Sport’s Strangest Crimes
- Épisodes
- 118
- Format
- Série – à écouter depuis le début
- Dernier épisode
- 19 Oct 2026
À propos du podcast
When sport collides with true crime.
Épisodes 118
Tennis' Darkest Hour: 6. Life Is Not A Headline
820 days after the stabbing, Monica Seles makes her return to tennis - but how can she compete with the best in the world after more than two years away from the sport? Never one to live within other people’s …
Notes de l’épisode
820 days after the stabbing, Monica Seles makes her return to tennis - but how can she compete with the best in the world after more than two years away from the sport?
Never one to live within other people’s expectations, Monica makes a remarkable return - everyone is left wondering, how is she doing this? But nothing in private is ever as it seems in public, and Monica continues to fight a secret battle within her own mind. One that will put her back in the harsh glare of the media spotlight.
More than thirty years on since she was attacked by a fixated fan of her main rival, Steffi Graf, we look at how much has changed for female tennis players today, and what has been learned about why people stalk.
The crime against Monica Seles left a lasting impression, not just on tennis, but on sport in general. It changed not only tennis history, but how security is managed at all live sporting events forevermore. But Monica Seles has a legacy beyond this one act of violence and tennis stars such as Novak Djokovic reflect on her lasting impact on the game itself. Are legends made from more than titles alone?
Warning: This episode contains references to eating disorders.
Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
Tennis' Darkest Hour: 5. Where is Monica Seles?
On paper, Monica Seles was expected to return to winning ways in just a few short months; this shocking crime would be a dark chapter that tennis would be keen to forget. So, why did months turn to a year, one …
Notes de l’épisode
On paper, Monica Seles was expected to return to winning ways in just a few short months; this shocking crime would be a dark chapter that tennis would be keen to forget. So, why did months turn to a year, one year into two? Why was everyone left wondering - where is Monica Seles?
We explore one of the strangest elements of this crime - Seles’ fight for justice, and how she seemed to be the only one suffering any consequences for the crime that befell her.
We’ll hear from one of the few people that spoke to Seles when she disappeared from public life, revealing the true torment she was living with after her physical wounds had healed. Plus, how using food for comfort had given way to something more insidious; something that would prove to be one of the toughest opponents to beat.
After so long away from the game, was a comeback beyond the realms of possibility even for a record breaker like Monica? Her story had been hijacked on that dark day in Hamburg, but was there another chapter yet to be written?
Warning: This episode contains references to eating disorders.
Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
Tennis' Darkest Hour: 4. Your Friend from Thuringia
As police question the attacker, the strange motive for this appalling crime is revealed - sending another shockwave through the world of tennis and beyond. We learn more about the man who attacked Monica …
Notes de l’épisode
As police question the attacker, the strange motive for this appalling crime is revealed - sending another shockwave through the world of tennis and beyond.
We learn more about the man who attacked Monica Seles, and a worrying obsession comes to light - exposing the frightening reality that female players have been navigating behind the scenes. We hear about how something innocent can turn into something dangerous; how fandom can become fixation.
Time remains suspended for one of its best players, but the multi-million dollar world of women’s tennis keeps on turning. More revelations plunge Seles into further darkness - but she is a player famed for her fighting spirit. Will she be free when justice is served?
Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence.
Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
Tennis' Darkest Hour: 3. Print It Big
After three years, women’s tennis had a new number one. Monica Seles was riding high on a wave of success; out of the last nine Grand Slams, she had played eight finals, and won seven of them. But from the …
Notes de l’épisode
After three years, women’s tennis had a new number one. Monica Seles was riding high on a wave of success; out of the last nine Grand Slams, she had played eight finals, and won seven of them. But from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. We’ll hear about the moment that changed everything - for her, and for the world of women’s tennis.
Those who were there describe the shocking scenes that left them stunned, and we hear from those whose job it was to manage the aftermath of such a public act of violence.
As the news spreads, waves of shock are sent rippling out across the world, and questions abound; how badly hurt is Monica Seles? How could this happen? Who is her attacker? And why would he want to try and kill a teenage tennis player?
Theories emerge, but one person has a hunch about the possible motive; her biggest rival, Steffi Graf.
Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence.
Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
Tennis' Darkest Hour: 2. There’s Always A Contender
Steffi Graf had been world number one for 3 years; it seemed like nobody could challenge her supremacy. But then along came a teenage girl from Yugoslavia, whose aggressive style - that came with grunting to …
Notes de l’épisode
Steffi Graf had been world number one for 3 years; it seemed like nobody could challenge her supremacy. But then along came a teenage girl from Yugoslavia, whose aggressive style - that came with grunting to match - challenged Graf’s dominance as well as the status quo.
Finally, there was a contender.
Clare Balding takes us through the most exciting moments in this emerging rivalry, as well as the darkness that swirled behind the scenes. How Seles’ record breaking was sidelined for her breaking of etiquette, and what it was like for young girls like her who found themselves in the very adult world of elite tennis in the 90s.
In the age of the indomitable Steffi Graf, what made people think that Seles could be the greatest player the women’s game had ever seen?
And what put both players on a collision course that would end with one of them in hospital?
Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
Tennis' Darkest Hour: 1. The Little Peanut
On April 30, 1993, one moment of madness changed the course of tennis history, and confronted the world of sport with an uncomfortable reality - how safe were its biggest stars? Teenage phenomenon, Monica …
Notes de l’épisode
On April 30, 1993, one moment of madness changed the course of tennis history, and confronted the world of sport with an uncomfortable reality - how safe were its biggest stars?
Teenage phenomenon, Monica Seles, had taken the tennis world by storm, and was one of the most famous female athletes on the planet. But on that fateful day in 1993, she became the victim of a public and violent crime - in front of thousands of onlookers, she was ambushed on court and stabbed in the back by a spectator.
Hear what happened from those who were there; how shock and disbelief gave way to questions. But first we must answer: who was Monica Seles?
Clare Balding charts the meteoric rise of the pocket rocket from Yugoslavia, whose raw power took her from the brutalist concrete car park courts of Serbia, to the sun-soaked state-of-the-art courts of Florida - ushering in a new era of women’s tennis.
Before long, the young pretender comes up against the queen of tennis - Steffi Graf - but does Seles really have what it takes to take down Germany’s golden girl? At Roland Garros in 1989, the world got its first glimpse of the rivalry that would become one of the most talked about in the sport - but not for the reason anyone expects.
Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence.
Presented by Clare Balding Written & Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Iles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
Tennis' Darkest Hour: Trailer
Clare Balding tells the story of how a shocking act of violence altered sporting history, and how a visionary tennis champion fought to find her way back to the life she once had
Shadows on the Pitch: 7. “Do I Not Like That?”
Former referees and a FIFA insider: can the USA ‘94 conspiracy theory floated by the Iraqi Football Federation over 30 years ago finally be explained? James travels to Cologne to retrace the steps of England’s …
Notes de l’épisode
Former referees and a FIFA insider: can the USA ‘94 conspiracy theory floated by the Iraqi Football Federation over 30 years ago finally be explained? James travels to Cologne to retrace the steps of England’s failed 1993 World Cup qualifying campaign under Graham Taylor. Could Taylor’s men really have been caught up in the same plot? If anyone will know it’s the men in black who held the whistles at the time and those working inside FIFA’s glass-walled offices who are now ready to talk.
Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Shadows on the Pitch: 6. A Dirty Game?
Patronage and power: lessons from an Italian footballing scandal. From the pitch of the San Siro to a pre-dawn FBI raid of a luxury hotel in Geneva, James gathers a new understanding of the mechanics of …
Notes de l’épisode
Patronage and power: lessons from an Italian footballing scandal. From the pitch of the San Siro to a pre-dawn FBI raid of a luxury hotel in Geneva, James gathers a new understanding of the mechanics of football-match manipulation, in a way that makes him question a footballing scar from the past that has remained close to his own heart.
Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Shadows on the Pitch: 5. All the Presidents Men
As the FIFA draw takes place in Washington DC and the great and the good of the footballing world convene in the US capital, spies come out of the woodwork to speak to James. Former CIA operatives and military …
Notes de l’épisode
As the FIFA draw takes place in Washington DC and the great and the good of the footballing world convene in the US capital, spies come out of the woodwork to speak to James. Former CIA operatives and military intelligence aficionados spill their beans, but could the ex-CEO of USA ‘94 have the most intriguing lead?
Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Shadows on the Pitch: 4. The Agony of Doha
World Cup qualifiers return to Doha in 2025, and so does football conspiracy, but can James see through the controversy to get to the bottom of what happened on similar pitches over thirty years ago?Presented …
Notes de l’épisode
World Cup qualifiers return to Doha in 2025, and so does football conspiracy, but can James see through the controversy to get to the bottom of what happened on similar pitches over thirty years ago?
Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Shadows on the Pitch: 3. Spy Games
The world of spies and sports collide as James speaks to security specialists and those who lived to tell the tale about rumours of America’s shadowy past. From claims of secret mass surveillance of the Olympic …
Notes de l’épisode
The world of spies and sports collide as James speaks to security specialists and those who lived to tell the tale about rumours of America’s shadowy past. From claims of secret mass surveillance of the Olympic Games, both home and abroad, to the curious World Cup interests of Henry Kissinger. But what does it all mean for the conspiracy theory he’s trying to make sense of, the claim that America influenced a World Cup qualifying tournament to protect USA ‘94?
Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Shadows on the Pitch: 2. Son of Anarchy
A political powder-keg World Cup qualifying tournament held in Doha. American security on the line. James tries to make sense of what went down in the desert shadows.Thirty years on he reviews the matches …
Notes de l’épisode
A political powder-keg World Cup qualifying tournament held in Doha. American security on the line. James tries to make sense of what went down in the desert shadows.
Thirty years on he reviews the matches, looking for clues about why the conspiracy persists, and hears what it was like to play for Iraq in the 1990s under the whip of Uday Hussein - Saddam’s son.
Presented by James Montgaue Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weathrill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Shadows on the Pitch: 1. No Terrorists in America
Can an ex-referee with a cryptic message help James unravel an explosive conspiracy about the build-up to World Cup USA 1994? James travels to Bucharest to find out more … Presented by James Montague Written by …
Notes de l’épisode
Can an ex-referee with a cryptic message help James unravel an explosive conspiracy about the build-up to World Cup USA 1994?
James travels to Bucharest to find out more …
Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
ARCHIVE: AP Archive - Iraqi football team celebrates Asia Cup victory - (Aug, 2007) Firstpost America -FirstPost Live TV - Iraq’s World Cup 2026 qualification - (March, 2026) White House Communications Agency - Clinton’s USA ‘94 opening speech - (July 1994) Spitting Image Productions - The Mary Whitehouse Experience World Cup skit anticipating America as hosts - (Oct, 1990) Los Angeles Times - Uncle Sam’s Visas? Not for Iraq, Iran : World Cup: Both fail to qualify, alleviating fears of U.S. officials over possibility of political terrorism - (Oct, 1993) CSPAN - Trump announces World Cup taskforce alongside Infantino - (March, 2025)
Shadows on the Pitch: Trailer
Conspiracy theories and the football World Cup seem to go hand in hand. Football writer James Montague is digging into one that refuses to fade; a story that takes us back to the first time America hosted the …
Notes de l’épisode
Conspiracy theories and the football World Cup seem to go hand in hand. Football writer James Montague is digging into one that refuses to fade; a story that takes us back to the first time America hosted the men's football World Cup.. Did the US influence a qualifying tournament to keep its enemies Iraq, Iran and North Korea from playing at USA ‘94? It’s a conspiracy theory put forward by the Iraqi football federation over thirty years ago and one that’s obsessed football writer James Montague for over a decade.
Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 6. The Fallout
The streak is over but the chaos is just beginning.Mark Roberts has danced naked at the centre of the Super Bowl, been tackled by an NFL linebacker, and carried off the field. What he doesn’t realise is that …
Notes de l’épisode
The streak is over but the chaos is just beginning.
Mark Roberts has danced naked at the centre of the Super Bowl, been tackled by an NFL linebacker, and carried off the field. What he doesn’t realise is that minutes earlier, a “wardrobe malfunction” at halftime has triggered a media storm that might well dwarf his moment.
While Mark sits in a crowded Houston holding cell — still in his Velcro referee uniform — halftime producer Salli Frattini is hauled up to the NFL commissioner’s box to explain what just happened live to 100 million viewers. Janet Jackson has vanished. Justin Timberlake is apologising. And the NFL is in crisis mode.
Hours later, Mark is charged with criminal trespass and released on bail — buzzing from the streak, but now facing a very real Texas trial.
What follows is a courtroom drama broadcast on Court TV and the very real threat of six months in a Texas prison for Mark. Hard to see how he can blag his way out of this one.
As Mark’s legal fate unfolds, the fallout from halftime spirals: complaints flood in, careers are damaged, and senior figures begin to question their roles.
Back in Liverpool, Mark rides the wave of fame — then slowly steps back as nothing can ever top the Super Bowl. Twenty years later, a diagnosis forces him to confront a harder question: not can he streak again, but should he?
After three decades of running naked toward the spotlight, is the Streaker King finally ready to stop… or will there be another temptation he just can’t resist.
Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 5. Houston, We Have So Many Problems
Houston, 2004. Super Bowl XXXVIII. The biggest television event of the year — and everyone involved is chasing perfection.Inside the NFL machine, Jim Steeg is orchestrating a military-grade operation where …
Notes de l’épisode
Houston, 2004. Super Bowl XXXVIII. The biggest television event of the year — and everyone involved is chasing perfection.
Inside the NFL machine, Jim Steeg is orchestrating a military-grade operation where every second is worth millions. In the production truck, Salli Frattini is holding together a halftime show so complex it feels like a controlled explosion: Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, pyro, thousands of performers, and cameras everywhere. On the field, Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham is inches away from the game of his life.
And somewhere in the middle of all this sits Mark Roberts — disguised, tattooed, layered in Velcro, and nervously taping a tiny deflated American football over his “chicken McNugget” because Texas has him rattled.
As the game kicks off, the tension builds — not just for the players, but for everyone who knows what’s riding on halftime. When it arrives, the stadium turns into a full-blown 2004 MTV spectacle: lights, dancers, smoke, sweat, and pop royalty at its most electric.
It looks flawless. It sounds flawless. Everyone thinks it is flawless.
But in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, something happens that almost nobody inside the stadium fully registers — yet will be replayed, analysed, and argued about for decades.
And while everyone is distracted by that half-second… Mark sees his chance.
Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 4. The Man With the Plan
After failing in San Diego, Mark swore he’d never try the Super Bowl again. Then one unexpected email changes everything.Comedian Rich Hall presents the story of an eight-month mission to infiltrate Super Bowl …
Notes de l’épisode
After failing in San Diego, Mark swore he’d never try the Super Bowl again. Then one unexpected email changes everything.
Comedian Rich Hall presents the story of an eight-month mission to infiltrate Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston - rehearsals, disguises, sponsor tattoos, and a growing belief that this time, he really might pull it off.
At the same time, the NFL’s Jim Steeg and MTV’s Salli Frattini are juggling post-9/11 security, a wildly complicated half-time show, and the pressure of a live global broadcast.
Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham is locked in for the biggest game of his life. Mark is locked in for the biggest streak of his.
Everyone's converging on Houston with their own plans. Mark's ready. The NFL's ready. The players are ready. But is anyone really ready for what is about to happen?
Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 3. On the Map
Before Mark could streak the Super Bowl, both streaking and the Super Bowl had to become what they are.Streaking has a history. The Super Bowl has a history. And host Rich Hall? Well he has a history too, which …
Notes de l’épisode
Before Mark could streak the Super Bowl, both streaking and the Super Bowl had to become what they are.
Streaking has a history. The Super Bowl has a history. And host Rich Hall? Well he has a history too, which might explain a few things.
Rich Hall pulls apart the rise and fall of streaking in 1970s America - a cultural flash in the pan that somehow never quite died. Then, the evolution of the Super Bowl from a simple championship game into a global spectacle of music, money, and over-the-top showmanship.
Jim Steeg, the man who ran the event for 26 years, explains how half-time transformed from a small-time, marching-band interval into a billion-dollar pop extravaganza.
Meanwhile, Mark brings his act home. A charity streak at the Merseyside Derby is just a warm-up for the moment that truly makes him famous: crashing Fred’s floating weather map live on national television. Overnight, Britain knows exactly who he is.
Archive: Famous for Fifteen Minutes, BBC Radio 4.
Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 2. The Calling
Every superhero has an origin story. For Captain Cock, it begins in Hong Kong, 1993.Comedian Rich Hall takes us back to when Mark is a young bartender in the city’s chaotic nightlife district -far from Velcro …
Notes de l’épisode
Every superhero has an origin story. For Captain Cock, it begins in Hong Kong, 1993.
Comedian Rich Hall takes us back to when Mark is a young bartender in the city’s chaotic nightlife district -far from Velcro trousers, tutus, or a global streaking career. Then comes a drunken dare at the Rugby Sevens, the kind most people laugh off and forget by morning.
What happens next will set the course of his life for the next three decades.
But hang on. Someone else remembers that event very differently. So what are the actual origins of this so-called origin story?
Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 1. Captain C**k
Comedian Rich Hall presents the story of Mark Roberts - who isn't your average bloke. By day, he's a painter from Liverpool. By night? He's Captain Cock - the world's most prolific streaker, a man who's dropped …
Notes de l’épisode
Comedian Rich Hall presents the story of Mark Roberts - who isn't your average bloke. By day, he's a painter from Liverpool. By night? He's Captain Cock - the world's most prolific streaker, a man who's dropped his kit at over 500 major sporting events across 23 countries.
By 2002, Mark's conquered almost everything. Wimbledon. The Champions League Final. The Olympics. But there's one event left. The biggest stage on Earth. The Holy Grail of streaking: the Super Bowl.
So in 2003, Mark jets off to San Diego. No ticket. No plan. What could possibly go wrong?
Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: Trailer
Rich Hall presents the story of one man's mission to conquer the Holy Grail of streaking. The Super Bowl.
Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace: 6. Friend or Foe?
Was Hansie Cronje a villain? A victim? Or something in between? In this final episode, we unpack the legacy Hansie left behind — the loyalties, the doubts, and the stories that still divide opinion. Some say he …
Notes de l’épisode
Was Hansie Cronje a villain? A victim? Or something in between? In this final episode, we unpack the legacy Hansie left behind — the loyalties, the doubts, and the stories that still divide opinion. Some say he was trapped by powerful people and trying to find a way out. Others say he knew exactly what he was doing. From emotional moments with close friends to sharp takes from those who saw a darker side, this episode digs into the heart of the scandal and what it says about cricket today.
Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace: 5. The Only Passenger On Board
June 2002. Hansie Cronje dies in a plane crash. The reaction is immediate - shock, disbelief, grief. But not everyone buys the official story. In Episode 5, Mark Butcher traces Hansie’s final hours - a missed …
Notes de l’épisode
June 2002. Hansie Cronje dies in a plane crash. The reaction is immediate - shock, disbelief, grief. But not everyone buys the official story. In Episode 5, Mark Butcher traces Hansie’s final hours - a missed flight, a last-minute ride on a cargo plane, and a descent through mountain cloud with broken instruments and almost no visibility. Was it pilot error, as the report claimed? Or something more? From talk of missing money and dropped investigations to strange phone calls and long-held theories, this episode explores where the facts end and the doubts begin.
Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace: 4. Not Your Normal Library
Hansie’s admitted guilt but the real drama is only just getting started. Episode 4 takes us to the King Commission, a library turned media circus, where cricket’s clean image takes hit after hit. More names …
Notes de l’épisode
Hansie’s admitted guilt but the real drama is only just getting started. Episode 4 takes us to the King Commission, a library turned media circus, where cricket’s clean image takes hit after hit. More names come out. More matches are mentioned. And as the pressure builds, the emotion gets raw. And one big question hovers over it all: was this about getting to the truth or just controlling the damage?
Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace: 3. Brown Envelopes
The Centurion Test is over. Hansie’s praised for “saving” the match. But rewind 24 hours and the real story starts to unfold. In Episode 3, we go behind the scenes of a game that never should’ve happened …
Notes de l’épisode
The Centurion Test is over. Hansie’s praised for “saving” the match. But rewind 24 hours and the real story starts to unfold. In Episode 3, we go behind the scenes of a game that never should’ve happened - cryptic calls, hotel whispers, and a captain running his own playbook. Then, by pure chance, someone’s listening. And suddenly, Hansie’s house of cards starts to wobble.
Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace: 2. England and the Infamous Forfeits
It’s the final Test of a five-match series, and everyone’s already packed their bags. Three days of rain, no result, nothing to play for. Then out of nowhere, Hansie Cronje makes an offer, and the game is back …
Notes de l’épisode
It’s the final Test of a five-match series, and everyone’s already packed their bags. Three days of rain, no result, nothing to play for. Then out of nowhere, Hansie Cronje makes an offer, and the game is back on. In Episode 2, Mark Butcher takes us inside one of the weirdest days he’s ever seen on a cricket field. At the time, it looked like a stroke of sportsmanship. But in hindsight? Let’s just say not everything is as it seems.
Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace: 1. Bigger than Becks
In the mid-90s, Hansie Cronje was South Africa’s golden boy, the God-fearing captain backed by Nelson Mandela and worshipped by a nation. More than just a cricketer, he was a symbol of hope. But were the cracks …
Notes de l’épisode
In the mid-90s, Hansie Cronje was South Africa’s golden boy, the God-fearing captain backed by Nelson Mandela and worshipped by a nation. More than just a cricketer, he was a symbol of hope. But were the cracks there all along?
In the first episode of Sport’s Strangest Crimes - Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace, former England cricketer, Mark Butcher revisits the rise of a man who seemed too good to be true and maybe was. Teammates, journalists and friends paint a picture of a leader everyone trusted… until they didn’t. Because before you fall from grace, you’ve got to be on a pedestal.
Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace: Trailer
Hansie Cronje had it all — captain of South Africa, adored by a nation, trusted by Nelson Mandela. A symbol of hope in the post-apartheid era. Then came the Centurion Test: a rain-ruined match is suddenly back …
Notes de l’épisode
Hansie Cronje had it all — captain of South Africa, adored by a nation, trusted by Nelson Mandela. A symbol of hope in the post-apartheid era.
Then came the Centurion Test: a rain-ruined match is suddenly back on, thanks to a strange decision by Hansie. At first, it looks like good sportsmanship — until a wiretap in India catches something shocking. What unfolds next will change cricket forever.
In Sport’s Strangest Crimes - Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace, former England cricketer Mark Butcher traces the rise and collapse of a national hero — from quiet warning signs and secret phone calls to a dramatic confession and a televised inquiry. But even as Hansie admits to more than just Centurion, many believe the investigation didn’t go far enough.
Sixty-three offshore bank accounts are discovered. Links to other players emerge. And just as pressure builds for a deeper probe — Hansie dies in a plane crash.
Some say pilot error. Others aren’t so sure.
Was Hansie manipulated by a powerful network of fixers? Or was he the one pulling the strings?
With testimony from teammates, journalists, investigators and those who knew him best, Mark unpacks a story of power, money, and the dark side of sport.
More than two decades on, people are still asking: who was the real Hansie Cronje?
Bloodgate: 7. Redemption and Beyond
New coach Conor O’Shea sets about transforming Harlequins’ fortunes and restoring their reputation.Tom Williams rediscovers his form and helps the club to the Premiership final - the ultimate opportunity for …
Notes de l’épisode
New coach Conor O’Shea sets about transforming Harlequins’ fortunes and restoring their reputation.
Tom Williams rediscovers his form and helps the club to the Premiership final - the ultimate opportunity for redemption.
Dean Richards returns to rugby with Newcastle and reflects on the Bloodgate episode, while some of the key figures in the series offer opinions on the legacy of the scandal.
Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton
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