Shadow World
BBC Radio 4
Gripping stories from the shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK
Something about this doesn't add up. In Hertfordshire towns, people who live alone are disappearing. Their neighbours are wondering why they've not seen them, or if they might have died. Giving someone else control of your finances and decisions - through Lasting Power of Attorney - is meant to come with a guarantee that they always act in your best interest. In this series, BBC investigative reporter Sue Mitchell explores a widespread business practice where some people are moved out of their homes and left with no idea what is happening to their money. It often involves people with little or no family to ask questions about where they are moved to, or to challenge the fees involved. It can be people who've accumulated wealth over a lifetime, whose assets are now helping to fund those who are taking decisions for them. The series looks at the loopholes that allow it to happen and the relationship between care homes, social workers and a business taking on a huge number of powers of attorney. It begins with the concerned friends and relatives who want to know what has happened to their neighbour or loved one; Where have they gone? And why has their home been emptied and sold? This is an original investigation, with recordings in real time, exploring how power of attorney orders can be used for better or worse.
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Top 10 Shadow World Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Shadow World episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Shadow World 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 Shadow World episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
05/27/24 • 18 min
As news of the thefts breaks around the world, the boss of the British Museum turns on Ittai. Now he has to fight to clear his name.
And what of the thief? The museum shares details about how they think the thief covered their tracks. Peter Higgs is sacked and when Katie tries to learn more about him she discovers something unexpected.
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Archive: Sky News
2 Listeners
Thief at the British Museum: 3. Lightbulb Moment
Shadow World
05/27/24 • 14 min
For Ittai, the clues finally fall into place. Has he identified the thief?
Ittai Gradel long suspected someone was selling ancient gems that once belonged to the British Museum. But he had no idea when they were stolen or by whom.
Now a startling discovery leads him to believe the thefts are recent and that the thief is someone in a position of trust.
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
2 Listeners
Thief at the British Museum: 4. Seeds of Doubt
Shadow World
05/27/24 • 15 min
Ittai is convinced he’s found his thief, but not everyone is so sure. “I mean, to me, it just sounds like a setup. It sounds like he’s being framed”, one former museum insider tells us.
Peter Higgs is a well respected curator, highly regarded for his expertise on the ancient world and known for helping to return stolen antiquities, not selling them on eBay.
When Ittai shares his evidence with the British Museum, laying out why he thinks Higgs is a thief, no one seems interested. Has he missed something?
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Archive: Galleries of the British Museum
2 Listeners
Thief at the British Museum: 8. Stateside
Shadow World
05/27/24 • 16 min
Katie receives a tip-off that sultan1966 has been selling gems in the US.
After speaking to a buyer in New Orleans, she learns about an even bigger collection of gems offered by the same seller that have ended up in the Washington DC area.
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
1 Listener
Thief at the British Museum: 7. Treasure Hunt
Shadow World
05/27/24 • 15 min
Ittai Gradel says he sold on some of the gems he thinks came from the British Museum.
A mission to hunt them down leads the team through the backstreets of Paris and to a small town in Germany.
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
1 Listener
Thief at the British Museum: 2. White Paper Dots
Shadow World
05/27/24 • 16 min
A mysterious seller appears with a seemingly endless supply of ancient, precious gems at bargain prices. Collector and dealer Ittai Gradel snaps them up. But then a strange series of events starts to unfold.
From his home in rural Denmark, Ittai becomes suspicious about what is happening hundreds of miles away at the heart of the British Museum.
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design: James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
1 Listener
Thief at the British Museum: Trailer
Shadow World
05/20/24 • 2 min
The inside story of how ancient treasures disappeared from one of the world’s most famous museums. And how one man believes he uncovered a thief. BBC Culture Editor Katie Razzall reveals how a Danish gem dealer almost single-handedly identified a man he believes had been stealing precious artefacts from inside the British Museum. She looks at why thefts went unnoticed for so long.
What begins as a whodunnit turns into a global treasure hunt as Katie tries to track down the missing gems.
Archive: Sky News Australia
1 Listener
Thief at the British Museum: 5. Secret Missions
Shadow World
05/27/24 • 17 min
The inside story of how ancient treasures were stolen from one of the world’s most renowned institutions. And how one man believes he caught a thief. Omnibus edition part one of two.
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
1 Listener
05/27/24 • 14 min
People have called Dr Ittai Gradel a kind of Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems. He’s an antiquities dealer with an eye for stolen goods who will help unlock the mystery at the heart of this story.
When Katie meets him in London, he’s got something to show her - two ancient gemstones he believes belong to the British Museum.
But this whodunnit begins more than a decade ago as a man with a cardboard box wanders into an antiques market. He has some valuable treasure to sell.
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Archive: Sky News Australia
1 Listener
05/27/24 • 18 min
Ittai hands over his gems and the Museum launches a recovery process to try and find more of the missing items. But will it ever get back what has been lost?
Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Darin Graham, Ben Henderson and Larissa Kennelly Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Mix and sound design : James Beard Composer: Jenny Plant Exec-producer: Joe Kent Investigations Editor: Ed Campbell Series Editor: Matt Willis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
1 Listener
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FAQ
How many episodes does Shadow World have?
Shadow World currently has 18 episodes available.
What topics does Shadow World cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, True Crime, Documentary and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Shadow World?
The episode title 'Thief at the British Museum: 6. Lone Wolf or Scapegoat?' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Shadow World?
The average episode length on Shadow World is 20 minutes.
When was the first episode of Shadow World?
The first episode of Shadow World was released on May 20, 2024.
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