The Story

Gisèle Pelicot has become a symbol of dignity, courage and defiance after waiving her anonymity and insisting her trial — in which dozens of men were accused of raping her while she was drugged unconscious by her husband — be held in public. In a rare interview, she speaks to Jane Garvey about why she no longer wants to be defined as a victim.

This episode originally aired on Off Air with Jane an Fi on 26th May 2026.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Host: Jane Garvey
Producers: Dave Creasey, Eve Salusbury and Rosie Cutler.
Further reading: Gisèle Pelicot: Pornography is a scourge on childhood
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Photo: Getty Images
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Pressures of migrant parents, the shackles of family expectation, and the urge to reinvent yourself in 90s Britain - all themes that connect writer Sathnam Sanghera with George Michael. Growing up in Wolverhampton as the son of Sikh immigrants, Sanghera was a teenage Wham obsessive, later finding unexpected parallels with the pop star’s life, and his own.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Read by: Sathnam Sanghera, contributor, The Times.
Producer: Dave Creasey.
Further reading: Sathnam Sanghera: how George Michael changed my life
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Clips: BBC, CNN, ITV. Faith - George Michael.
Photo: Robert Wilson for the Times magazine.
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As discussions - and tensions - rumble on in the Middle East, what are the stumbling blocks that have prevented a peace deal so far? And the Makerfield by-election which could help decide our next prime minister is fast approaching; we’ve got all you need to know on both topics, in our monthly Q&A.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Hosts: Manveen Rana and Luke Jones.
Producer: Olivia Case.

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Read more: Israel bombs ancient sites as it pushes deeper into southern Lebanon
Further listening: Is Trump being out-negotiated over Iran?
Clip: BBC.
Photo: Getty Images.
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In January last year, a 14 year old girl we’re calling Olivia, was attacked by three boys in Fordingbridge in Hampshire. Two were aged 14 and one just 13 years old. One of the boys raped her while the other two filmed the attack. Just two months earlier, the older boys had attacked another girl in an underpass in the same town.

The three boys were convicted of ten rape charges related to the two attacks. But they were given rehabilitation orders rather than jail time. It’s a decision which has sparked outrage. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced their sentence will now be reviewed.

Now, Olivia and her family have spoken to The Times about the trauma they've experienced and what they hope will happen next.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Jessica Sharkey, crime correspondent, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Sophie McNulty, Harry Stott, Micaela Arneson.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Fordingbridge rape victim: I feel like I’m the one being punished
Further listening: She convicted her rapist years after her death
Clips: Channel 5 News, ITN, BBC, The Times.
Photo: Getty Images.
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iranian officials remain in Qatar, negotiating the details of a possible peace plan for the region. Discussions continue even after American strikes hit targets in southern Iran late on Monday. So, is peace actually within reach? What’s really on the table? And after months of escalation and bluster, could President Trump end up the biggest loser in all of this?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Michael Stephens, senior associate fellow, RAND Europe and RUSI.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Sophie McNulty, Micaela Arneson.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Trump’s Iran peace deal will come with strings attached
Further listening: How did Pakistan become the peacemakers?
Clips: The White House, CNN, Channel 4 News, NBC News, Fox News.
Photo: Getty Images.
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.