000...
12.14.2022
S1 Ep13: I Get Paid To Break Into Banks
Jenny Radcliffe is a professional con artist - a burglar for hire, who’s paid to break into homes and business and put security measures to the test. We hear how she manipulates people to sneak into buildings and the one...
12.07.2022
S1 Ep12: How I Escaped Max Security Thai Prison
David McMillan is a former international drug smuggler who was once on Interpol’s top 10 most wanted list. In his second stint in jail, in Thailand, David was given the death penalty. So he launched an audacious escape from Bangkok’s...
11.30.2022
S1 Ep11: I Thought I Was In The Truman Show
Since Jonny Benjamin was a child, something wasn’t quite right. Growing up, he could hear the devil in his head and started thinking he was in The Truman Show. When Jonny reached university, and started exploring his sexuality, things got...
11.24.2022
S1 Ep10: Cold War Spy: Life In The Soviet Union
In the Cold War, David Butler was one of a few people allowed to freely roam between East and West Germany. On paper, his role was to facilitate messages between the two. In reality, David was a spy. He tells...
11.16.2022
S1 Ep9: Private Investigator On Madeleine McCann, Jimmy Savile And Uncaught Killers
Jimmy Saville was one of Britain’s best-loved presenters till soon after his death when decades of sexual abuse were revealed. Mark Williams-Thomas is the private investigator who revealed Saville to be a paedophile. Ten years since his exposé, Mark blows...
11.09.2022
S1 Ep8: Paedophile Hunter: Why I Had To Stop
Mike is a paedophile hunter. When we first met Mike in 2020, he would pose as 12-year-old children to try and entrap men online. Mike’s vigilante work saw him catch and confront offenders across the country. This time, Mike opens...
11.02.2022
S1 Ep7: My Parents Abandoned Me Because Of My Face: My Life With Treacher Collins Syndrome
Jono Lancaster was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome. It’s a rare condition that means his face looks a little different to others. The condition caused Jono’s parents to abandon him at birth and for Jono to face bullying and torment...
10.26.2022
S1 Ep6: Kidnapped By The Taliban: Working In The Most Dangerous Places On Earth And Surviving Three Months In Captivity
In 2008, Sean Langan was captured by the Taliban whilst making a television documentary. He spent 12 weeks being held hostage in one of the most dangerous places on the planet. We hear how close Sean came to being killed...
10.19.2022
S1 Ep5: Former Drug Officer: Working Undercover, Corruption In Police Forces and Why We Need To Legalise All Drugs
Neil Woods spent fourteen years undercover infiltrating the UK’s biggest drugs gangs. He penetrated dangerous organisations across the country, living alongside the most notorious gang members. Neil talks us through the split-second decisions that stopped his cover being blown, plus...
10.12.2022
S1 Ep4: Streamer With Tourette's: Stalkers, Online Fame and How Gaming Helped Her Deal With Tics
Sweet Anita is one of the UK’s biggest Twitch streamers with 1.9m followers. Anita has Tourette’s syndrome but wasn’t diagnosed until she was 27 years old, after repeatedly being ignored by doctors and family. Anita describes the impact that Tourette’s...
10.05.2022
S1 Ep3: Terrorist Turned Spy: How I Went From Al-Qaeda Bomb Maker To British Spy
In this episode, we sit down with Aimen Dean - a former terrorist turned British spy. Aimen joined Al-Qaeda in the late 90s but soon had a change of heart. We hear how he was recruited by the British intelligence...
09.28.2022
S1 Ep2: Drug Smuggler: Trade Secrets And Time At Europe's Most Dangerous Prison
This is Extraordinary Lives: The Minutes With Podcast. In this episode, we talked to former international drug smuggler, Chet Sandhu. Chet smuggled hundreds of thousands of pills across Europe in the 90s, paying off airport security with porn magazines. But he was...
09.21.2022
S1 Ep1: British Sniper: Breaking The World Record For Longest Kill And Battling PTSD
Craig Harrison was a highly-trained British Army sniper, who’s best-known for once holding the world record for the longest kill. Craig was used to taking out Taliban machine gunners but his exceptional career took its toll, pushing him to the...
09.07.2022
S1: Extraordinary Lives: The MINUTES WITH Podcast trailer
Extraordinary Lives is a new podcast from the team behind LADbible’s Minutes With. In this series, we’ll be speaking to remarkable people - who each have a unique story to tell. Spies, terrorists, hackers, gangsters, killers, people with particular conditions, and those...

What's Extraordinary Lives about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Extraordinary Lives episodes:

S2 Ep17: Former Gangster Who Worked For The Krays Opens Up On His Life

S2 Ep16: London "Celebrity Gangster" Dave Courtney Tells His Life Story

S2 Ep15: Ex Guantanamo Prisoner: Torture And Abuse Inside The World's Most Notorious Jail

S2 Ep14: Drug Mule: How I Survived Venezuela's Deadliest Prison

S2 Ep13: Art Forger: I Can Fake Any Famous Painting

S2 Ep12: Porn Star On The Secrets And Struggles Of The Adult Industry

S2 Ep11: Cult Survivor: Born & Raised In An International Cult

S2 Ep10: $10,000 A Day Dominatrix On The Most Popular Kinks

S2 Ep9: I Was Innocent But Spent 22 Years On Death Row

S2 Ep8: Grooming Gang Survivor: I Was Sexually Assaulted By 70 Men

S2 Ep7: London Gangster: Being Shot In The Face And Most Violent Crimes

S2 Ep6: I Was Forced To Marry My Cousin & Suffered Female Genital Mutilation Aged 6

S2 Ep5: Corrupt Royal Guard: Exposing Prince Andrew

S2 Ep4: How I Escaped North Korea Twice: Surviving Sex Slavery, Prison & Starvation

S2 Ep3: I Drank Turtle Blood & Ate Sharks To Survive: My Life Shipwrecked At Sea

S2 Ep2: Undercover Football Hooligan: Inside England's Most Dangerous Club

S2 Ep1: SAS Soldier: What It Takes

S2: Series 2 Coming Soon

S1 Ep15: I Killed A Stranger On A Night Out

S1 Ep14: I Hacked The US Government Aged 16

S1 Ep13: I Get Paid To Break Into Banks

S1 Ep12: How I Escaped Max Security Thai Prison

S1 Ep11: I Thought I Was In The Truman Show

S1 Ep10: Cold War Spy: Life In The Soviet Union

S1 Ep9: Private Investigator On Madeleine McCann, Jimmy Savile And Uncaught Killers

S1 Ep8: Paedophile Hunter: Why I Had To Stop

S1 Ep7: My Parents Abandoned Me Because Of My Face: My Life With Treacher Collins Syndrome

S1 Ep6: Kidnapped By The Taliban: Working In The Most Dangerous Places On Earth And Surviving Three Months In Captivity

S1 Ep5: Former Drug Officer: Working Undercover, Corruption In Police Forces and Why We Need To Legalise All Drugs

S1 Ep4: Streamer With Tourette's: Stalkers, Online Fame and How Gaming Helped Her Deal With Tics

S1 Ep3: Terrorist Turned Spy: How I Went From Al-Qaeda Bomb Maker To British Spy

S1 Ep2: Drug Smuggler: Trade Secrets And Time At Europe's Most Dangerous Prison

S1 Ep1: British Sniper: Breaking The World Record For Longest Kill And Battling PTSD

S1: Extraordinary Lives: The MINUTES WITH Podcast trailer

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