Is Shepton Mallet in Somerset really the UK’s most haunted prison? Despite being decommissioned in 2013, it’s thought that the spirits of certain infamous prisoners still linger in the cells, corridors and grounds of the former institution. Today, Chyaz explores the dark history and ghostly tales linked to Shepton Mallet prison, and aims to discover why it’s now a destination for paranormal enthusiasts over 400 years since it first opened its doors…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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📧 Email: [email protected]

Source Shout Outs

Shepton Mallet Prison Website:

https://www.sheptonmalletprison.com/

BBC Articles:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20p6dz2318o

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-39330793

National Justice Museum Article:

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/news/what-was-the-bloody-code

Historic UK Article:

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Bloody-Code-History/

History Extra Article:

https://www.historyextra.com/period/early-modern/bloody-code-guide-british-legal-system-death-penalty/

Paranormal Database Piece:

https://www.paranormaldatabase.com/somerset/somedata.php?pageNum_paradata=13&totalRows_paradata=368

Visit Somerset Article:

https://www.visitsomerset.co.uk/discover-somerset/fascinating-somerset-facts/the-burn-incident-at-shepton-mallet-prison

Bristol Live Article:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/uks-most-haunted-prison-explore-623346

Metro Article:

https://metro.co.uk/2023/12/31/eerie-prison-named-britains-most-haunted-place-saved-shutting-20045324/

Somerset Live Article:

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/5-most-haunted-places-around-2572285

Inside Times Piece:

https://insidetime.org/comment/captain-cantankerous/

Academic Paper on Amelia Dyer:

https://files01.core.ac.uk/download/492499909.pdf

Irish Times Article:

https://www.irishnews.com/news/uk/old-bailey-hauntings-victorian-baby-killer-ghostly-barrister-and-spectral-cat-ES27BUAOEJLSZAT6UMFD35V2OM/

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Profile/Shazbug1970?fid=24019328-7308-414b-8427-fba07b8bc4bc

The Haunted Exchange Facebook Post:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1582115179187438/posts/1685159335549688/

Shrewsbury Prison Website:

https://www.shrewsburyprison.com/blogs/key-ghost-stories-of-shrewsbury-prison/

The Mandela Effect is something many of us will have experienced at some point; this bizarre phenomenon, whereby large groups of people share the same false memories of a historical event, visual detail or pop culture fact, is surprisingly common. But why does it happen? Do the answer lie within the realms of science, or somewhere more otherworldly? Chyaz explores both the strangest examples and the most compelling theories associated with the Mandela Effect in this fascinating episode…  

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Where to find us!

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.instagram.com/ThingsGetWeirdPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook (Main Page): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook (Discussion Group): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/groups/thingsareabouttogetweird/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📧 Email: [email protected]

Source Shout Outs

University of Chicago Study:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36219739/

University of Chicago Study Article:

https://socialsciences.uchicago.edu/news/new-research-shows-consistency-what-we-misremember

Psychology Today Article:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/talking-apes/202211/testing-the-visual-mandela-effect

Britannica Piece:

https://www.britannica.com/science/Mandela-effect

Independent Article:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mandela-effect-false-memories-explain-science-time-travel-parallel-universe-matrix-a8206746.html

Medical News Today Article:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mandela-effect#what-is-it

Fiona Broome’s Website:

https://mandelaeffectsite.wordpress.com/about-2/

YouGov Article:

https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/52344-measuring-the-mandela-effect-how-many-britons-share-false-memories

Mandela Effect Sub-Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MandelaEffect/

Snopes Articles:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/monopoly-monocle-uncle-pennybags/

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cornucopia-fruit-of-the-loom/

Simply Psychology Article:

https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-a-schema.html

Big Think Article:

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/quantum-mechanics-mandela-effect/

After 21 year old Heather Quan was found murdered at an address in Phoenix, Arizona, police began an interrogation of her boyfriend – 18 year old Ryan Waller – to try and uncover the truth about what happened to her. What transpired next added truly bizarre dimension to this tragic tale, and provoked a debate that continues almost 20 years on. This story is as genuinely shocking as it is heartbreaking…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Where to find us!

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.instagram.com/ThingsGetWeirdPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook (Main Page): ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠⁠

📧 Email: [email protected]

Source Shout Outs

Crime & Investigation Article:

https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/articles/4-times-police-interrogations-have-gone-drastically-wrong

Maricopa County Press Release:

https://maricopacountyattorney.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/185

Ryan Waller’s Interrogation Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI8G0KOOtqk

 The Mirror Article:

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/arizona-couple-murder-father-son-965426

 Arizona Daily Independent Article:

https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2012/12/15/heathers-law-guilty/

 Arizona Department of Corrections Notice:

https://corrections.az.gov/news/inmate-death-notification-larry-carver

Arizona Court of Appeals Document:

https://law.justia.com/cases/arizona/court-of-appeals-division-one-unpublished/2013/1-ca-cr-08-0781.html

Listverse Article:

https://listverse.com/2022/07/30/ten-real-life-plot-twists-in-criminal-cases/

Ryan’s Memorial Page:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228526929/ryan_thomas-waller

Heather’s Obituary Page:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/azcentral/name/heather-quan-obituary?id=25743260

Vocal Article:

https://vocal.media/criminal/ryan-waller-s-story-the-man-who-was-interviewed-for-six-hours-with-bullets-in-his-brain

 Weird True Crime Podcast Episodes:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2S8YkVVyuJTEY8PIxTLUJg

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gLgvcrwsBvZxhRv3RsKbs

What does the word Doppelgänger make you think of? The paranormal phenomenon, with its folklore roots and links to the idea of a ‘spirit double’ signifying impending doom? Or the more modern usage – the idea that we all have a non-biological twin somewhere out there in the world? Whichever it may be, the stories behind the concept of the Doppelgänger are as fascinating as they are eerie…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠

Where to find us!

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠http://www.instagram.com/ThingsGetWeirdPodcast⁠⁠⁠

Facebook (Main Page): ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠

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Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠

📧 Email: [email protected]

Source Shout Outs

BBC Articles:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20160712-you-are-surprisingly-likely-to-have-a-living-doppelganger

https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20241203-doppelgangers-and-the-ancient-origins-of-the-lookalike-craze

The Guardian Articles:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/jun/11/twice-in-a-lifetime-would-you-dare-meet-your-doppelganger-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/30/doppelganger-murder-ingolstadt-german-prosecutors-allege-woman-killed-lookalike-to-fake-death

Emerald Isle Article:

https://emeraldisle.ie/the-fetch

Atlas Obscura Article:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/history-doppelganger

Freud’s ‘The Uncanny’:

https://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/freud1.pdf

Poe’s ‘William Wilson’:

https://poestories.com/read/williamwilson

Wordsworth Org Article:

https://wordsworth.org.uk/blog/2014/07/08/full-fathom-five-the-poet-lies-the-death-of-percy-bysshe-shelley/

Haunted Britain Article:

https://www.haunted-britain.com/eaton-place.htm

Business Insider Article:

https://www.businessinsider.com/doppelgaenger-study-these-people-who-look-alike-share-dna-2022-9

Research Paper:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3032659/

Yahoo News Article:

https://au.news.yahoo.com/german-woman-convicted-murdering-her-124903843.html

Can a movie really be cursed? From classic horror flicks like The Omen and supernatural pictures like The Crow to family favourites including The Wizard of Oz - dozens of productions have been afflicted by exceptional bad luck and strange happenings over the decades. But were these films really ‘cursed’, or are the bizarre (and sometimes tragic) events linked to them merely coincidences?

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠

Where to find us!

Instagram: ⁠⁠http://www.instagram.com/ThingsGetWeirdPodcast⁠⁠

Facebook (Main Page): ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠

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Tiktok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠

📧 Email: [email protected]

Source Shout Outs

Metro Article:

https://metro.co.uk/2025/06/13/13-cursed-horror-films-tragic-set-deaths-mysterious-haunted-props-23406731/

 Independent Article:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/cursed-films-urban-legends-b1910460.html

 Entertainment Weekly Article:

https://archive.org/details/1993-04-16-entertainment-weekly-blood-on-the-set-brandon-lee-b/page/n19/mode/2up

 Esquire Article:

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a27458589/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-leonardo-dicaprio-brad-pitt-quentin-tarantino-interview/

 Screensphere Article:

https://screensphere.co.uk/news/7-cursed-movies-like-1994s-the-crow/

 Grunge Article:

https://www.grunge.com/1644499/the-crow-movie-curse-explained/

 Looper Article:

https://www.looper.com/10917/movies-predicted-real-life-deaths/

 Syfy Article:

https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/was-the-exorcist-set-really-cursed-and-haunted

 Mirror Article:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/most-cursed-films-time-exorcist-24654402

 AllThatsInteresting Article:

https://allthatsinteresting.com/george-reeves-death

 Time Article:

https://time.com/5647491/wizard-of-oz-curse/

The Death Row last meal: a topic that is as utterly fascinating as it is controversial. But what’s the history behind the seemingly merciful act of allowing a condemned inmate to choose the contents of their final meal? What did some of the most infamous serial killers pick for theirs? And WHY do prisoners choose what they choose? Chyaz explores all of these questions and more in this intriguing episode…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠

Where to find us!

Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/ThingsGetWeirdPodcast⁠

Facebook (Main Page): ⁠https://www.facebook.com/thingsareabouttogetweird⁠

Facebook (Discussion Group): ⁠www.facebook.com/groups/thingsareabouttogetweird/⁠

Tiktok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thingsareabouttogetweird⁠

📧 Email: [email protected]

Source Shout Outs

Research Papers:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22925848/

https://digitalcommons.law.mercer.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=fac_pubs

https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/soc4.12987

BBC Articles:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15040658

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-45835584

The Marshall Project:

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/09/07/from-last-meals-to-last-words-what-can-death-row-prisoners-request-before-they-die

The Guardian Article:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/14/dull-death-row-meals-jay-rayner

Psychology Today Article:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/slightly-blighty/201509/last-meals-on-death-row-what-do-they-reveal-about-you

Henry Hargreaves’ Website:

https://henryhargreaves.com/

Time Magazine Article:

https://time.com/archive/6927008/why-were-fascinated-by-death-row-cuisine/

The Mirror Article:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/death-row-killers-grim-last-36146608

 CBS News Article:

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/last-meals-of-death-row/

 Independent Article:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/georgia-killer-execution-death-row-meal-pizza-b2882964.html

 New York Post Article:

https://nypost.com/2025/12/11/us-news/obese-death-row-inmate-requests-bona-fide-buffet-for-last-meal/

Sudden Savant Syndrome, also known as Acquired Savant Syndrome, is an extremely rare and incredibly fascinating medical phenomenon whereby a person becomes a ‘sudden genius’ in a particular field. Only a handful of documented cases exist, and most have one specific thing in common. What’s behind this utterly captivating condition? Join Chyaz as she explores the stories and the science…

Mental health resources UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/

Mental health resources Global: https://unitedgmh.org/support/

Where to find us!

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThingsGetWeirdPodcast

Facebook (Main Page): https://www.facebook.com/thingsareabouttogetweird

Facebook (Discussion Group): www.facebook.com/groups/thingsareabouttogetweird/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thingsareabouttogetweird

📧 Email: [email protected]

Source Shout Outs

BBC Future Articles:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20180116-the-mystery-of-why-some-people-become-sudden-geniuses

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20190411-the-violent-attack-that-turned-a-man-into-a-maths-genius

Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/oct/12/experience-head-injury-musical-prodigy

Vice Article:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/meet-the-guy-ben-mcmahon-who-woke-from-a-car-accident-coma-speaking-chinese-language/

HuffPost Article:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/are-human-limitations-sel_b_7777510

Psychology Today Articles:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/articles/202403/the-mystery-of-sudden-genius

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brainstorm/202508/inside-the-worlds-first-savant-convention

BBC Sounds Interview: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct41ds

TODAY Show Interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX6ONPQGBfo

National Library of Medicine Case Report:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9781516/

Could a mystery that’s baffled historians for over 500 years finally have an answer? The  chilling tale of the Princes in the Tower is one of the most compelling cold cases of all time - but in recent years, several bizarre and dramatic theories have emerged which could help to answer the age-old question: did Richard III really end the lives of his nephews, or has the real truth been hiding in plain sight?

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://unitedgmh.org/support/

Become a Patreon subscriber! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.patreon.com/ThingsAreAboutToGetWeird ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The Whaley House in San Diego fully embraces its title as America’s Most Haunted House…but what are the true stories behind these apparent hauntings? Can the property’s dark history explain why so many have reported ghostly encounters at the home for decades? And who is Yankee Jim? Join Chyaz as she explores the strange and twisted tales associated with this real-life haunted mansion…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/

Become a Patreon subscriber! ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.patreon.com/ThingsAreAboutToGetWeird ⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In 1994, the body of an unidentified man was pulled from the North Sea near to the German archipelago of Heligoland. He was dressed in notably smart clothing, and foul play looked to have been involved in his death. Yet despite his distinctive appearance, the man’s identity still remains unknown to this day. However…could new clues uncovered in the past few years mean the Gentleman of Heligoland mystery may soon be solved? Chyaz investigates…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠ https://unitedgmh.org/support/

Become a Patreon subscriber! ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.patreon.com/ThingsAreAboutToGetWeird ⁠⁠⁠⁠

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