Revamped BBC true crime podcast Bad People returns for new series
Journalist and documentary maker Amber Haque is a new co-host joining criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw for a new series of Bad People.
The revamped 20-part BBC true crime series will see Amber lay out the details and story of a case after talking to victims and detectives.
Meanwhile, Dr Julia Shaw gives key insights from criminal psychology, to make sure the series stays grounded in what experts are saying about why people do terrible things and the impact of their actions on others.
Stories featured in the new series include the lockdown pyjama killer, the Gatwick blackmailer and there’s an interview with a victim of the notorious Tinder Swindler.
Speaking of the podcast, presenter Amber says: “I make true crime documentaries for a living. I also spend a lot of my spare time digging into stories about crime, and connecting with people who have lived that reality, including victims and their families, police who investigated the crimes, and journalists who covered them.
“I definitely get knee-deep into cases, I love all of the twists and turns and connecting the dots, but I also feel really strongly about meeting people whose real lives are affected by this stuff and that’s actually from every angle of crime.
“What I’m really excited to bring to Bad People every week is gripping, compelling crime cases, with so many layers that I can unpeel for us and take listeners into some fascinating worlds and characters, but equally brings those insights from the people who’ve lived through it. The emotions, and the unanswered questions.”
Dr Julia Shaw adds: “Amber brings a fresh new feel to Bad People. She allows us to more deeply understand the real people involved in these crimes and brings her expertise as a journalist.
“Already I’ve realised that she thinks about criminal cases totally differently than I do, which has been really interesting. I’m excited to use my expertise as a criminal psychologist to help Amber navigate these cases, and for Amber to change how I think about the people involved.
“In each episode, I bring exciting snippets from scientific research on the criminal mind, insights on the psychology of victims, and explain the thorny realities of criminal investigations.
“This podcast won’t have to be your guilty pleasure, because it’s not just entertaining, you’ll leave having actually learned something about why people do bad things”.
The new series of Bad People starts on BBC Sounds on Thursday 15 August, with episodes released weekly.