Shadow World Podcast
Gripping stories from the shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK. Katie Razzall reveals what happened when a prize-winning author was accused of racism.
In Shadow World: Anatomy of a Cancellation, the BBC's Culture Editor Katie Razzall revisits a story that rocked the UK's publishing industry in 2021. It led to what some saw as the unjustified cancellation of a prize-winning writer and teacher - but to others, was a long overdue reckoning for the world of publishing. It grew into a culture war about race, class, and who has the right to say what.
Gripping stories from the Shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK.
Episodes to download
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6. Post Mortem—Anatomy of a Cancellation
Wed 17 Dec 2025
6/6Today, what lessons can be drawn from what happened to Kate Clanchy and her critics?
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5. The Rewrite—Anatomy of a Cancellation
Wed 10 Dec 2025
5/6Will a sensitivity read be enough to move on from the row?
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4. The Defence of Kate Clanchy—Anatomy of a Cancellation
Wed 3 Dec 2025
4/6We hear from some of Kate’s supporters.
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3. The Paper Trail—Anatomy of a Cancellation
Wed 26 Nov 2025
3/6How did Kate Clanchy’s publisher respond to the online debate?
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2. The Words—Anatomy of a Cancellation
Wed 19 Nov 2025
2/6This time we hear from Kate Clanchy’s critics.
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1. Kate’s Story—Anatomy of a Cancellation
Wed 12 Nov 2025
1/6When a prize-winning author was accused of racism, she asked her online followers to help.
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Trailer—Anatomy of a Cancellation
Mon 3 Nov 2025
1/6Katie Razzall reveals what happened when a prize-winning author was accused of racism
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6. Judge for Yourself—The People vs McDonald's
Wed 13 Aug 2025
6/6The verdict is finally delivered, and Helen uncovers who her ex-partner John really was.
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5. Clowning Around—The People vs McDonald's
Wed 13 Aug 2025
5/6When Helen digs out some old letters from John, she finds some potential clues.
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4. A Proper Grilling—The People vs McDonald's
Wed 13 Aug 2025
4/6Helen and Dave get an unexpected communication from the McDonald's Board of Directors.
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3. Flipping Burgers!—The People vs McDonald's
Wed 13 Aug 2025
3/6Disclosed court documents reveal somebody has been watching...
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2. Burger, Nugget, Ketchup, Spy—The People vs McDonald's
Wed 13 Aug 2025
2/6New faces start turning up at the London Greenpeace meetings...but something isn't right.
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1. The Leaflet—The People vs McDonald's
Wed 13 Aug 2025
1/6Mark Steel discovers what happened when two activists took on a corporate giant.
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Trailer—The People vs McDonald's
Mon 11 Aug 2025
1/6Mark Steel introduces a battle between two activists and a fast food giant...
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5. Ripe for the Taking—The Grave Robbers
Wed 6 Aug 2025
Where did the gang get the idea to use fake wills to steal the homes of the dead?
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4. The Will to Steal—The Grave Robbers
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Sue Mitchell investigates a gang using fake wills to steal people’s homes and inheritance.
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3. The Good Spy—The Grave Robbers
Wed 23 Jul 2025
In life, neighbours protected Michael Judd, but when he died thieves stole everything.
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2. Strangers in the Street—The Grave Robbers
Wed 16 Jul 2025
Fake wills, stolen identities and cannabis farms
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1. My Dear Friend—The Grave Robbers
Sat 5 Jul 2025
Sue Mitchell investigates a gang using fake wills to steal people’s homes and inheritance.
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Trailer—The Grave Robbers
Thu 3 Jul 2025
How is it possible to steal a home? Sue Mitchell investigates.
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10. A Hidden Network—The Smuggler
Fri 6 Jun 2025
Nick is sentenced, but are his routes still wide open to other people smugglers?
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9. The Arrest—The Smuggler
Thu 5 Jun 2025
Nick is arrested on a beach in Kent, with four Vietnamese migrants on his boat
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8. The Boat Theory—The Smuggler
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Police build a theory that Nick is smuggling Vietnamese migrants to work on cannabis farms
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7. A Dangerous Journey—The Smuggler
Tue 3 Jun 2025
Nick makes a narrow escape after police turn up at a beach in France.
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6. The Vietnamese Connection—The Smuggler
Mon 2 Jun 2025
Nick is paid thousands of pounds to bring Vietnamese migrants into the UK.
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5. The Crossing—The Smuggler
Fri 30 May 2025
Nick buys a boat and searches for a new smuggling route.
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4. The Final Border—The Smuggler
Thu 29 May 2025
Nick becomes an informant, providing information about the Albanian gang
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3. The Mistake—The Smuggler
Wed 28 May 2025
Nick is growing in confidence, but human error is impossible to avoid.
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1. The Passport—The Smuggler
Mon 26 May 2025
British builder Nick joins an Albanian people smuggling gang.
