Charlene: Somebody Knows Something

In this bonus episode of Al Fayed: Who Looked Away?, we’re hearing from journalist Meirion Jones. Throughout his career Meirion has investigated and broken stories about powerful offenders. The kind of people who, like Mohamed Al-Fayed, had enough money and influence to silence victims and the media.Throughout this episode he talks us through how those power dynamics work, how the justice system is built, and how a combination of the two enables abuse to continue.Host: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As details emerged about the scale and systematic nature of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s crimes, he was compared to another notorious predator – Jeffrey Epstein. Soon, survivors of Al-Fayed start describing their experiences using a term from Epstein’s case – trafficking.Their stories of being trafficked illustrate the scale of these crimes - and could be the key to getting justice.But this case has a long history of failure. As police launch an investigation into Al-Fayed, survivors ask some difficult questions about missed opportunities for justice, and of the people and institutions who failed to act.How did Al-Fayed avoid any consequences for his crimes? And is the new police investigation repeating old mistakes?Host: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a winter’s day in 1990, Joanna Brittan’s boss beckons her off the street, and into a waiting limousine. They take a long drive to a country estate outside of London, where they meet Mohamed Al-Fayed – the billionaire businessman who owns the iconic department store, Harrods. Decades later, Joanna will look back at this strange trip to the countryside in a new, disturbing light. And when serious allegations emerge after Al-Fayed’s death, she believes that her story is part of a bigger picture that is only just beginning to be revealed.Host: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2025, more than twenty years after she disappeared, is there any hope for finding out what happened to Charlene? Nicola sits down with the senior investigating officer of the case to find out how the search is continuing to the present day. But even as she prepares for the trip to Blackpool, she finds Charlene’s name is back in the news, and her story is causing controversy in the UK and around the world. What will it take to finally bring closure to this case?The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submitHost: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A witness gets in touch with Nicola, with new information that could be significant for the investigation. A mysterious flat, a suspect that has never been identified, and an intriguing possibility – did Charlene really disappear on that Saturday in November, after all? As she investigates, Nicola finds herself embroiled in the drama of the online cold-case community.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submitHost: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of Charlene’s disappearance, the focus was on the network of men grooming young girls from late night takeaways. But what the public didn’t know was that these weren’t the only bad men in Charlene’s life. Nicola speaks to Charlene’s parents, Karen and Bob, and confronts them about what exactly was happening in the Downes household.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submitHost: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two men are arrested and charged – for murdering Charlene and disposing of her body. Police and prosecutors believe they have the audio tapes to prove it. But it’s not so simple. What happens in the trial will shock everyone and shape this story for years to come.Nicola uncovers the drama in the court room, and the controversial conclusion to the trial that still haunts the case.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submitHost: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investigating a two decades old case in Blackpool.Somebody knows something.Join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes in this gripping new series as soon as it launches, later this summer. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series like our high-stakes investigative series, Heists, Scams & Lies. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Host: Nicola Thorp.Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.Writer: Matt Nielson.Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.