Global investigations from the BBC. Gripping stories from around the world – delve into a World of Secrets.
Latest season:
Catching My Teacher. They were taught to obey. But they learnt to resist. When students from a network of boarding schools in Indonesia hear about a dark secret at the heart of a national institution, they set out to find the truth — not knowing what it will cost them. This is a story about friendship, love and who you can trust.
Also, previously on World of Secrets:
Searching for Soldier Dad. DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya then disappeared.
Al Fayed Predator at Harrods. Women accuse Mohamed Al Fayed of rape.
And The Abercrombie Guys. Investigating sexual exploitation claims against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
The Abercrombie Guys: 12. Mike Jeffries to stand trial
Updating you on Mike Jeffries' time in a prison hospital and the latest legal developments. What has been revealed in court, and when is the trial scheduled to take place
Sep 3 20 min
The Darkest Web: 3. The hidden child
US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been shari
Mar 2 25 min
The Darkest Web: 2. Man with the amazing memory
US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been shari
Feb 23 25 min
The Darkest Web: 1. Meeting a monster
US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning work together to track down people who sexually abuse children and share images of their abuse online. They thought they kn
Feb 16 29 min
The Child Cancer Scam: 6. The calls
After never receiving the money raised in their children’s name, mothers are finally confronting the scammers and demanding answers.
Now is the time to ask why. Where i
Dec 29 2025 33 min
The Child Cancer Scam: 5. The agency
The investigation into why millions of dollars promised to families with sick children never reaches them moves to Israel. There we find misleading addresses and more que
Dec 29 2025 28 min
The Child Cancer Scam: 4. The contract
A mother from Ukraine signs a contract, hoping that it will help her young daughter. Viktoriia has a brain tumour: her story is plastered all over social media despite he
Dec 22 2025 27 min
The Child Cancer Scam: 3. The recruiters
A woman called Isabel pushes a little girl to send videos from her hospital bed. It’s part of a recruitment drive for sick children in Colombia to take part in campaigns.
Dec 22 2025 31 min
The Child Cancer Scam: 2. The director
As videos of other sick children pleading for money are found online, we find out more about the man behind the camera. And it becomes clear that there’s a complex networ
Dec 18 2025 28 min
The Child Cancer Scam: 1. The video
Seven-year-old Khalil from the Philippines has cancer. His family hope making a campaign video might save him, because they desperately need help to pay for his treatment
Dec 15 2025 27 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 11. Mike Jeffries under arrest
"Anyone who thinks they can exploit others by using the so-called casting couch system... prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison."
Prosecutors in New Yo
Oct 26 2024 25 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 10. Final Fantasy
"I thought I was gonna die." A man fears for his life after attending an Abercrombie Guys event. Mike Jeffries time as Abercrombie and Fitch CEO comes to an abrupt end, m
Sep 13 2024 49 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 9. The FBI is at my door
The FBI is investigating following allegations made in World of Secrets. The Abercrombie Guys vehemently deny wrongdoing and an old acquaintance comes to their defence, w
Sep 13 2024 41 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 8. The Fallout
A lawsuit is filed revealing new allegations, but what did Abercrombie and Fitch know? An anonymous source speaks about Mike Jeffries' time at A&F, but the company won't
Nov 21 2023 29 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 7. Do You Remember Me?
The Abercrombie Guys’ alleged main recruiter is tracked-down to a small town in Wisconsin and asked about his involvement in the operation: “Nobody went into this without
Oct 2 2023 33 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 6. Inside the Operation
Do you know how much money I was getting paid?"
A former assistant who travelled with The Abercrombie Guys agrees to talk: "They were trying to act so perfect,” he says
Oct 2 2023 27 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 5. Midnight in Marrakesh
A model is made a lucrative offer to meet the Abercrombie Guys in Morocco: “I'm going to Marrakesh, this is awesome!” But events, he says, take an unanticipated dark turn
Oct 2 2023 41 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 4. The Mysterious Mr Smith
Who is the other Abercrombie guy, Matthew Smith? “Witty, strict and secretive” says a former colleague.
Papers reveal the influential role he had in the life of his par
Oct 2 2023 35 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 3. The Marine
A former US marine turned reality TV star is invited to Mike Jeffries' mansion in the Hamptons. He dreams of being an Abercrombie and Fitch model, and he hopes to impress
Oct 2 2023 33 min
The Abercrombie Guys: 2. Who is Mike Jeffries?
He made Abercrombie and Fitch a millennial megabrand, marketing "sexy clothes on sexy people”, as one former colleague of Mike Jeffries put it.
At home he had model-lik
Oct 2 2023 34 min
Chart trend
Position in the Documentary chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#34#67JunJulAugSep
#2
all-time peak
10
days in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where World of Secrets ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 28, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
While some seasons are better than others (Abercrombie and Death in Dubai being my favorites), this podcast is overall quite well done. The delivery is effective, good choice of format and layout of story, etc. But as you get to the last episode it’s as if they’re washing their hands of the story - an effective series would have a follow up episode when new details emerge or an episode about what’s being done on that topic (has the UAE tightened up their security on sex workers for instance). So, that’s a letdown I’d say.
empa5 · Aug 2026
Each season grabs your attention even more. This podcast brings to light events in people’s lives that are not always reported on the news. It is well thought out and reported on. 10/10 recommendation.
Cf298 · Jun 2026
While some of the premises don’t always immediately grab me, they always turn out to be interesting dives into things I’d mostly never heard of or thought about before. Great reporting.
Bungo754 · May 2026
This show critical and important information for people to know and better understand the topic. The series is informative, personal and connects all the facts on specific cases in the unfolding narrative. Sensitive material that may be triggering —so warnings are included.
Blue Blonde · Apr 2026
Poor storytelling, production, reporting and research. Good true crime podcasts are effortlessly entertaining. This was far from mediocre. The production with dramatic music attempts to tease cliff hangers at parts, which was very odd… The English accents attempted to mask how little substance this narrative had. It wasn’t compelling in the least.
Marquis Bustavez · Nov 2025
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
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Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of World of Secrets, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
