RedHanded

A wartime rescue mission saved Europe’s masterpieces from bombs and deliberate destruction. Art historians and conservators became frontline saviors, racing to protect monuments, repair damage, and recover vast caches of looted treasure. Salt mines, castles and hidden vaults yielded works by van Eyck, Vermeer and Rembrandt. The story follows daring recoveries, secret intelligence, and the long hunt to return stolen art.

A chilling account of a sudden mass-asphyxiation at a crater lake in 1986. Listeners hear eyewitness discoveries, local folklore, and survivor details. The science of dissolved CO2, limnic eruptions, and controlled degassing is unpacked. The conversation ends on ongoing risks, displacement fallout, and a comparison to a far larger, more dangerous lake.

In December 2006, the town of Ipswich was rocked by a spree of brutal murders targeting sex workers in its notorious red light area. But the story didn’t end with the capture of the so-called ‘Suffolk Strangler’, Steve Wright… The murders of Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Annette Nicholls and Paula Clennell would go on to transform policing strategies for prostitution in the UK (and even inspired a tone-deaf musical).And with killer Steve Wright back in the news in February 2026 after pleading guilty to the murder of schoolgirl Victoria Hall in 1999, this decades-old case still hasn’t run out of surprises.--Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesYouTube - Full-length Video EpisodesTikTok / InstagramSources and more available on redhandedpodcast.com

EmptyHanded is back! We’re joined by comedian Abi Clarke to discuss all things racy, risky and romantic – and read out some of the most scandalous listener-provided stories we’ve ever heard. –Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesYouTube - Full-length Video EpisodesTikTok / InstagramSources and more available on redhandedpodcast.com

A whirlwind tour of contraception through history, from crocodile-dung pessaries and toxic tinctures to turtle-shell sheaths and linen condoms. The story moves through ancient medical blunders, vanished remedies like silphium, and Victorian-era suppression laws. It finishes with industrial innovations, activist battles for access, and the birth of modern hormonal and device-based options.

When Brendan Banfield frantically called 911 in February 2023 to report a double murder at his million-dollar suburban home in Virginia, it seemed like an extramarital sex game gone wrong.But as police dug deeper, the deaths of Christine Banfield and Joe Ryan – the stranger found beside her – proved even weirder than they once appeared. And all the evidence pointed to a dastardly plot between Brendan and the family’s Brazilian nanny, Juliana Peres Magalhães, in a twisted web of infidelity, catfishing, and betrayal…So did this bloodthirsty Bonnie and Clyde duo conspire to commit the grisly killings? With everyone talking about the sensational trial that wrapped up in February 2026, we’re diving into one of the most shocking cases we’ve ever covered. Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/s4yaGloq8zk--Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesYouTube - Full-length Video EpisodesTikTok / InstagramSources and more available on redhandedpodcast.com

A forgotten chapter of slavery where North African corsairs raided European coasts and carted people off to the Islamic world. The rise of Ottoman-backed privateering and how corsair economies profited from captive trade. Shocking raids on places like Iceland, the Sack of Baltimore, and stories of Europeans who became pirate leaders. The military campaigns that finally broke corsair power.

The ever-changing story of neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, and the Countess of Chester baby deaths, has been given the Netflix treatment – and We. Have. Thoughts.For our coverage of the full story, check out our previous deep-dive just before this one in the feed. But in this week’s second-ShortHand, we talk about missed evidence, digital anonymisation, and decide whether or not it changed our minds.--Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesYouTube - Full-length Video EpisodesTikTok / InstagramSources and more available on redhandedpodcast.com

They revisit the controversial Lucy Letby case and the recent independent panel findings that challenge the murder conclusions. They unpack contested medical evidence like air embolisms, insulin and C‑peptide tests, and reinterpreted injuries. They examine systemic failures on the neonatal unit, selection bias in case review, and what might happen next with appeals and official reviews.

A Jakarta coffee date turns deadly after a sip of iced coffee allegedly laced with cyanide. CCTV puzzles, suspicious behaviour and a preserved cup clash with autopsy results and shaky forensics. Media frenzy, courtroom theatrics and claims of tampering fuel public obsession. A Netflix wave and parole later, the case remains a divisive mix of jealousy, legal mess and unanswered questions.