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PODCAST

What It Was Like

Conversations with people who have lived through extreme events. Some stories are dark and twisted, others are light and funny. In all cases, we get an intimate portraitof "what it was like" to be there.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastHosted by Julian MorgansThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

1:05:40

He Cut Off My Arms and Left Me to Die

What It Was Like ·

2025/06/13

Mary McGriff was 15 when she hitched a ride with a man named Lawrence Singleton. The next day, she lay at the bottom of a cliff, her arms severed with an axe. Somehow, she survived. In this episode, she shares how a voice in her head kept her going. It's a story about refusing to let the monster win.Find us on TikTok:@whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube:@whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram:whatitwaslikepodcastThis is aSuperrealproduction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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36:38

The Lovers That Burned Down 77 Houses

What It Was Like ·

2025/06/06

This week, we're re-running a classic. When abandoned farm houses started catching fire in rural Virginia, police weren't sure what to think. It took five months and almost 80 fires for a couple to be arrested and the story to emerge. In this episode, convicted arsonist Charlie Smith explains how he and his ex-partner lit fires to relax when their relationship soured.Find us on TikTok:@whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube:@whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram:whatitwaslikepodcastThis is

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1:01:01

I Got Eaten By a Hippopotamus

What It Was Like ·

2025/05/30

In the early 90s, Paul Templer ran a business guiding clients down the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls. One afternoon, he was attacked by a hippo and found himself halfway down its throat. In this ep, Paul regales us with his wild story of survival, moment by moment.Find us on TikTok:@whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube:@whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram:whatitwaslikepodcastThis is aSuperrealproduction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:07:02

I Led the Manhunt for a Killer Who Lived Like a Hermit

What It Was Like ·

2025/05/23

In 2005, Malcolm Naden murdered two women and vanished into the Australian bush. For seven years he evaded police, until former detective Ricky Hennessy joined the case. In this episode, Hennessy shares how he helped track and capture one of Australia's most wanted men in remote wilderness.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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42:55

How Cocaine Killed the Car in 'Back to the Future'

What It Was Like ·

2025/05/16

John DeLorean was a star auto designer in the 1960s, but his own car company—the DeLorean Motor Company—never took off. When a cocaine deal offered a last-ditch lifeline, it ended in a dramatic arrest. In this episode, his daughter Kat DeLorean recounts the rise and fall of the iconic car—and how it found immortality in Back to the Future.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted

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1:17:03

My School Was Kidnapped at Gunpoint

What It Was Like ·

2025/05/09

In 1976, 20-year-old Rob Hunter was a month into his first teaching job at a remote Australian school when an armed gunman abducted him and his nine students. In this episode, Rob recounts the harrowing night they spent as hostages—and their dramatic escape via a high-speed car chase.Connect with Rob and book him to speak at your schoolat https://kidnappedteachertalks.com/.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram:

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42:19

I Had Sex With 100 Men in One Day

What It Was Like ·

2025/05/02

Last year, 23-year-old British porn star Lily Phillips announced plans to break the world record for the most sexual partners in a day—starting with a “practice run” involving 100 men. In this episode, she tells us what's motivating her, how herfirst attempt affected her—and why she’s still determined to go the whole way.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See

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1:04:27

Everyone Said 'Dirty Dancing' Would Flop. I Made It...

What It Was Like ·

2025/04/25

In the mid-80s, producer Linda Gottlieb heard a friend’s story about “dirty dancing” at summer camp and urged her to write a script. Despite rejections, budget cuts, and on-set drama, the film became a surprise hit.In this episode, Linda shares why she believed in it from the start—and what she saw that others missed.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See

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1:44:30

I Got Pregnant to a Man Who Doesn't Exist

What It Was Like ·

2025/04/18

In 2024, Cass Taulaki fell pregnant to the man of her dreams—a 32-year-old engineer in the Australian Defence Force. Or so she thought. In reality, he was unemployed and wanted for impersonating military personnel and skipping out on multiple families. Cass' TikTok story went viral earlier this year—and now she's sharing the full saga.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:04:56

I Lived in a Haunted Apartment That Didn't Like to Be...

What It Was Like ·

2025/04/10

In the early 2000s, musician Nathan Munn moved into a tiny, ornate apartment in Montreal. At first, he and his flatmates brushed off its strange energy—but the nightmares and disturbances wore them down. Now, Nathan believes the apartment just wanted to be noticed.Check out Nathan's music on SpotifyFind us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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57:49

How a Sinking Ship Refloated our Marriage

What It Was Like ·

2025/04/03

In 2012, a cruise liner named the Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy, killing 32 people. But Australian couple Rob and Tracy Elcombe survived and the disaster brought them closer.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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51:27

I Visited an Uncontacted Tribe in the Amazon

What It Was Like ·

2025/03/27

The Awá, an Indigenous group in Brazil's Amazon, had no contact with the outside world until recently. In 2010, BBC journalist Justin Rowlatt visited them in their new reserve, created to protect them from loggers. In this episode, he explores how modern pressures are impacting isolated tribes and what his ongoing friendship with the Awá has taught him about humanity.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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1:16:34

I Slept With New York's Elite to Rob Them

What It Was Like ·

2025/03/20

In 2009, Kari Ferrell was outed by the media for writing bad checks and robbing trust fund babies across Manhattan. Dubbed the 'Hipster Grifter,' Kari served a year in prison and is now sharing her story. In this episode, she unpacks her motivations,hermethods, and what she learned about the psychologyof grifting.Check outKari's new memoir:You'll Never Believe Me.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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34:18

SCAMMERLAND: How a Fake Job Offer Landed Me in Slavery

What It Was Like ·

2025/03/15

This is the first episodeof our new What It Was Like series, SCAMMERLAND. It's based on an episodewedid last year, looking at how online scams are run by people living in modern slavery. We start our story with Small Q, a young Ugandan rapper and singer who thought he was traveling to Thailand for a dream job. However, everything changed the moment he stepped off the plane.Follow our new show SCAMMERLAND onSpotify,AppleandYouTubeProduced by SuperrealHosted by Julian Morgans @julianmorgansFind us on

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58:30

Wellness and Lies: My Friendship With Belle Gibson

What It Was Like ·

2025/03/07

In 2015, wellness influencer Belle Gibson was outed for pretending to have cancer. Now she's back in the headlines thanks to a new show on Netflix. In this episode we talk to a woman named Beckii Jones, who once considered Belle a friend. She ran a Facebook group for mothers in the early 2010s when Belle joined and even suggested the name for her infamous app, The Whole Pantry. Beckii reflects on the woman she knew and the parts of Belle that remain a mystery.Follow our new show Scammerland. It's

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55:06

I Watched Tornado Chasing Go from Subculture to...

What It Was Like ·

2025/02/27

Tornado chasing was a niche hobby when Tim Marshall started in the 1970s. But over time, he watched it grow in popularity and then explode into the mainstream with the 1996 release of the film Twister. In this episode, Tim reflects on the times he was lucky to make it home, the friends who didn't, and the "internetization" of his beloved past time.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:14:16

Discovering My Grandfather's Secret Nazi Past

What It Was Like ·

2025/02/20

Julie Lindahl always knew there was something different about her family. Her German grandparents had fled to Brazil after the war, but she didn't know why. Until she discovered her grandfather was in the SS—the elite guard of the Nazi regime, responsible for some of their worst atrocities. In this episode, Julie explores guilt, accountability, and why confronting the past is the key to healing.Julie's book,The Pendulum,is available here on Amazon.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on

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45:42

Getting Stuck in a Washing Machine Changed My Life

What It Was Like ·

2025/02/13

In 2014, Laurence Hearn was drinking too much and struggling to make ends meet. Then he accidentally got stuck in a washing machine. What followed was a series of unexpected events that would ultimately turn his life around. This is a one-of-a-kind tale of Australian larrikinism—told by the man who lived through it all.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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49:10

Why Did My Schoolmate Murder His Family?

What It Was Like ·

2025/02/07

In 1989, Melissa Fyfe was a high school student in Tasmania when her classmate killed his parents and younger brother. Shocked, the community buried the tragedy, leaving his motives a mystery. Now, Melissa shares what she uncovered when she finally started asking questions.Trigger warning: this episode contains childabuse themes.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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49:41

The Great Australian Coffee Shop Joke War

What It Was Like ·

2025/01/30

In 2019, a man named Fraser Harvey nominated himself'Customer of the Week' at a Melbourne coffee shop. A woman namedHarriett Noall retaliated and a game of oneupmanship arose. In this episode, we hear how a private prank accidentally became an internet sensation.Find us on TikTokFind us on YoutubeFollow us on InstagramA Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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108 results

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