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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - Pandemic in Prisons

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - Turning the Screw

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - Loose Ends

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - Are You Listening?

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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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - A Bit of a Stretch Podcast - Trailer

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - I Met My Brother's Killer

I Met My Brother's Killer

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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09/12/23 • 32 min

Simon Dawson was brutally murdered by two car thieves in 1998. It shattered the life of his twin brother Nick, who's likeness enabled the police to catch the killers. Nearly twenty Years later Nick was given the chance to meet one of the men responsible as part of a programme of restorative justice. Nick finally confronted the perpetrator but he did get the answers he needed? And what's it like coming face to face to face with the person that destroyed your family?

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - London Bridge

London Bridge

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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09/22/23 • 33 min

Marc Conway was an extremely disturbed and dangerous criminal for many years. He grew up on a crime ridden estate in the 80s, and by his teens he was a prolific armed robber. He served ten prison sentences, which only made him more violent and accelerated his offending. In his twenties he was convicted of a horrific home invasion and was given an IPP sentence. This could have meant he was locked up forever, so he went to a highly unusual therapeutic prison called HMP Grendon that houses the very worst offenders in the system. Marc underwent a remarkable transformation, and ended up being one of the posse of heroes who tackled terrorist Usman Khan during the London Bridge terror attacks in 2019.

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - Cold in Your Bones

Cold in Your Bones

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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08/02/24 • 24 min

Nick worked in the library at HMP Wandsworth when Chris was banged up there in 2016. They didn't stay in touch, but a few years later Nick heard this podcast and got in contact. In this touching interview, Nick reveals the challenges he faced after his release and how the benefits system is rigged against prisoners and he was left to sleep on the streets in the winter months. He admits that being homeless led him to reoffend, and why a lack of housing is a key reason so many ex prisoners soon return to jail.

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - Sing When You're Winning

Sing When You're Winning

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

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07/26/24 • 23 min

When Chris was in HMP Wandsworth he joined MJ's Liberty Choir, which he called "Spinsters and Spiceheads" as it was made up of volunteer women of a certain age and some of the prison's more colourful drug addicts. Eight years on, Chris goes back to rehearse with the choir once again, to learn about the amazing work they do in rehabilitating offenders and showing that there are real people stuck inside the prison walls. Get ready to sing along....

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A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast - Prison: A Love Story

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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FAQ

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

A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast currently has 19 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 24 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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