I'm Not a Monster Podcast
Seeking to separate fact from fiction, the multi award-winning series returns. Josh Baker investigates the divisive story of Shamima Begum.
Seeking to separate fact from fiction, the multi award-winning series returns to investigate the divisive story of Shamima Begum.
When three London school girls went missing in 2015, they generated global headlines and the media storm that ensued continues to this day. Back then, investigative journalist Josh Baker was filming at a mosque in the girls' neighbourhood as their families came to seek help; their daughters were on the way to Syria to join the Islamic State group. But it was too late, and they disappeared inside the so-called caliphate.
For four years, their fate remained a mystery - with only occasional glimpses and sometimes conflicting reports of what they were doing with the terror group being made public. Only one of the girls emerged from the ashes of the so called caliphate - Shamima Begum.
The new series will take listeners inside Josh's attempts to figure out what really happened, unearthing new information about one of the most talked about stories of our time. He travels from Bethnal Green in East London to the depths of what was ISIS controlled Syria as he challenges Shamima Begum and investigates if the story she tells is true.
Series One - 'I'm Not A Monster: from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS'
The first series of I'm Not A Monster told the story of Sam Sally, an American mother who left behind a comfortable life and travelled to the heart of what the Islamic State group called its caliphate with her family. Her husband became an IS sniper and her 10 year-old son was forced to appear in an infamous propaganda video threatening President Trump. It's the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s most awarded podcast series to date, having received 16 nominations, winning 11 awards in 10 different international programme competitions including the Rose d 'Or for Best Audio series, three Golds and the Grand Jury Prize at the New York Festivals Radio Awards and Best Documentary Series at the Webbys and the inaugural Podcast Academy Awards (the Ambies) in 2021.
Episodes to download
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Series 2: The Court Decides—The Shamima Begum Story
Fri 23 Feb 2024
Was it lawful to take away Shamima Begum’s British citizenship?
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Series 2: Josh Baker Answers Listener Questions—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 29 Nov 2023
Your questions answered on Shamima Begum and the making of the multi-award winning series
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Series 2. Our Live Show—The Shamima Begum Story
Tue 8 Aug 2023
14/10 What do you want to know about The Shamima Begum Story and the making of the podcast?
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Series 2: 10. The World’s Unwanted—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 22 Mar 2023
13/10 What happened to the girl Shamima Begum says convinced her to join ISIS?
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Series 2: A Message From Josh—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 15 Mar 2023
12/10 Episode 10 will be available on Wednesday March 22nd
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Series 2: 9. State of Mind—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 8 Mar 2023
11/10 Shamima Begum enrages the British public and ends up stuck in Syria.
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Series 2: 8. No Plan B—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 1 Mar 2023
10/10 The so-called caliphate crumbles and a pregnant Shamima Begum is desperate to come home.
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Series 2: 7. Trapped—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 22 Feb 2023
9/10 Someone close to Shamima Begum is looking for a way out of the so-called caliphate.
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Series 2. 6. Father Figure—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 15 Feb 2023
8/10 With her husband in prison, Shamima Begum is left in the care of a stranger. Who is he?
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Series 2: 5. Empty Paper—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 8 Feb 2023
7/10 The supposed paradise turns out to be a prison.
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Series 2: 4. When You’re In Love—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 1 Feb 2023
6/10 What convinced 15-year-old Shamima Begum to leave London for ISIS? And who?
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Series 2: 3. Double Agent?—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 25 Jan 2023
5/10 The man who smuggled Shamima Begum to Syria claims he was spying for Canada.
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Series 2: 2. The Point of No Return—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 18 Jan 2023
4/10 Retracing Shamima Begum's route reveals a dangerous smuggling network, but that’s not all.
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Series 2: 1. It Felt Like a Dream—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 11 Jan 2023
3/10 A London schoolgirl disappears. Four years later she's found in Syria with ISIS.
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Introducing… The Shamima Begum Story—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 4 Jan 2023
2/10 Investigating the story of Shamima Begum
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Coming soon... The Shamima Begum Story—The Shamima Begum Story
Wed 31 Aug 2022
1/10 The award-winning series returns to investigate the divisive story of Shamima Begum.
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Series 1: 13. Your questions answered—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Tue 25 Jan 2022
Josh responds to questions you’ve been sending us since the series finished.
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Series 1: 12. Those we leave behind—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Tue 18 Jan 2022
In Northern Iraq, Josh finds out how two people you’ve been asking about are doing now.
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Series 1: 11. Epilogue - The wounds and the scars—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Tue 16 Nov 2021
What happened to the family Josh was staying with when an ISIS bomb struck their home?
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Series 1: Update—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Sat 13 Nov 2021
Josh is back with news of what to expect next.
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Series 1: 10. It’s all behind me now—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Fri 12 Feb 2021
Matthew talks about his escape, his future and how he feared he’d never see America again.
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Series 1: 9. The rest be damned—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 1 Feb 2021
After years of insisting she’s innocent, Sam changes her story. Why?
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Series 1: 8. I take my book back—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 25 Jan 2021
Josh retraces Sam’s steps in Syria and asks could she have been an ISIS member all along?
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Series 1: 7. On American soil—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 18 Jan 2021
As she sits in a jail cell in Indiana, Josh confronts Sam about holes in her story.
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Series 1: 6. Now I’m calling the shots—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 28 Dec 2020
A torture prison, buying slaves and a dramatic escape: Sam continues her story.
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Series 1: 5. We had a great life—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 21 Dec 2020
On a military base in Syria, Sam begins to tell her side of the story.
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Series 1: 4. She’s like my mother—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 14 Dec 2020
Ten days searching war-torn Syria lead to an offer of help, but can it be trusted?
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Series 1: 3. My name is Yusef—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 7 Dec 2020
ISIS releases a new propaganda video and all appears lost.
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Series 1: 2. Read between the lines—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 30 Nov 2020
A man claiming to be a smuggler offers to help the family, but all is not as it seems.
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Series 1: 1. I love you, I miss you—Series 1 - from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS
Mon 23 Nov 2020
An American mother sends a desperate plea for help from inside the ISIS caliphate.