Extraordinary Stories

This episode of The Spill is about a celebrity mystery that still haunts Hollywood (and all of us). Brittany Murphy would have celebrated her 47th birthday this month, if she hadn't died on December 20, 2009. Nearly 15 years later, her shocking death remains one of the most perplexing unsolved mysteries.

We’re diving deep into Brittany's complicated life, exploring the chilling circumstances surrounding her untimely death, and unpacking the new theories around her story.

And, as the suspense builds for White Lotus season 3 we've got a juicy update on the cast.

THE END BITS

Listen to The Spill episode: The Best Halloween Movies Of All Time (From Horror To Disney) here. 

Listen to The Spill episode: The Best True Crime Documentaries Of All Time (That You Haven't Watched Yet), here.


Listen to The Spill episode: A Brutally Honest Review Of Netflix's Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Doco, here. 

Listen to The Spill episode: The Question That Changed Our Mind About Ariana Grande And Ethan Slater, here. 

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CREDITS

Hosts: Laura Brodnik & Em Vernem 

Executive Producer: Kimberley Braddish 

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. 

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[Part 3 of 3] A month before Amy Winehouse’s death, her performance at a music festival in Serbia was resoundly panned. She was intoxicated for the whole world to see, but the silver lining of what would be labelled 'the worst gig of her career' meant she didn’t have to go on tour. It meant Amy, and those who loved her, had their hopes pinned on a chance for Amy to get better again. 

On this episode we’ll explore the final years in the life of Amy Winehouse. After her closest friends were convinced Amy was doing better than ever, how did she die? Why was she sent on tour when she was not only unwilling, but unwell? 

Plus, we’ll take a closer look at the 27 club. What is this unique curse that looms over the legacies of these young artists?

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CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Written and produced by Emma Gillespie with Tia Ucich & Kally Borg

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Guest booking: Kally Borg

With thanks to:

Dr Peter Hughes
Eleni Papavasileiou
Polly Taylor
Dean McCarthy

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[Part 2 of 3] After a celebrated album with her debut, Frank, and with that distinct voice and sound, Amy Winehouse got very famous, very fast. Everyone wanted a second album, but Amy had entered a whole new world. On this episode, we’ll hear how Amy’s very private struggles with mental health and addiction became headlines for a relentless tabloid culture. And, in one of the most volatile love affairs in pop culture history, how would the story of Amy and Blake become a cautionary tale about the dangers of codependency?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Written and produced by Emma Gillespie with Elissa Ratliff, Tia Ucich & Kally Borg

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Guest booking: Kally Borg

With thanks to:

Dr Peter Hughes
Eleni Papavasileiou
Polly Taylor
Dean McCarthy

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[Part 1 of 3] You can recognise it in an instant, that iconic voice and a candid style of songwriting beyond her years. The sound of Amy Winehouse was a sound unheard of since the days of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. But the name ‘Amy Winehouse’ seems to be as synonymous with talent as it is tragedy. On this season we’ll dive deep into the life of Amy. From her rise to fame, her artistry, to her pain, her loves, and her losses. Could she have been saved? What does her death tell us about the pervasive grip of addiction and fame?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Written and Produced by Emma Gillespie and Tia Ucich

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

With thanks to:

Dr Peter Hughes
Eleni Papavasileiou
Polly Taylor 

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Coming soon.

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In the lead-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the world began to wonder how and if Peng Shuai would be used in the games, and whether the IOC was going to have anything to say to the Chinese Government about their silencing of the tennis star. So how did the Chinese propaganda juggernaut shift its attention to the global sporting stage? And what happens when the international community’s peak sporting body is accused of silencing a sexual assault survivor?

Plus, we investigate China’s Me Too movement. What does the story of Peng Shuai tell us about feminism in China?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Writer: Emma Gillespie

Producers: Emma Gillespie, Kally Borg, Tia Ucich

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff

WITH THANKS TO:

Yaqiu Wang, Pan Wang, Tom Steinfort & Sydney Pead

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For three long weeks in November 2021, the tennis community, news organisations, and human rights advocates the world over had one question; Where Is Peng Shuai? In the aftermath of a Weibo post detailing allegations of sexual assault against one of China’s top political figures, concerns for Peng Shuai's freedom were escalating swiftly. Then suddenly, proof of life. In this episode, we’ll learn more about the Chinese propaganda machine, and how it’s working to convince the world of Peng Shuai's safety, whilst censoring her story.

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Writers: Emma Gillespie

Producers: Emma Gillespie, Kally Borg, Tia Ucich

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff

WITH THANKS TO:

Yaqiu Wang, Drew Pavlou, Tom Steinfort & Sydney Pead

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It was after 10 pm, on November 2nd, 2021 when 35-year-old Peng Shuai - China’s beloved global tennis star - sat down and began typing. Truncated sentences of an open letter, detailing an affair and sexual assault involving one of China’s highest-ranking political figures. It took only a few minutes before the post had amassed thousands of shares, likes, and comments. But within half an hour, it vanished. And moments later, so too did Peng Shuai.

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Writers: Emma Gillespie, Tia Ucich 

Producers: Emma Gillespie

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff

WITH THANKS TO:

Sydney Pead, Yaqiu Wang and Drew Pavlou

GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at [email protected]
Need more lols, info and inspo in your ears? Find more Mamamia podcasts here... https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

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From 2013 until just a few weeks ago, Amanda’s Bynes life was controlled by a conservatorship, governed primarily by her mum, Lynn. In the wake of Britney Spears’ bombshell revelations about her own conservatorship, the #freebritney movement turned its attention to Amanda. Knowing what we now know about conservatorships and how they can be manipulated, why did it take more than eight years for Amanda to regain control of her own life?

CREDITS
Host: Emma Gillespie
Written and Produced by Sydney Pead & Emma Gillespie
Audio Production: Madeline Joannou
Executive Producer: Sydney Pead

With thanks to:
Laura Brodnik, Host of The Spill
Louisa Hatfield, Former Editor of New Weekly, Woman's Day
Sarah Wentz - Lawyer at Fox Rothschild, U.S.
Megan Radford - #freebritney Campaigner


SOURCES:
Entertainment Tonight
9 News
New York Times - Framing Britney Spears
TMZ

GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at [email protected]
Need more lols, info and inspo in your ears? Find more Mamamia podcasts here... https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

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Subscribe to MPlus for unlimited access to Extraordinary Stories

She was the queen of Nickelodeon, beloved by teens of the noughties. But just as her movie career was taking off, something happened to Amanda Bynes. In this two-part series, we’re looking back on the life and career of Amanda Bynes before, during and after things got out of control.

We’ll dive into the paparazzi culture that hounded and taunted young Hollywood starlets, and question our historic understanding of the mental health issues at play. What caused Amanda Bynes to crumble alongside a generation of young stars? And where has Amanda been for the last nine years?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie
Written and Produced by Sydney Pead & Emma Gillespie
Audio Production: Madeline Joannou
Executive Producer: Sydney Pead

With thanks to:
Laura Brodnik
Louisa Hatfield

SOURCES:
Entertainment Tonight
Paper Magazine
Nickelodeon
Dreamworks film She's The Man
Splash News TV


GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at [email protected]
Need more lols, info and inspo in your ears? Find more Mamamia podcasts here... https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.