The BBC's newest True Crime podcast, Strange But True Crime, focuses on bizarre and outrageous crimes rather than brutal ones, as host Rima Ahmed exclusively tells the Mirror. The podcast, available on BBC Sounds, delves into a world of wild heists, daring fraudsters, and blackmail plots.
What Makes This Podcast Unique?
Rima Ahmed, who also hosts BBC Radio Leeds breakfast show, says: 'Like so many others, I'm interested in true crime, but it was often dark, with many women being murdered. I stopped watching because it wasn't good for me. Working for BBC Local, I know there are wild stories out there. This podcast focuses on crimes that are bizarre rather than brutal.'
Upcoming Episodes
The new series, launching on June 10, features a reclusive teenager who hacked into social media accounts of celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and Barack Obama, scamming millions. Another episode covers a handsome art dealer with links to Made In Chelsea stars who committed the biggest art fraud in US history. There's also a deadly feud between two plastic surgeons, one plotting to burn the other's house down, and a care home fraud plot.
Memorable Stories
Rima recalls: 'One favorite story was about James Sheen, who stole a solid gold toilet worth £4.8 million from Blenheim Palace and melted it down. In the new series, we look at a farmer who contaminated baby food with metal shards to extort a supermarket for £1.4 million.' Nigel Wright was sentenced to 14 years in 2020 after mothers reported finding shards in baby food.
Behind the Crimes
The podcast also covers the 2020 Twitter hack, where attackers took over accounts of Elon Musk, Barack Obama, and Bill Gates to promote a Bitcoin scam. Rima says: 'One attacker was a teenager so addicted to being online that his mum had to get a neighbor to wash his clothes and feed him. He became part of one of the biggest social media hacks.'
Other episodes include two care home bosses who faked an elderly resident's will to claim her £175,000 estate, using colored pens and bubble writing. Rima laughs: 'How did they think they'd get away with that?'
Conclusion
Rima adds: 'I hope people take away that the strangest stories are happening down your street. You don't need murder to enjoy a good crime story.' Series 3 of Strange But True Crime launches on June 10 on BBC Sounds, with new episodes weekly.
