The Story

Former contestants on Married At First Sight this week made serious allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. All men accused deny any wrong doing. For TV producer and writer Daisy Goodwin, creator of shows like Grand Designs and Victoria, it’s another sign that reality TV is losing its grip, with people getting hurt. So how did we get here?Ready by: Daisy Goodwin, TV producer and writer for The Times.Producer: Dave Creasey.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: I made reality TV shows — they are even more extreme nowClips: C4, BBC.Photo: Getty Images

Two significant developments surround the story of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. First, detectives investigating Andrew could examine allegations of sexual misconduct and corruption as part of their inquiry into potential misconduct in public office. Andrew has not been charged and denies all wrongdoing. Secondly, newly released government files show that it was the late Queen’s wish for Andrew to take on the prominent trade envoy role now under scrutiny.On The Royals podcast, Roya Nikkhah is joined by The Sunday Times’s Whitehall correspondent Katie Tarrant to discuss the latest police developments and unpack the government files. We also hear from Fiona Hamilton, chief news correspondent for The Times, on the Thames Valley Police briefing. Producer: Robert Wallace.Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia.Read more: The Andrew files - read the documents in fullImage: Getty.

For decades, Pakistan was viewed by Western leaders with deep suspicion. They were accused of taking billions in US counter terrorism funding, while allegedly harbouring Taliban networks at the same time – even Osama Bin Laden himself. Now, that same country finds itself at the centre of efforts to broker peace between the US and Iran. So how did Pakistan pull off one of the most dramatic geopolitical reinventions of the modern era? And who's side are they really on?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests: Christina Lamb, chief foreign correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Dave Creasey & Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Pakistan’s PM is ecstatic to be US-Iran peacemaker. Not everyone agreesClips: BBC, CNN.Photo: Getty Images

With Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership on the brink, the revolving door of Number 10 feels like it has never been more pronounced. But is this true? Why is Britain burning through leaders at record speed? And has the country become fundamentally ungovernable?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Josh Glancy, associate editor, The Sunday TimesHost: Luke JonesProducer: Sophie McNulty, Colette FountainWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Seven PMs in ten years? How British politics got into this messFurther listening: Labour’s Brexit conundrum Clips:  BBC, 10 Downing Street - YouTube, The Guardian, Keir Starmer - Facebook, The Independent, Times Radio, Pharos Foundation, UK ParliamentPhoto: Getty Images.

A new Ebola outbreak, driven by a rare strain of the virus, has struck the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The rapid rise in cases and deaths suggests that the virus had been circulating for some time before the alarm was raised. So why wasn’t it detected sooner? And have recent international aid cuts made us more vulnerable to outbreaks of infectious diseases? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Paul Hunter, professor in medicine, University of East Anglia. Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Micaela Arneson, Julia Webster.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: ‘There are bodies everywhere’: ghost of ebola returns to haunt CongoFurther listening: How the hantavirus cruise ship nightmare unfolded - The Saturday StoryClips: PBS, AFP.Photo: Getty Images.

Andy Burnham, a potential leadership challenger to Sir Keir Starmer as PM, has said that re-running Brexit arguments is "the last thing we should do right now" after Wes Streeting put the EU back on the agenda. Ahead of one of the most significant by-elections in recent political history, could the Brexit debate define the future of the Labour party, as well as the country at large? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Max Kendix, political correspondent for The TimesJoe Twyman, founder and director of DeltapollHost: Manveen RanaProducers: Julia Webster and Harry StottWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Keir Starmer latest: Wes Streeting’s EU stance ‘an attempt to derail Andy Burnham’Further listening:  Labour at warClips: BBC, Manchester Evening News, The Guardian Photo: Shaun Parkinson and Getty Images.

The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is home to a Russian settlement where signs are in cyrillic and inhabitants pay for their groceries in rubles. It’s also at the heart of the scramble between global powers for resources, so as the Arctic sea ice melts opening up the region, could Svalbard become the next geopolitical flashpoint?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Matthew Campbell, foreign features editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Harry Stott and Edward Drummond.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Polar bears, spy stations and Lenin: life on the Norwegian island in Putin’s sightsClips: Forces News, Russia 1.Photo: Jack Hill/The Times.

This year’s Sunday Times Rich List offers a revealing snapshot of modern Britain’s fortunes, from the Gallagher brothers returning after their sell-out comeback shows, to David and Victoria Beckham officially joining the billionaire club. But beyond the celebrity headlines lies a much bigger story: Britain’s accelerating wealth exodus, as billionaires, investors and entrepreneurs increasingly move overseas. What’s driving the rich out of Britain and what could it mean for the country’s future?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Robert Watts, Rich List compiler, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Dave Creasey.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: The Sunday Times Rich List 2026 revealedIllustration: Emanuel Santos for The Sunday Times Magazine

The luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, became a floating nightmare when passengers aboard the contracted hantavirus, leaving three people dead and triggering an international emergency response. But what really happened? And could the outbreak have been contained sooner?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryRead by: Shabnam Grewal.Producer: Dave Creasey.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Death on the hantavirus cruise ship: how a hellish month unfoldedPhoto: Getty Images.