• Operation Asshole: Paul Watson's whale war
    Nov 19 2024

    Out on the high seas, Paul Watson became a hero and pariah of the environmental movement. Now he sits in a remote prison. How should we treat the radicals willing to go to extremes to protect the planet?


    Reported by: Basia Cummings and Xavier Greenwood

    Produced by: Xavier Greenwood

    Sound design by: Hannah Varrall and Dominic Delargy

    Edited by: Gary Marshall and Matt Russell

    Podcast artwork by: Jon Hill


    Image credit: Mirco Taliercio/laif/ Camera Press


    To find out more about Tortoise:


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

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    44 mins
  • Elon: A star is born
    Nov 12 2024

    When Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential election, he told an adoring crowd that "a star is born". He was referring to Elon Musk.


    After months of reporting on the billionaire's use of private investigators, Alexi Mostrous asks whether the insights he gained from that investigation reveal how Musk will operate in his new political era, and what that means for everything in his orbit.


    Reported and produced by: Alexi Mostrous, Gary Marshall, Matt Russell & Patricia Clarke.


    Sound design: Bart Warshaw


    Original music: Tom Kinsella


    Podcast artwork: Jon Hill


    Executive producer: Basia Cummings




    To find out more about Tortoise:


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

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    30 mins
  • Sick parade: A crisis at Catterick Garrison
    Nov 5 2024

    This is a story of stigma, uncomfortable truths and allegations of an attempted cover up at Britain's biggest army base.


    As the UK army rapidly modernises its approach towards mental health, an old cultural problem persists at Catterick Garrison where a series of repeated, systemic errors have been uncovered.


    Reporters: Claudia Williams and Angela Walker


    To find out more about Tortoise:


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


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

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    38 mins
  • The Furys: An empire of fists
    Oct 29 2024

    The Fury family bridge the gladiatorial old world of boxing and the very new world of influencer culture. This is the story of how one family built a multi-million pound empire with their fists.


    Reporter: Claudia Williams

    Producer: Matt Russell

    Sound design: Hannah Varrall

    Exec: Basia Cummings


    To find out more about Tortoise:


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


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

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    47 mins
  • The cases against Sean Combs
    Oct 22 2024

    For thirty years, Sean "Diddy" Combs was hailed as the kingmaker of hip-hop. But now he's in jail, facing three federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and interstate transportation for prostitution, as well as over 140 civil lawsuits.


    One of America's biggest cultural superstars is perhaps on the cusp of a spectacular fall from grace. How could a life lived in the glare of the spotlight allegedly conceal so many dark secrets?


    To find out more about Tortoise:


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


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    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com


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

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    34 mins
  • Beyond Trump: JD Vance and the New Right
    Oct 15 2024

    Whether Trump wins or loses the US election, he has a political heir: his 40-year-old running mate JD Vance. Beyond the made-up stories about Haitian immigrants eating pets, Vance is deadly serious and he has a plan.


    To find out more about Tortoise:


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content


    Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more


    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com


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

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    42 mins
  • Elon's Spies
    Oct 8 2024

    This is episode one of three. You can binge the entire series today by subscribing to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or by downloading the Tortoise app.


    Elon Musk is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's a billionaire, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla and more. To his followers, he's a hero; to his critics, a far-right rabble rouser.


    But for someone so public, there’s one part of his life that’s less well known.


    Elon’s Spies investigates how this free-speech champion uses private investigators and surveillance to target everyone from whistleblowers at his companies, to online critics and people in his own life.





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

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    40 mins
  • The hunt for Iran's next Supreme Leader
    Oct 1 2024

    Iran is at an inflection point both on the international stage and at home. Uncertainty, unrest and war have shaken it, and there are questions over how long their 85 year old leader will be able to carry on. So who rules Iran when Ayatollah Khamenei dies? And what will that reveal about a deeply opaque country?


    To find out more about Tortoise:


    Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content


    Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more


    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com


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

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    37 mins