The Documentary Podcast
BBC World Service
A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues.
From the debate over abortion in the US, to voices from the Middle East conflict, to climate change in Somalia, The Documentary investigates major global stories.
We delve into social media, take you into the minds of the world’s most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. Every week, we also bring together people from around the globe to discuss how news stories are affecting their lives.
A new episode most days, all year round. From our BBC World Service teams at: Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio, OS Conversations, The Fifth Floor and Trending.
Categories: Society & Culture
Listen to the last episode:
Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed – former owner of one of the most famous shops in the world – is accused of rape and attempted rape by women who worked for him. For the full investigation, search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts. This is a story of power and control at the very top of British society. At the time of many of the alleged attacks, Mohamed Al Fayed was the owner of London’s luxury department store Harrods, and also the iconic Ritz Paris hotel and English football club Fulham FC. The BBC has heard testimony of over 20 women. Harrods has condemned Al Fayed’s actions “in the strongest terms” and has told the BBC that “as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologise.” Harrods says the organisation is different today to the one owned by Al Fayed, and it “seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.”
Previous episodes
-
4567 - Trailer: World of Secrets, Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods Wed, 16 Oct 2024
-
4566 - BBC Trending: Yami Baito - Inside Japan’s dark part-time jobs Wed, 16 Oct 2024
-
4565 - Assignment: Singapore – drugs, rehab, execution Tue, 15 Oct 2024
-
4564 - In the Studio: Mia Lehrer and the LA River Mon, 14 Oct 2024
-
4563 - An end to Aids? Sun, 13 Oct 2024
-
4562 - The Fifth Floor: The wolf salute Sat, 12 Oct 2024
-
4561 - BBC OS Conversations: Israelis remember the hostages Sat, 12 Oct 2024
-
4560 - Heart and Soul: Reclaiming yoga Fri, 11 Oct 2024
-
4559 - BBC Trending: The curse of the blessing scam Thu, 10 Oct 2024
-
4558 - Bonus: The World Debate: What is the path to peace in the Middle East? Wed, 09 Oct 2024
-
4557 - Bonus: People Fixing the World Tue, 08 Oct 2024
-
4556 - Bonus: The Conflict: Israel and Gaza one year on Mon, 07 Oct 2024
-
4555 - US local news 2024: On the front page frontline Mon, 07 Oct 2024
-
4554 - The Fifth Floor: Mollywood's MeToo Sat, 05 Oct 2024
-
4553 - BBC OS Conversations: My year in Gaza Sat, 05 Oct 2024
-
4552 - Heart and Soul: Father Adamski Fri, 04 Oct 2024
-
4551 - Bonus: Lives Less Ordinary Thu, 03 Oct 2024
-
4550 - BBC Trending: The Baku initiative? Wed, 02 Oct 2024
-
4549 - Saving a sinking city: Jakarta Tue, 01 Oct 2024
-
4548 - Assignment: Panama’s water fights Tue, 01 Oct 2024
-
4547 - In the Studio: Ian Rankin, part two Mon, 30 Sep 2024
-
4546 - In the Studio: Ian Rankin, part one Mon, 30 Sep 2024
-
4545 - The Fifth Floor: Who is Mexico's first female president? Sat, 28 Sep 2024
-
4544 - BBC OS Conversations: People in Lebanon and northern Israel Sat, 28 Sep 2024
-
4543 - Heart and Soul: Istanbul’s church of wishes Fri, 27 Sep 2024
-
4542 - Global Dancefloor: Tbilisi Mon, 02 Sep 2024
-
4541 - India's wrestling school for girls Thu, 25 Jul 2024
-
4540 - Bonus: The Inquiry - How are the Taliban governing Afghanistan? Thu, 26 Sep 2024
-
4539 - BBC Trending: An (online) storm in a Philippine rainforest Wed, 25 Sep 2024
-
4538 - Bonus: The Climate Question Wed, 25 Sep 2024
-
4537 - Assignment: Reproductive rights: A divided flock Tue, 24 Sep 2024
-
4536 - In the Studio: Erdem Moralıoğlu Mon, 23 Sep 2024
-
4535 - The new Germans Sun, 22 Sep 2024
-
4534 - The Fifth Floor: The silent death of an anti-Putin pianist Sat, 21 Sep 2024
-
4533 - BBC OS Conversations: Talking to someone with suicidal thoughts Sat, 21 Sep 2024
-
4532 - Heart and Soul: I became a Muslim after the Taliban kept me hostage Fri, 20 Sep 2024
-
4531 - Stories from the New Silk Road: Space Thu, 19 Sep 2024
-
4530 - BBC Trending: Woman, life, surveillance Wed, 18 Sep 2024
-
4529 - The great dolphin release Wed, 18 Sep 2024
-
4528 - Assignment: Ageing without a safety net in Malaysia Tue, 17 Sep 2024
-
4526 - In the Studio: Lenin Tamayo and Q-pop Mon, 16 Sep 2024
-
4525 - Solutions Journalism: The African 'Babelfish' Sun, 15 Sep 2024
-
4524 - The Fifth Floor: Exam nightmares Sat, 14 Sep 2024
-
4523 - BBC OS Conversations: Are we still in love with dating apps? Sat, 14 Sep 2024
-
4522 - Heart and Soul: Indigenous healing on the party island of Ibiza Fri, 13 Sep 2024
-
4521 - Trending: Can we live without our phones? Thu, 12 Sep 2024
-
4520 - Flying high: The return of the peregrine falcon Thu, 12 Sep 2024
-
4519 - The Midwife’s Confession: Eye Investigates Tue, 10 Sep 2024
-
4518 - Assignment: Ivory Coast's cocoa crisis Tue, 10 Sep 2024
-
4517 - In The Studio: Tuan Andrew Nguyen - The healing power of art Mon, 09 Sep 2024