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PODCAST

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

iHeartPodcasts and Novel

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one

true crime documentary

All Episodes

40:13

The Girlfriends S6/E7: Which Side Are You On?

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/10/05

Frustrated with their male-dominated union, a group of stewardesses consider a radical idea: forming their own union. Nell follows secret meetings, whispered alliances, and mounting risks as the women decide whether to stay loyal or gamble everything on independence. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ The archive you heard was the commercial “the Air Strip” from Braniff International. You also heard

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43:29

The Girlfriends S6/E6: What’s at Steak

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/09/28

As stewardesses push for dignity at work, everyday encounters expose how deeply power and sexism run in the airline industry. From union politics to moments of personal reckoning, Nell traces how one stewardess is forced to confront the cost of following the rules and the courage required to break them. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ You heard archive from an NBC special Report called The Teamsters Union

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44:38

The Girlfriends S6/E5: Wed to the Wings

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/09/21

In the 1960s, marriage could cost a stewardess her job. As a result, United Airlines flight attendant Celeste Brodigan lives a double life, hiding her husband from management. When the truth is discovered, the airline begins watching her every move until Celeste stands up for herself and her marriage, sparking a wider rebellion across the industry. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ You heard archive including

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44:54

The Girlfriends S6/E4: Wings of Change

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/09/14

In 1950s America, airlines refused to hire Black women as stewardesses. When Patricia Banks Edmiston is repeatedly rejected, she refuses to stay silent. By calling in civil rights leaders and taking on Capital Airlines, Patricia launches a landmark discrimination case that reshapes the skies and the industry. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS United States Mental Health 988 Suicide

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47:17

The Girlfriends S6/E3: The Golden Age

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/09/07

In the 1960s, stewardesses were forced to retire at 32, no matter their skill or experience. When Patt Gibbs and her colleagues publicly challenge the age rule, they confront a culture that values women only while they look young. The fight turns personal when a beloved mentor is quietly pushed aside. The archive you heard included the commercial “the Air Strip” from Braniff International and a 1963 television address by President John F. Kennedy on civil rights from John F. Kennedy

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41:31

The Girlfriends S6/E2: Losing It

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/08/31

Behind the cocktails and movie stars, stewardesses’ jobs depended on staying under strict weight limits. When Patt Gibbs is suspended for gaining a few pounds, a company doctor hands her diet pills with potentially dangerous consequences. As women push their bodies to extremes, Patt begins to fight back and discovers how costly defiance can be. You heard archive from the documentary The Rise of Labor from the CIA collections of the U.S. National Archives. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is

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43:53

The Girlfriends S6/E1: On Air

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/08/24

In the golden age of flying, air travel looked glamorous, but for the women working onboard, it was tightly controlled. Nell McShane Wulfhart takes us inside American Airlines’ “Charm Farm” where young stewardesses, like Patt Gibbs, were trained to be thin, obedient, and perfectly groomed. But everything changes after Patt impulsively attends a union meeting. The archive you heard was the 1967 commercial “Presenting the Losers” by Eastern Air Lines. The Girlfriends:

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3:19

Introducing The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/08/17

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to

en-US

43:03

Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Hélène...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/08/03

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Germany. Spring 1945. The writing is on the wall for the Nazis. And thousands of women are marching along dirt roads. If they stop walking, they’ll be shot. Their route is lined with piles of corpses. It’s a death march. Among these women are The Nine. Nine young women, all members of the French resistance, who have formed an extraordinary bond of friendship and support in the concentration camp in which they’ve been held. Their

en-US

49:15

Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Lu Ann...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/07/27

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: When Lu Ann Cooper was just fifteen years old, she was told to drop out of school and marry her first cousin. She would be his fourth wife. Lu Ann grew up inside the so-called Kingston Clan, a religious sect where, Lu Ann claims, every man is expected to have many wives, and every woman is expected to have many children. All with the aim of building up the Kingdom of God. But one day, Lu Ann couldn't take it anymore. She decided she had to

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40:56

Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Rose Solves,...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/07/20

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Rose Brady’s job running Baltimore County’s SVU was a frustrating one. The sexual violence crimes she and her team were investigating were just the tip of the iceberg. Her department was sitting on thousands of unsolved rape cases, dating back decades - with little hope of ever finding the perpetrators. That was until Rose made an incredible discovery: At a local hospital, a diligent forensic pathologist had kept in storage all the

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38:50

The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E24: Sucheta Exposes the...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/07/13

In 1992, the Bombay Stock Exchange in India was skyrocketing. And at the centre of this chaotic, testosterone fuelled world was Harshad Meta: a man with aviator shades, a Lexus, and a reputation as a financial wizard. To millions, he was "The Big Bull," a self-made hero who promised wealth to anyone who followed his lead.But Sucheta Dalal, one of the only female journalists covering the financial markets, wasn’t buying the hype. When she started digging into Harshad Meta, she uncovered

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38:42

The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E23: Anna Catches a Catfish

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/07/06

Anna Rowe thought she’d found the perfect man: attentive, caring and totally devoted to his children. But Anna gradually started to suspect that things weren’t quite what they seemed… Her doubts led her to some late night dating app sleuthing. What Anna discovers will unravel everything she thought she knew about love, trust, and the man she was madly in love with. And it will set her on a path to save thousands of women from romance fraud. The Girlfriends: Spotlight is produced

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36:30

The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E22: Carolyn Builds a...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/06/29

On Valentine's Day 2000, Carolyn Moor's life changed forever when a hit-and-run accident killed her husband Chad. She was left a widow in her 30s - and with two young daughters to raise alone. And she discovered that when you’re a young widow, there’s not very much support - especially not the sort of support you need to get through the long years of grief-stricken child rearing. So, Carolyn founded The Modern Widows Club - dedicated to enabling women of all ages and backgrounds to

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1:17

The Girlfriends: Spotlight Is Back...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/06/22

The number 1 hit true crime series is back with more women fighting crime, battling injustice and seriously kicking ass.In The Girlfriends: Spotlight, our global gang of girlfriends grew to include Pussy Riot’s punk icon and political prisoner Nadya Tolokonnikova, British Nigerian beauty queen and founder of Miss Trans Global, Miss saHHara and ‘The Erin Brockovich of East Africa’, environmental activist Phyllis Omido. Now host Anna Sinfield returns with more incredible stories.The

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31:39

The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E21: Morrell Breaks the Ban

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/06/22

When Morrell Andrews’s attacker was convicted of her sexual assault, she thought her fight was over. But it was just beginning. Because in Canada, where Morrell lives, ‘Publication Bans’ were enshrined in law. These bans meant that no one, including the survivor themselves, is allowed to publicly name the victim of a sexual offense. Effectively, if Morrell talked about her story in the press, or on her own social media - or even if she texted her friends or emailed her therapist

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28:48

The Girlfriends S5/Bonus Ep 2: Help! My Bestie’s...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/06/01

Confronting your bestie’s terrible boyfriend about his toxic behaviour can be tempting, but is it always the best course of action? How do you strike a balance between protecting your friend from becoming isolated, and being honest with them about your fears? In bonus episode two, Anna talks to social worker - Jen Lawrence - to learn more about the red flags of romance scammer behaviour, and what you can do about them. In this four part mini-series, we take a deep dive into our archive of

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29:12

The Girlfriends S5/Bonus Ep 1: Get Back Down Here Off...

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/05/25

In the years leading up to Derek’s conviction, his victims sometimes came forward to the media about their experiences. But when they did so, the reaction from the public wasn’t always sympathetic. In bonus episode one, Anna takes a closer look at the stigma that surrounds romance fraud with journalist Rachel Monroe, who covered Derek’s sentencing for The Atlantic back in 2018. In this four part mini-series, we take a deep dive into our archive of never before heard interviews, to

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43:52

The Girlfriends S5/E6: The Gold Bracelet

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/05/18

Girlfriends from all over the country finally converge on a house in Texas. And they meet a woman who’s been waiting on answers from Derek Alldred, for decades. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org. To learn more about romance scams, and to access specialised support, visit https://fightcybercrime.org/ The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from

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2:29

Introducing: Kingdom of Fraud

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight ·

2026/05/16

It’s the unlikeliest of criminal partnerships: a devout polygamist from an insular Utah sect joining forces with a shadowy Armenian tycoon from LA. The result - a billion dollar fraud conspiracy. In Kingdom of Fraud, investigative reporter Michele McPhee traces the origins of the extraordinary alliance between Jacob Kingston and Levon Termendzhyan. Together, the two men trigger the largest tax investigation in American history and weave around themselves a web of dirty cops, influential

en-US

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