It’s New Year’s Day 2024 and we’re starting the year with a double dose of scandal, as writer John Preston joins as our main guest. But first Phil and Andrew react to the surprising sight of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, back at the heart of a royal family Christmas for the first time in decades. What does it mean for her, for her embattled husband Prince Andrew….and for our Andrew’s upcoming biography of them both?

John Preston is one of Britain's most successful true crime writers whose tragi-comic books about great British scandals have been hugely popular and formed the basis for some excellent TV dramatisations in recent years. He discusses his work with special reference to two of the most outrageous British political and business scandals of the 1970s and 80s. Jeremy Thorpe, Leader of the Liberal Party, is the subject of John's book ‘A Very British Scandal’, which deals with his role in a bungled plot to murder his former gay lover. Robert Maxwell, a politically powerful media tycoon - and father of Ghislaine Maxwell - had an equally colourful rise and fall…ending in a literal fall off a boat when his many shady business dealings began to unravel. 

You can buy John’s books - and many thousands more - at our very own bookstore, which profits shared between podcasters and independent booksellers. 

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/fall-winner-of-the-costa-biography-award-2021-john-preston/1223159?aid=12054&ean=9780241388686&

And we now have a store where you can obtain your very own scandalous gifts!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ScandalMongers

Andrew Lownie.

twitter.com/andrewlownie

Phil Craig.

twitter.com/philmcraig

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Theo X

Kerem Isik

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