A Very British Cult

Latest episodes

Showing 9 · updated from the feed

8. The Showdown

It’s the final showdown. The BBC team finds out there’s been another investigation going on in parallel to their one. It’s by the Government, who want Lighthouse shut dow

Apr 5 2023
29 min

7. Us and Them

The people inside cults aren’t the only ones whose lives are transformed. There’s also the family members and friends, who are left behind. When Jeff left Lighthouse, h

Apr 5 2023
29 min

6. Control

We meet Simon, who ended up deep in Lighthouse, recruiting for them, monitoring their critics and living with his mentor. But one day Simon says he realised he was actual

Apr 4 2023
29 min

5. Paulie

To understand Lighthouse, Catrin needs to try and understand Paul Waugh. She delves into his past to investigate his claims of incredible wealth, high profile business co

Apr 4 2023
29 min

4. Getting Out

The investigation is finding out more and more strange things about Lighthouse. We hear what happens when people start to question what is happening. Catrin speaks with E

Apr 4 2023
30 min

3. The Life Coach

Catrin is quite cynical about the concept of life coaching. She’s now spent months speaking with people who signed up to it and ended up in a cult. So, she has a session

Apr 4 2023
29 min

2. The Daily Call

Jeff is being drawn deeper and deeper into a life coaching group called Lighthouse. He loves having a mentor and feels great about life. Now it’s time to take the next st

Apr 4 2023
28 min

1. Lighthouse

In November 2021 investigative journalist Catrin Nye got a call from Dawn. She said her boyfriend Jeff was trying to leave a cult. But this cult was also a life coaching

Apr 4 2023
29 min

Welcome to... A Very British Cult

Catrin Nye gets a mysterious call that plunges her into an unsettling world of self-help and cults. What happens when a life coach takes over your life? In early 2019 Je

Mar 29 2023
2 min

Chart trend

Position in the Documentary chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#72#142JulAugSepOct

#10

all-time peak

1

day in the top 10 since Jan 2025

Chart positions

Where A Very British Cult ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 15, 2026).

#55 ▼ 10 Documentary US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I love cult related investigations. This one was less morbid than many which was welcomed. I feel for victims and families. The last episode was pure gold. I commend the journalist who was 7 months pregnant. Confronting Paul Waugh was courageous as he spews his absolute nonsense and quite literally sounds like a maniac. Bravo!

Dianedm · Oct 2024

Definitely binge-worthy! Appreciated learning some new info about the topic. Like so many (if not most) life coach scammers it involves an almost hard to believe history. Still trying to figure out what makes it so “very British” though, because as the producer says, this could (if it hasn’t already) happen in your neighborhood! Would love an update. Love to all who are healing from cult experiences

d00dles4science · Jun 2024

Well researched and very engaging. I don’t understand the complaints about the title. It’s an expose on a cult based in UK. Excellent. Binged all the episodes. Healing to all who left and hopefully will leave in the future.

Gblb10 · Mar 2024

Such a wonderfully researched podcast. People think cults are more like the Manson Family or Jim Jones’ cult but this group hit all of the signs of a cult. Interesting!

JailhouseDoc2014 · Feb 2024

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.