The BBC's acclaimed true-crime podcast Gangster returns on 8 August with a six-part series exploring the life of Linda Calvey, Britain's most notorious female gangster. For the first time, her children speak publicly about the lasting trauma of growing up in a criminal household.
Linda, now 76 and known as 'The Black Widow', served time in H Wing alongside killers Myra Hindley and Rose West. In candid interviews with journalist Livvy Haydock, she revisits her crimes, prison years and lingering regrets.
Her children Neil and Mel describe a childhood where crime was normalised. Neil recalls at age three and a half playing outside with what turned out to be a real sawn-off shotgun: 'I thought it was just another toy gun.' Mel remembers a spending spree at Hamleys with money she found under Linda's bed.
The siblings also speak of the devastating loss of their father Mickey, shot dead during a failed robbery, and of losing their mother when she was later imprisoned for murder. Neil says it was 'like falling into a black hole'. Mel admits she was 'bitter for years', and both reflect on struggles with addiction and mental health.
Despite the pain, there is reconciliation. Neil states: 'I never blamed my mum. I'd still choose her.' Mel adds: 'I wanted a normal life.' Livvy Haydock emphasises the series is not about glamourising crime but explores class, gender and justice.
