Broken: Jeffrey Epstein | Three Uncanny Four
Epstein: Devil in the Darkness | Endeavor Audio
The Mysterious Mr Epstein | Wondery
Between the Ears: Madame Bertaux | BBC Radio 3
The Sun King | Audible Originals
Who’d be the Grand Old Duke of York? One minute you’re busy plugging your Pitch@Palace entrepreneurial jolly-ups, the next, you’re going to have to do the pitching yourself, but outside the family pile. If only Andrew could have recalled royal etiquette – like the proper way to respond when a convicted child sex offender asks you to go for a walk. Anyway, dear old princey will have a bit more time on his hands now, so if he needs a brush-up on exactly what his ex-friend Jeffrey Epstein was up to when he wasn’t busy relaxing at one of Andrew’s “straightforward shooting weekends”, or attending Princess Beatrice’s 18th birthday party, or definitely not letting Andrew stay over at his New York apartment nor inviting him to any place where he might meet the 17-year-old Virginia Roberts… well, there are a few podcasts that could help. The prince could think of them as revision for that new interview he wants to do. After all, if he’s properly prepared, the new chat will be no sweat.
There are several Epstein podcasts out there, and of the three I’ve listened to, Broken: Jeffrey Epstein is the best. Hosted by New Yorker reporter Ariel Levy, it looks at the story from various angles. One of the most interesting (and frustrating) concerns Epstein’s money. Though he’s dead, some of his victims are suing his estate for compensation. But all his money is held in the Virgin Islands, where there are exactly two lawyers who process probate claims, and they’re also responsible for handling all the traffic cases on the island too. “My client is an heir to an estate that’s not particularly complicated,” said one Virgin Islands lawyer, “and it’s been going on for eight years now”. Still, there is a way around this: if it can be proved that Epstein’s millions were earned through crime, then the money is not technically his, but the US government’s.
There’s also a fascinating episode on the elusive Ghislaine Maxwell, in which we hear her giving a hilariously BS-ful speech about her ability to harness social media to save the oceans; as well as another that features in-depth interviews with two young women whom Epstein brought under his control. The first was not sexually attacked by him, the second says she was. Both were definitely groomed and then abruptly discarded.
What makes this podcast better than others is the lack of salaciousness. There is interesting detail, given by people who have been involved with Epstein, or journalists who have been on the story for years, but the tone is right. You don’t feel mucky when you listen. Unfortunately, Epstein: Devil in the Darkness is more lip-smacking, though it features revealing interviews with his former school mates. And the more recent The Mysterious Mr Epstein has a faintly ludicrous feel, with presenter Lindsay Graham hamming up his presentation and not changing his intonation when reading out adverts for other podcasts, so you end up occasionally wondering whether Epstein was an ex-sportsman who inner-tubed down a river. It does mention Andrew, though, in the Second Chances episode.
For something a little more cheeringly frou-frou, why not try a taste of Madame Bertaux, a half-hour Between the Ears confection centred on Michele Wade, who runs the Maison Bertaux patisserie cafe in London’s Soho. Wade is a Soho institution (as is her sister Tania, not mentioned in the programme). She talks of fancy cakes – her first employer, Madame Vignaud, told her that cakes were like babies, more robust than they look – as well as local life, past and present. I know Wade, and this programme is a tribute to her character: a combination of playful, loving and boho, with real strength underneath. Sounds flit in and out, weaving around the ooh-la-la music and friendly chat, the chink of a spoon in a cup. Another lovely production from Falling Tree: a sensual treat, just like Maison Bertaux itself.
And finally, The Sun King, about Rupert Murdoch, presented by David Dimbleby, is a classy affair. Dimbleby is superlative, whether delivering lines, offering off-the-cuff insights or interviewing old friends. The Sun King is a proper yarn, told well, where we meet a journalist who hacked so many phones that his thumb could dial numbers from muscle memory, a TV news man who regarded Murdoch as Mephistopheles, and a printer who’s never forgiven him for moving to Wapping. “I was hoping,” the man says fervently, “that Jerry Hall would shag him to death.”
Three podcasts about TV shows
His Darker Materials
Spotify’s podcast, hosted by Dave Corkery and Helen O’Hara, comes out weekly to talk about the latest episode of the BBC adaptation of Philip Pullman’s trilogy. This week’s guest is Dakota Blue Richards, who played Lyra in 2007’s The Golden Compass film, when Richards was 12. Much serious talk about daemons, as well as how the series’ deviations from the books add or take away from the story (eg Ma Costa rather than John Faa delivering the news to Lyra about her mother). A nicely paced 45-minute-long podcast that takes the show as seriously as fans require.
Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Podcast
Splashy and fun, this is as silly and upbeat (and carefully scripted) as you might imagine. Joe Sugg (YouTuber and Strictly veteran) and producer Kim Winston talk in mad detail about the dances, the dancers, the judges and the “traditions” (Blackpool, Halloween) of Strictly. You meet the people behind the scenes – prop masters, makeup artists et al – as well as those who have been or are actually still in the show. God knows where they find the time, but presumably it’s part of the contract. For Ed Balls fans, he makes a return in show eight.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: The Podcast
Try as I might, I can’t find a podcast for this year’s I’m a Celebrity… (if there is one, please let me know), so try this instead. Scarlett Moffatt (Goggleboxer turned presenter) and drag queen Baby Lame (that’s lame, not lam-ay) are our presenters. Snappily edited and very enjoyable, suffused with both presenters’ great charm and hilarity, this podcast will make you smile, even if you haven’t seen the show. The guests are clearly enjoying themselves, and the (ex-)contestants too. Check out @Baby_Lame’s Twitter feed to see just how non-casual a studio look can be.
Spotify’s podcast, hosted by Dave Corkery and Helen O’Hara, comes out weekly to talk about the latest episode of the BBC adaptation of Philip Pullman’s trilogy. This week’s guest is Dakota Blue Richards, who played Lyra in 2007’s The Golden Compass film, when Richards was 12. Much serious talk about daemons, as well as how the series’ deviations from the books add or take away from the story (eg Ma Costa rather than John Faa delivering the news to Lyra about her mother). A nicely paced 45-minute-long podcast that takes the show as seriously as fans require.
Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Podcast
Splashy and fun, this is as silly and upbeat (and carefully scripted) as you might imagine. Joe Sugg (YouTuber and Strictly veteran) and producer Kim Winston talk in mad detail about the dances, the dancers, the judges and the “traditions” (Blackpool, Halloween) of Strictly. You meet the people behind the scenes – prop masters, makeup artists et al – as well as those who have been or are actually still in the show. God knows where they find the time, but presumably it’s part of the contract. For Ed Balls fans, he makes a return in show eight.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: The Podcast
Try as I might, I can’t find a podcast for this year’s I’m a Celebrity… (if there is one, please let me know), so try this instead. Scarlett Moffatt (Goggleboxer turned presenter) and drag queen Baby Lame (that’s lame, not lam-ay) are our presenters. Snappily edited and very enjoyable, suffused with both presenters’ great charm and hilarity, this podcast will make you smile, even if you haven’t seen the show. The guests are clearly enjoying themselves, and the (ex-)contestants too. Check out @Baby_Lame’s Twitter feed to see just how non-casual a studio look can be.
