Lucky Boy | Tortoise Investigates

For the last three weeks, reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou has been following the trial of Sally Anne Bowen, the teacher at the centre of Tortoise Investigates’ podcast series Lucky Boy, first released in 2025. Following the jury’s verdict, Chloe calls producer Gary Marshall to break the news.

Lucky Boy is an original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer, originally published in 2025.

Episodes one is available for all listeners. To access the rest of the series, ad-free, subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or subscribe to The Observer for access to all our podcasts and newsletters seven days a week, plus puzzles, recipes and Culture Club. Use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou
Producer - Gary Marshall
Sound design - Hannah Varrall
Podcast artwork - Lola Williams
Executive producer - Basia Cummings
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sally Anne Bowen doesn’t want to speak about her relationship with Gareth, but it turns out there is a way of hearing her version of events. And after months of searching, Chloe gets a message from another ‘lucky boy’.

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Reported and produced by: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chloe hears from a former teacher who seems to support what Gareth believes - that there was a cover-up. And it’s still going on today.

You can 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

Reported and produced by: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gareth spent years believing he was a lucky boy. He was the 14-year-old who got the attention of the attractive young science teacher. Now, decades later, he wants the truth to come out about the damage it’s caused him. But his story is not straight forward.

Episodes one is available for all listeners. To access the rest of the series, ad-free, subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or subscribe to The Observer for access to all our podcasts and newsletters seven days a week, plus puzzles, recipes and Culture Club. Use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou
Producer - Gary Marshall
Sound design - Hannah Varrall
Podcast artwork - Lola Williams
Executive producer - Basia Cummings
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Peter Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States over his links with Jeffrey Epstein people wondered how he ever got appointed in the first place.

Eventually Keir Starmer’s government was forced to publish more than a thousand pages of emails, messages and letters which reveal how Peter Mandelson was appointed, vetted and cleared to become the UK’s most influential diplomat.

What emerges from those documents, is a story about who wields power in Britain today, how it works and how we conduct our politics.

The Observer’s Ada Barumé tells the story of a political farce that begins with the appointment of Peter Mandelson and ends with the resignation of Keir Starmer.

The Mandelson Files is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

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Reporter - Ada Barumé
Producer - Amalie Sortland
Sound design - Dominic Delargy
Podcast artwork - Lucy Stevenson
Executive producer - Jasper Corbett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.