Podcasts

9 Podcasts That Delve Into The World Of UK True Crime

For those seeking true crime stories that are closer to home.

by Niellah Arboine and Sophie McEvoy
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
A girl listening to a true crime podcast with her earphones while running
Bowery Image Group Inc./Stocksy

One of the first podcasts to truly take the world by storm was undoubtedly Serial, an investigative crime series looking into the death of a Baltimore teen. Over two decades after being convicted for the murder of his then girlfriend Hae Min Lee, the now 41-year-old Adnan Syed’s conviction has been overturned. In the meantime, true crime podcasts have become increasingly popular, including podcasts that focus on UK crime.

Our interest in podcasts has blown up in recent years, with Statista stating that the number of podcast listeners rose from 13.3 million in 2019 to 19.2 million in 2021. The success of podcasts like Serial has led to an increased interest in the true crime genre. From Netflix documentaries like Sins Of Our Mother and Girl In The Picture to the BBC’s Life On Death Row, audiences are clearly gripped by real life crimes.

If you want to find out more about the criminal justice system, analyse the motives of murderers, or just listen to some incredible storytelling, but don’t have the time for a TV marathon, then podcasts are the perfect option. Pop in your earphones during your commute or while cleaning the house, and off you go.

These nine podcasts focus on crimes that have taken place in the UK: from the unsolved death of a private investigator to the accidental poisoning of a famous pianist. These shows are sure to have you totally engrossed, a little terrified, and completely astounded.

Time to start downloading.

1

Polonium & The Piano Player

From Sky News Polonium & The Piano Player, is a four part series investigating the circumstances around piano player Derek Conlon who accidentally drunk from the same cup used to poison Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. Litvinenko was a former Russian spy who was killed by two Russian spies after the contaminated his drink with polonium-210, “a rare radioactive isotope, tiny, invisible, undetectable,” per The Guardian.

2

Seeing Red

Now on its seventh series, Seeing Red explores stories of murders, heists, and scams with hosts Mark and Bethan at the helm. Tune in to hear about dozens of hoax letters and tape recordings of people claiming to be the Yorkshire Ripper and the case of Heather Bell who died after her horse was spooked by a low-flying military helicopter.

3

The Outlines

The Outlines focuses on unsolved murders and disappearances in the UK. Each season explores real-life cases that have taken place in a particular UK county. Previous series have looked at crimes in Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

4

Sweet Bobby

Sweet Bobby took the podcasting world by storm in late 2021, telling the story of radio presenter Kirat Assi who was catfished by her distant cousin Simran Bhogal for ten years as she pretended to be a cardiologist called “Bobby.” Hosted by Alexi Mostrous, the journalist helped Kirat uncover the truth in real-time. And while the podcast came to an end almost a year ago, Assi’s case against Bhogal is still ongoing.

5

The Doorstep Murder

The Doorstep Murder, is a six-part podcast that looks into the untimely death of Alistair Wilson, which is said to be “one of Scotland's most baffling unsolved cases.” Presented by Fiona Walker, it follows the murder of the father of two, who was gunned down on his doorstep back in 2014 in the highland town of Nairn.

6

Handcuffed Podcast

Hosted by Rena Tunechii, the Handcuffed Podcast delves into some of the most bizarre crimes in the UK with a guest co-host. From serial killers, murderers, and crimes of passion, Tunechii will leave you wanting to learn all you can about these perplexing crimes.

7

The Missing

Someone is reported missing in the UK every 90 seconds, and this podcast aims to shine a spotlight on the 1% of missing person cases that remain unsolved. With the help of charities Locate International and Missing People, The Missing also lets listeners join the investigation by chatting about theories and ideas on forums set up by the charities.

On its fourth season, the podcast has so far covered cases such as that of Charles Horvath-Allan, Katrice Lee, Bernadette Cooper, Andrew Gosden, Fatima Mohamed-Ali, and Suzy Lamplugh.

8

Black British Girl Talks Crime

Black British Girl Talks Crime sees host Angelisha break down some of the UK and America’s most prolific crimes in bitesize chunks, including the cases of Stephen Lawrence and Breonna Taylor among other important cases that are rarely covered in the true crime podcast world.

9

Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder

As the “most investigated murder in British history,” you may be surprised to have never come across the death of private investigator Daniel Morgan in 1987. But as investigative journalist Peter Jukes details in his podcast Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder explains, there’s a major reason why.

From five botched investigations by the Metropolitan Police, the News Of The World phone hacking scandal, an independent inquiry into his death, and a mention in Line Of Duty, Morgan’s murder remains unsolved over three decades later.

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