More than 20 years after 14-year-old Charlene Downes vanished in Blackpool, a new podcast seeks to debunk the persistent myth that her body was disposed of as kebab meat. The case, which remains unsolved, has been clouded by rumour, far-right rhetoric and police failures, according to actor and writer Nicola Thorp, host of the eight-part series 'Charlene: Somebody Knows Something'.
Thorp, who grew up in the town, recalls hearing the 'kebab girl' story as a teenager. 'It was just this salacious, shocking story that people spoke to each other about,' she said. The myth originated during the 2007 trial of two Middle Eastern men, who were accused of murdering Charlene and disposing of her body in a kebab shop. The trial collapsed amid 'grave doubts' over the evidence, and the men later received compensation for false imprisonment.
Thorp's investigation reveals how the case has been exploited by far-right activists, including a recent retweet by Elon Musk that repeated the kebab story and named the acquitted men, garnering over 5.7 million views. The podcast also highlights potential leads involving grooming gangs and abusers closer to Charlene's home, as well as failings by social services and police, who used an outdated school photo of Charlene aged 11, rather than a current image.
Thorp, known for her role on 'Coronation Street' and her campaign against sexist dress codes, spent three years researching the case. She hopes the podcast will 'bring people out of the woodwork' and lead to justice. 'It was a wound for Blackpool,' she said, adding that the myth reduced Charlene to 'a piece of meat'.
