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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

Chris Atkins

Chris Atkins is a documentary maker who went to prison for tax fraud in 2016. He spent nine months in HMP Wandsworth, one of the most dangerous prisons in the UK, and has written about his surreal experiences in his bestselling book A Bit of a Stretch. After his release he interviewed 20 ex-prisoners about their time in jail, and turned the recordings into season 1 of this podcast. Their stories are shocking, uplifting, heartbreaking, hilarious, and often downright weird, taking you headfirst into the biggest prison crisis in history. It reveals a collapsing system that is failing victims and wider society, and reveals how the human spirit can thrive in the darkest corners. Each episode is centred around a different theme, like Arrival, Family and Change, and was a huge hit on its release and the winner of the Criminal Justice Alliance media award in 2021.


Over the last two years Chris has discovered a lot these contributors have gone back to prison, sometimes several times, and so he's written a follow up book Time After Time, asking why so many prisoners reoffend. It follows a colourful cast of criminals who just can't go straight, including Alex who spent nine months living in luxury hotels pretending to be the Duke of Marlborough, and Ed who has been recalled to prison four times since his release, despite not being convicted of any further offences. Season 2 of the podcast will dip into some of these crazy stories, as Chris interviews a fascinating cast of convicts as they cycle through our hideously dysfunctional justice system.



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Top 10 A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast Episodes

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Turning the Screw

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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11/12/20 • 22 min

Prisons are pretty miserable for the inmates, but what about the officers? Chris talks to two ex-prison officers about riots, accidental spice attacks and bad pay.

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11/12/20 • 22 min

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Rehabilitate This

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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11/02/20 • 25 min

Prisons are supposed to rehabilitate offenders, but nearly half of inmates reoffend within a year. How do some prisoners buck the trend and change who they are?

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11/02/20 • 25 min

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Are You Listening?

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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10/20/20 • 27 min

There is a mental health crisis in prisons, and it's sometimes impossible to access psychiatric support. Often the only help comes from the Listeners, prisoners specially trained by the Samaritans to counsel suicidal inmates. Chris interviews Tony, who suffered severe anxiety and depression inside, and three former Listeners.

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10/20/20 • 27 min

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Children of Prisoners

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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10/13/20 • 22 min

There are over 200,000 children in the UK with a parent in prison. To find out the impact on these forgotten victims, Chris talks to his ex partner, Lottie, about how his imprisonment effected his own son Kit.

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10/13/20 • 22 min

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Prison: A Love Story

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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10/05/20 • 24 min

How do couples maintain a romantic relationship when one of them is behind bars? This episode features Gary, whose girlfriend had to wait two and a half years while he was inside, and Lucy, whose boyfriend was still behind bars when she was interviewed for the podcast

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10/05/20 • 24 min

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The Daily Grind

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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09/28/20 • 27 min

What do prisoners eat? How do we get showers? What's the food like? When he was in prison Chris got dozens of letters asking about the details of life inside. This episode will delve into the nitty gritty of wing life, from getting out the cell, sourcing enough to eat, and trying to stay clean.

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09/28/20 • 27 min

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Arrival and Survival

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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09/20/20 • 25 min

Prison is always toughest at the very start. How do people cope when thrust into a modern jail for the very first time? Farook was given seven years for GBH, his imprisonment was harder to deal with as he was estranged from his mother.

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09/20/20 • 25 min

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A Bit of a Stretch Podcast - Trailer

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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09/17/20 • 2 min

Have you ever wondered what life's really like behind bars? Well fortunately for you Chris Atkins went to prison so you don't have to. This podcast features interviews of over 20 former inmates to reveal the true madness of Britain's prison crisis.

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09/17/20 • 2 min

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Pandemic in Prisons

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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12/01/20 • 23 min

The pandemic took a hammer blow to an already collapsing prison system. Chris was in touch with several inmates still serving their sentences, and they allowed us to record their calls to reveal the shocking state of prisons during the crisis.

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12/01/20 • 23 min

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Loose Ends

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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12/29/20 • 23 min

All the great material that didn't fit into previous episodes. Includes George Gilbey, star of Gogglebox and Celebrity Big Brother, who got 3 months for drink driving. And "Simon" reveals how D Cat prisoners smuggle in cheese for xmas parties.

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12/29/20 • 23 min

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FAQ

How many episodes does A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast have?

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast currently has 15 episodes available.

What topics does A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Documentary and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast?

The episode title 'Turning the Screw' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast?

The average episode length on A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast is 23 minutes.

How often are episodes of A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast released?

Episodes of A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast are typically released every 9 days, 14 hours.

When was the first episode of A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast?

The first episode of A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast was released on Sep 17, 2020.

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