Hoaxed

Follow Hoaxed
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Introducing... Hoaxed, the new series from Alexi Mostrous and Tortoise, who brought you Sweet Bobby. In 2014, two children told police a shocking story: that they were being abused by a Satanic cult; a cult headed by their father and by parents and teachers at their school in the wealthy London suburb of Hampstead. The story was a lie. But on the internet, that didn't matter.  Hoaxed is an investigation into one of Britain's most serious-ever conspiracy theories. A story about a modern-day Satanic panic; about the victims whose lives were destroyed and about the conspiracists who spread the lie around the world. Oh, and it's about our hunt for the perpetrators - the people who forced the kids to lie - the ones who started it all.  All 6 episodes are available now to listen for free. You can listen to the full series ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content by downloading the Tortoise audio app or subscribing to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts. Or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work. Just visit the Tortoise website and use the code Alexi50 for half price membership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tortoise Media


    • Oct 10, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 22m AVG DURATION
    • 15 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS

    Ivy Insights

    The Hoaxed podcast is an incredibly well-researched and captivating series that delves into the disturbing world of conspiracy theories and the damage they can cause. It explores the origins of the Satanic Panic in the 1980s-90s and how it has evolved into present-day phenomena like QAnon. The host, Alexis Mostrous, is a skilled reporter who excels in both research and storytelling, making for a compelling listening experience. The podcast sheds light on the lives of those falsely accused and examines the consequences of these conspiracies on innocent individuals. Overall, it is a gripping and important podcast that deserves recognition.

    One of the best aspects of The Hoaxed podcast is its ability to keep listeners engaged throughout its episodes. The storytelling is excellent, with each episode leaving you on the edge of your seat craving for more. The host, Alexi Mostrous, does a phenomenal job of presenting the facts and weaving them together into a cohesive narrative. Additionally, the sound quality is great despite phone interviews and use of recordings, ensuring a seamless listening experience.

    On the downside, some listeners may find certain aspects of this podcast distressing or difficult to listen to due to its subject matter. The story revolves around a horrific lie that causes immense harm to innocent individuals, which can be emotionally challenging for some listeners. However, it is also important to note that this discomfort speaks to the power and effectiveness of the podcast in raising awareness about such issues.

    In conclusion, The Hoaxed podcast is an outstanding investigative journalism series that sheds light on conspiracy theories and their detrimental effects on society. It offers a thorough examination of real-life events while keeping listeners captivated with its compelling narrative style. Despite potentially distressing content, this podcast succeeds in providing valuable insights into the dangers posed by conspiracy thinking in our modern world. It deserves high praise for its meticulous research and impactful storytelling.



    More podcasts from Tortoise Media

    Search for episodes from Hoaxed with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Hoaxed

    Introducing...Elon's Spies

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2024 40:45


    Introducing...Elon's SpiesElon 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. 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. To listen, search for Elon's Spies wherever you get your podcasts.To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf 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.comReporter: Alexi MostrousProducer: Gary MarshallSound design and original composition: Tom KinsellaPodcast artwork: Jon HillExecutive producer: Ceri Thomas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing...What's Wrong With Democracy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 1:43


    Introducing...What's Wrong With Democracy?By the end of this year, countries making up half the world's population will have held elections. But not all of them will have been free and fair. In ‘What's Wrong with Democracy?' Professor Ben Ansell of Oxford University will, with the help of academics, journalists, activists and writers, figure out whether democracy is working and how best to preserve democratic freedoms, equality and rights. What's Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by The Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf 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.comHost: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Katie Gunning and Ada BarumeEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O'Neil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing...Pretendians

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 14:50


    We have an exciting new investigation coming up next week and you can join Tortoise as a member to get early and ad-free access to the new series and support our investigations at tortoisemedia.com/invite. While you're waiting, we wanted to tell you about a new podcast from our friends at Canadaland. Introducing...Pretendians.Why do people pretend to be Native? Hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) begin their journey by asking someone who has been doing just that. He's not just your average imposter – "Grand Chief" Guillaume Carle is the king of the “pretendians", a French Canadian who made a small fortune creating his own fake First Nation and issuing phony Indian Status Cards to thousands of other identity thieves.Follow Pretendians on your podcast app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing...To Die For

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 1:53


    Introducing...To Die ForImagine you were a fly on the wall at a dinner between the mafia, the CIA, and the KGB. That's where this unprecedented story begins. A journey through the dark world of Russian intelligence where, for the first time, a professed “sex spy” tells her story. All of it.Host Neil Strauss (Rolling Stone, The New York Times) brings listeners into the dangerous world of sexpionage, where enemies of the State are not the only victims. So too are the spies themselves, brainwashed to believe that their bodies belong to Russia and meticulously trained to become “the perfect weapons.” From the creators of the #1 hit podcast series To Live and Die in LA, this is To Die For. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing...The Spy Who

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2024 6:35


    We are partnering with Wondery, so that we can continue to bring our listeners investigative series like Hoaxed. You can join Tortoise as a member to get early and ad-free access to new series and support our investigations at www.tortoisemedia.com/inviteIntroducing...The Spy WhoThese are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world's intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma and Raza Jaffrey, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own.Search and follow The Spy Who wherever you listen to podcasts, or binge entire seasons early and ad-free on Wondery+ on Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing...Who Trolled Amber?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2024 37:12


    Introducing..Who Trolled Amber?What comes to mind when you think of Amber Heard? Liar? Survivor? Narcissist? Millions of us watched the celebrity trial of the century, Depp v Heard, in 2022. Amber Heard lost and Johnny Depp was vindicated. But what if Amber was actually the victim of an organised trolling campaign? What if the online hate against her was manufactured?Alexi Mostrous, the reporter who brought you Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed, investigates what happened to Amber and who might have been responsible. It's a story about how our own thoughts and opinions can be moulded without us even realising.The first two episodes of Who Trolled Amber are available now, with further episodes released each week. To listen to the whole series become a Tortoise member or subscribe to Tortoise+.To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf 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.comReporter and host: Alexi MostrousProducer: Xavier GreenwoodEditor: David TaylorNarrative editor: Gary MarshallAdditional reporting: Katie Riley Sound design: Karla Patella Artwork: Jon Hill & Oscar Ingham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing… Legacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 4:35


    We are partnering with Wondery, so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations like Hoaxed. You can join Tortoise as a member to get early and ad-free access to new series and support our investigations at www.tortoisemedia.com/inviteFrom Wondery and Goalhanger Podcasts, this is Legacy. A Corsican boy, an outsider, seizes his chance to make a name for himself when France is turned upside down by a long and bloody revolution. He's relentless in his pursuit of power, and in the pursuit of one woman.Listen to the full episode and follow the feed here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing...Hooked on Freddie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2023 5:40


    We are partnering with Wondery, so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations like Hoaxed. You can join Tortoise as a member to get early and ad-free access to new series and support our investigations at www.tortoisemedia.com/inviteIntroducing Hooked On Freddie, a new six-part podcast series from Wondery and Blanchard House.This is the story of Freddie, a wild dolphin who one day in the late 1980s swims into the harbour of a grim northern fishing town, and turns the inhabitants' worlds upside down.Some believe Freddie the Dolphin has healing powers. Others say that he's an alien. And everyone wants to swim with him. But Freddie chooses one person above all others - Alan Cooper, a passionate animal rights activist.But one day Alan is accused of taking his passion WAY too far. It becomes a tabloid sensation that grips the country, and a court case that changes Alan's life forever.Search and Follow ‘Hooked On Freddie' wherever you listen to podcasts.https://link.chtbl.com/FreddieHoaxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Episode six: Bonnie and Clyde

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2022 46:05


    In the final episode of Hoaxed, Alexi confronts Abraham and Ella. about what they. did in Hampstead - and why. And the police give Alexi some surprising news.Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you'd like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Episode five: The Healer

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2022 27:59


    Alexi and his producer fly to Morocco to confront Abraham Christie - and learn dark secrets about his past.Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you'd like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Episode four: Infiltration

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2022 27:22


    All 6 episodes are available to listen for free today. You can listen to the full series ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content coming soon by subscribing to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or joining Tortoise as a member where you can support the investigation and get tickets to exclusive events. Just visit the Tortoise website and use the code Alexi50 for half price membership.For a conspiracy to spread, important people need to be listening. Alexi discovers that the perpetrators of the Hampstead hoax have friends in high places, while he and the team close in on Abraham's location. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Episode three: The Avengers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2022 42:35


    The perpetrators of the Hampstead hoax meet their match in an unassuming mystery novelist, who is determined to expose their lies and bring them to justice.Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you'd like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Episode two: Ella's list

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2022 41:28


    Seized upon by conspiracy theorists, Ella's list of alleged cult members spreads like wildfire across the Internet. Hampstead parents start receiving death threats and lives are torn apart.Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you'd like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Episode one: Secrets and lies

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2022 36:36


    Two young children make horrific allegations in a London police station, lighting the fuse on the most serious British conspiracy theories in decades.All six episodes are now available to listen for free. You can listen to the full series ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content coming soon by subscribing to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or joining Tortoise as a member where you can support the investigation and get tickets to exclusive events. Just visit the Tortoise website and use the code Alexi50 for half price membership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Introducing: Hoaxed

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2022 1:16


    In 2014, two children told police a shocking story: that they were being abused by a Satanic cult; a cult headed by their father and by parents and teachers at their school in the wealthy London suburb of Hampstead. The story was a lie. But on the internet, that didn't matter. From the team who brought you Sweet Bobby, Hoaxed is an investigation into one of Britain's most serious-ever conspiracy theories. A story about a modern-day Satanic panic; about the victims whose lives were destroyed and about the conspiracists who spread the lie around the world. Oh, and it's about our hunt for the perpetrators - the people who forced the kids to lie - the ones who started it all. New episodes of Hoaxed launch each week, but Tortoise members and Tortoise+ subscribers on Apple Podcasts get exclusive, early and ad-free access. To access the first 5 episodes now subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you will also get invites to exclusive events. Visit the Tortoise website and use the code Alexi50 for half price membership for £50 per year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Claim Hoaxed

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel