Intrigue

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Trailer 15.02.2017

The story of the mysterious murder that changed the course of Chinese politics.

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Episode 1 17.02.2017 22min

The story of the mysterious murder which changed the course of Chinese politics. Carrie Gracie investigates the killing of a British man, Neil Heywood, in Chongqing in 2011, and explores his links to China's up-and-coming power couple. China is gripped by a lurid show trial. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Episode 2 24.02.2017 23min

We've met the mayor's wife. Now meet the mayor, the remarkable man who takes this story to the national stage. The continuing true story of death, sex and elite politics in China, presented by BBC's former China Editor Carrie Gracie. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard.

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Episode 3 03.03.2017 18min

What really happened in the hotel suite in Chongqing? The British businessman and go-between Neil Heywood arrives in Chongqing, where an"iron-blooded" police chief holds sway. The continuing true story of sex, death and Chinese politics, told by the BBC's former China Editor Carrie Gracie. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard.

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Episode 4 10.03.2017 21min

A spectacular show trial exposes the lavish lifestyle of China's new elite. The continuing true story of sex, death and top-level Chinese poltiics, told by the BBC's former China Editor, Carrie Gracie. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard.

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Episode 5 17.03.2017 20min

How the murder of British businessman and fixer Neil Heywood changed China. Concluding the true-life tale of sex, death and politics, told by the BBC's former China Editor Carrie Gracie. As we hear, however, the story isn't over - as one thing you can't predict in China is the past. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard.

Word of God: Trailer 06.02.2025 3min

A billionaire family's mission to amass ancient biblical treasures leads to them getting caught up in an international web of looted artefacts, forgeries and criminal networks.Art sleuth Ben Lewis uncovers how the Green family - owners of America's Hobby Lobby craft stores - spent millions racing to gather biblical manuscripts and artefacts. Their unprecedented collecting spree - 40,000 items in just three years - triggers a government investigation and alarms biblical scholars worldwide.When papyrologist Roberta Mazza begins questioning the collection's origins, she finds herself drawn into an investigation stretching from the Vatican City through Istanbul to Oxford University’s hallowed halls. Through exclusive access to key players, Lewis reveals how thousands of allegedly looted treasures were smuggled into America labelled as "ceramic tiles", whilst priceless items like ancient Babylonian tablets and early Christian manuscripts were acquired through suspicious means.As investigators close in and scholars expose forgeries, the story expands beyond looted antiquities to raise profound questions about faith, power and cultural heritage. A respected Oxford professor stands accused of betrayal, federal agents demand the return of prized possessions, and the museum's ambitious mission becomes entangled in the dark world of international antiquities trafficking.From Washington D.C. to the Vatican City, this is a story about what happens when religious certainty meets the dangerous world of ancient treasures.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke Commissioning Executive: Tracy WilliamsA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4

Word of God: 1. In the Beginning Was the Word 12.02.2025 28min

In July 2017, Dr Jeff Kloha is preparing to start his dream job as Director of Collections at Washington DC's new Museum of the Bible when he discovers his new employer’s biggest donor has been caught up in a government investigation.The donor, Hobby Lobby, has been ordered to return 3,500 artefacts and pay a $3 million settlement.Through exclusive interviews with museum officials and evangelical scholars, investigative journalist Ben Lewis pieces together the extraordinary story of how the Green family - owners of the Hobby Lobby craft store empire - embarked on an unprecedented collecting spree of biblical treasures. Their ambitious mission: to create a museum showcasing the Bible's history through ancient objects.But as Lewis discovers, their rush to acquire 40,000 items in just three years would bring them into the orbit of a complex network of antiquities dealers in problematic ways.And it sparks a scholar turned super sleuth to start asking questions…This episode has been edited since broadcast.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Story editor: Andrew Dickson Sound design by Richard Courtice Original music composed by Max de Wardener Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital: Chris Walsh-HeronA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

Word of God: 2. Roberta Investigates 19.02.2025 28min

A threatening message leads a papyrologist into the shadowy world of online antiquities trading.On a September morning in 2017, Dr Roberta Mazza opens her WhatsApp to find menacing messages and warnings to "watch her back". How did a respected academic specialising in ancient texts find herself at the crossroads of biblical scholarship and antiquities looting?Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how Dr Mazza's chance discovery at a Vatican exhibition three years earlier set her on a collision course with one of the world's most ambitious collecting projects. When she spots a rare biblical fragment she'd previously seen listed on eBay, Roberta begins pulling threads that lead from online auction sites to a prestigious museum collection.Her investigation intensifies as she uncovers connections between anonymous online sellers and the Museum of the Bible's massive acquisition programme. Going undercover to expose the trade in potentially looted artefacts, Roberta finds herself drawn into an increasingly dangerous world where ancient treasures, scholarly research and outright illegality intersect.Her digital sleuthing uncovers the true identity of a mysterious Turkish dealer - and his possible connections to the museum's inner circle. But her determination to expose the truth comes at a personal cost, as threats escalate and she realises she may have waded too deep into dangerous waters.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Story editor: Andrew Dickson Sound design by Richard Courtice Original music composed by Max de Wardener Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital: Chris Walsh-HeronA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

Word of God: 3. Holy Grail 26.02.2025 28min

A biblical scholar's dramatic last-minute announcement at a packed debate hints at a fragment that could rewrite history.On a winter's night in 2012, an extraordinary claim electrifies a university auditorium in North Carolina - the discovery of what could be the earliest known Christian text, written within decades of Jesus's life. Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how this announcement connects to a meeting one night in an Oxford professor's chambers, where precious gospel fragments were laid out on a pool table.He uncovers how the Green family's fervent quest for biblical artefacts intersected with the world of elite academia. Their representatives were desperate to buy the four gospel fragments - including one potentially dating to the first century. But as scholars wait years to find out more, questions mount about that fragment in particular and what exactly is the professor's role.From the gothic halls of Christ Church Oxford to heated debates in American universities, Lewis follows papyrologist-turned-detective Roberta Mazza as she pieces together clues from social media posts, YouTube videos, and academic papers. What she uncovers raises troubling questions about the relationship between wealthy collectors, prestigious scholars, and the verification of sacred texts.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Story editor: Andrew Dickson Sound design by Richard Courtice Original music by Max de Wardener Commissioning editor: Daniel Clarke Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Assistant commissioner podcasts/digital: Chris Walsh-HeronA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

Word of God: 4. You've Got Mail 05.03.2025 28min

Federal investigators uncover a shadowy scheme to smuggle ancient clay tablets into America.When customs officers in Memphis inspect a package labelled "tile samples" in January 2011, they discover something far more precious - delicate clay tablets covered in cuneiform, one of humanity's earliest forms of writing. Through exclusive interviews with former US prosecutor Karin Orenstein and special agent Brenton Easter, Lewis reveals how this discovery led to one of the largest antiquities investigations in recent history.The episode reconstructs how Hobby Lobby President Steve Green attended a meeting in an apartment in the United Arab Emirates to view thousands of ancient artefacts, despite receiving explicit legal warnings about importing items from Iraq. When boxes of tablets start turning up at US customs addressed to Hobby Lobby stores labelled as craft supplies, investigators uncover an elaborate scheme of false declarations, undervalued items, and payments spread across multiple bank accounts.As the investigation builds toward a landmark settlement requiring the return of around 3,800 artefacts and a $3 million payment, the episode exposes the complex world of international antiquities trafficking and raises questions about the responsibility of wealthy collectors to verify the origins of their acquisitions. Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Story editor: Andrew Dickson Sound design by Richard Courtice Original music by Max de Wardener A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

Word of God: 5. Revelations 12.03.2025 28min

In April 2019, Dr Roberta Mazza receives an email from an academic in charge of Research at the Museum of the Bible which leads to the exposure of one of the most extraordinary breaches of trust in biblical scholarship. Through exclusive interviews, Ben Lewis reveals how the Museum of the Bible discovered that precious gospel fragments they had purchased for hundreds of thousands of dollars may have been stolen from a collection at Oxford University.The episode follows the museum's quest to verify their collection's legitimacy, leading to a devastating discovery that a renowned Oxford professor had allegedly been selling artefacts that weren't his to sell. From papyrologist Roberta Mazza's early suspicions to the museum's internal investigation, Ben pieces together how an elite scholar's apparent betrayal came to light.As evidence mounts, the story builds to a dramatic doorstep confrontation, where Ben attempts to get answers from the professor at the centre of the scandal - raising profound questions about the intersection of academia, wealth, and the ownership of sacred texts.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Story editor: Andrew Dickson Sound design by Richard Courtice Original music by Max de Wardener Additional sound effects courtesy of FreesoundA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4

Word of God: 6. Higher Powers 19.03.2025 28min

A dark, cold morning in February 2025. Hundreds are filing into the Museum of the Bible - evangelical leaders, gospel singers, and over 30 members of Congress including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. They've gathered just three blocks from the US Capitol for an annual event of fervent prayer about what they see as America's most pressing problems. Meanwhile, journalist Ben Lewis explores how an institution that once dreamed of becoming a centre for biblical scholarship has transformed after losing some 17,000 artefacts - nearly 40% of its entire collection. Through revealing interviews with museum officials and its critics, Ben traces the extraordinary journey of the Museum of the Bible - from the Green family's ambitions to make Washington, DC a centre for biblical scholarship, to the devastating revelations of forged Dead Sea Scrolls fragments and thousands of problematically sourced artefacts. Yet despite these setbacks, the museum has found new purpose as a convening space for a movement that wants to make evangelical protestantism the moving spirit of America’s future. As Ben explores exhibits that present a selective view of religious and American history, he discovers how the museum bridges faith and politics. While its staff insist there's no religious agenda, events hosted within its walls blend prayer with political messaging. Through conversations with scholar Roberta Mazza and journalist Katherine Stewart, Ben examines how museums shape our understanding of history through what they choose to display - and what they leave out. This final episode reveals how the Museum of the Bible has quietly evolved into something more significant than just a repository of ancient artefacts - a platform for reimagining America's past to shape its future.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Martha Owen Series producer: Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Story editor: Andrew Dickson Sound design by Richard Courtice Original music by Max de Wardener Additional sound effects courtesy of FreesoundA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4

Ransom Man: Trailer 09.01.2026 3min

What would you do if your deepest secrets were held to ransom? Jenny Kleeman investigates one of the world's most audacious hacks. When a shocking data breach takes place at a Finnish psychotherapy service, the nation's darkest secrets are held to ransom by a faceless hacker. He calls himself ransom_man. Award-winning journalist Jenny Kleeman (BBC Radio 4's The Gift) traces the story from the first extortion email to the hunt to find the hacker and bring him to justice.We all have some thoughts we'd never write down. Now, just imagine that a criminal had got hold of those thoughts, and was threatening to publish them for all the world to see if you didn't pay to stop him. Jenny finds out what kind of person is prepared to terrorise a nation like this, and the lengths people will go to fight back. On the way, she'll discover that the origins of this dark crime stretch far beyond Finland. Her extraordinary quest leads her around the world and to unexpected places, bringing Jenny face to face with victims, investigators, police and notorious hackers themselves.It is a cautionary tale about something that could happen anywhere, to any of us, again and again. Jenny will learn just how vulnerable our deepest secrets can be - and the enormous power that hackers now have to hold our inner lives to ransom.

Ransom Man: 1. Naked 16.01.2026 28min

A shocking data breach at a Finnish psychotherapy service. Jenny Kleeman traces the story of a nation’s secrets held to ransom by a faceless hacker. We all have some thoughts we’d never write down. Now, just imagine that someone had got hold of those thoughts, and was threatening to publish them for all the world to see - if you didn’t pay to stop them.This is what happened to Tiina, a Headteacher living near Helsinki. When decades of stress and anxiety overwhelmed her, she sought support through a therapy service called Vastaamo.Vastaamo was accessible, affordable, and a national success story. But in September 2020, the company received an email from a hacker claiming to have stolen their entire patient database - including therapy notes.Antti Kurittu is the cybersecurity specialist tasked with saving the secrets of 33,000 patients, but can he and the police find a way to stop this hacker, who calls himself ransom_man?Before long, Antti, Tiina and a whole nation learn just how far he is willing to go.Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach. Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective: Neil Leiter, Margaret Hermant and Fabien Leseure. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

Ransom Man: 2. Whoopsie :D 27.01.2026 28min

After a shocking data breach at the Finnish psychotherapy service Vastaamo, a nation’s secrets are being held to ransom by a faceless hacker. Jenny Kleeman traces the story.After negotiations with Vastaamo fail, ransom_man begins publishing 100 patient records a day on the dark web. He posts a link to the records on popular sites like Reddit and Ylilauta, Finland’s version of 4chan.He ends the post with one word. “Enjoy!” .Finland is a nation in panic.One victim, Meri-Tuuli, heads to the dark web to find out if her notes are among those published, and is appalled by what she sees.But after a few days, the hacker does something that no one could have foreseen.Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive is Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

Ransom Man: 3. For the LOLz 03.02.2026 29min

ransom_man’s final post contained clues to his identity. In those clues, former cybercrime detective Antti Kurittu recognises similarities to of the biggest hacker he ever investigated, a Finnish teenager called Julius Kivimäki.So who is Julius Kivimäki, and could he be the person who held a nation’s darkest secrets to ransom?Jenny’s search for answers leads her away from Finland, to meet a man in Illinois named Blair. Blair grew up in the hacking scene, and his time in the same circles as Kivimäki would shape his life forever.Blair found himself at the centre of a vicious online feud that spilled into the real world. It began with an unexpected takeaway delivery and ultimately put his and his family’s life in danger.Jenny explores how Julius Kivimäki became a globally notorious hacker - his name has been linked to grounding of a plane with a hoax bomb threat, the targeting of elite universities and multinational corporations, and perpetrating tens of thousands of hacks. But was Vastaamo among them?Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive is Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

Ransom Man: 4. The Zen Garden 10.02.2026 28min

Authorities think Julius Kivimäki could be responsible for the Vastaamo data breach and the leaking of patient records.They want to bring him in for questioning, but he’s disappeared. Kivimäki is known to brag about his international lifestyle. He could be anywhere.Jenny meets Pasi Vainio, the prosecutor who places Kivimäki on Europol’s Most Wanted List. Pasi takes Jenny through the evidence that he and his colleagues have painstakingly gathered, trying to figure out who is ransom_man.What they find is shocking and surprising, and takes Jenny closer to home than she ever expected.Through all of this, one man has stood by Kivimäki’s side - his lawyer, Peter Jaari. Jenny heads to Peter’s Helsinki office to see if he can provide any answers.The search for Kivimäki leads to a confrontation that no one saw coming.Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective: Neil Leiter, Margaret Hermant and Fabien Leseure. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive is Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

Ransom Man: 5. 635 Years of Suffering 17.02.2026 28min

Within a month of the Vastaamo data breach, Tomi Haustola, a Finnish stand up comedian, is on stage making jokes about it.But Tomi himself is one of the thousands of victims. He tells Jenny how he went to Vastaamo because he was burnt-out and anxious and couldn’t tell anyone - except his therapist.When he discovers a hacker had stolen his therapy notes, Tomi decides to share his story with the audience. Many of them are victims themselves.But he doesn’t expect a letter to arrive for him, years after the hack, inviting him to view the trial of Julius Kivimäki, the man authorities suspected of being the extortionist ransom_man.Bringing the case against him is the Prosecutor Pasi Vainio.Kivimäki is defended by the lawyer who has been with him since the beginning - Peter Jaari.Also present is Jenni Raiskio, the lawyer representing victims of the hack, making sure they are not forgotten amidst the TV cameras and photographers.As Jenny follows the unfolding of the court case and the trial nears its conclusion, something happens that puts everything in jeopardy.Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective: Neil Leiter, Margaret Hermant and Fabien Leseure. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive is Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

Ransom Man: 6. Nameless, Faceless People 24.02.2026 29min

Crossing the road between interviews, Jenny receives the opportunity she has been waiting for. A chance to meet Julius Kivimäki and finally seek answers from him.She heads to Turku prison in Western Finland, where Kivimäki is serving his sentence.Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective: Neil Leiter, Margaret Hermant and Fabien Leseure. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive is Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke