Following the success of Diddy on Trial, Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty returns with a bold new series exploring the trending stories in celebrity culture – Fame Under Fire.
When scandal collides with celebrity, Fame Under Fire will be listeners’ backstage pass to the truth behind the headlines, examining the stories of high-profile figures unfolding in the media – from musicians, film stars, athletes, politicians, influencers and even royalty.
In an age of AI-generated “evidence”, misinformation, and unqualified “newsfluencers”, Anoushka and expert guests will myth bust and fact check the stories lighting up social media and beyond.
Episode One will be available on Thursday 24 July on BBC Sounds. The trailer episode is out now on BBC Sounds, listen here.
Diddy on Trial topped the podcast charts and saw Anoushka report on every day of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s trial from outside the courthouse in New York.
Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty said: “Diddy on Trial was unique because we were in conversation with our listeners throughout the case. This was audience driven journalism from the start, but it was clear after week one at the trial that the Diddy case was just the beginning.
We got thousands of messages and requests to look into other powerful figures. We put people in the spotlight on pedestals and invest in them. So when they fall, we want the truth. In Fame Under Fire, each week we’ll be investigating the stories of high-profile people who wield a different kind of, but no less influential, power in the world of pop culture.”
Rhian Roberts, Commissioner Podcasts & Formats, said: “Anoushka is the perfect presenter to host these conversations. She brings an authentic love and knowledge of this social media driven space. Fame Under Fire will be the podcast where listeners can get the best intel on the stories dominating their feeds. It’ll also give us all a bit of a moment to weigh up how important these stories are, where they come from and why we can get so caught up in them.”
Fame Under Fire will be made out of Salford by the BBC’s Long Form Audio department, the team also behind Diddy on Trial and the Mangione Trial. It will be visualised on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sounds YouTube channel.
Clare Fordham, Editor Long Form Audio: “I’m thrilled that Anoushka will be heading up this exciting new project from our base in Salford. The Long Form Audio team here have led the way in impactful youth-targeted visualised podcasts. Fame Under Fire will be on hand to debunk what you’re hearing on social media and get to the truth of what’s going on.”
Anoushka joined BBC’s Long Form Audio team in Salford in 2022, where along with hosting Diddy on Trial, she also contributed to Witness History and The Global Story on BBC World Service. She began her career making documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and her programme Degrees of Love was a New York Radio Award finalist. In 2020, she produced ‘Back to Uni’ for BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4, working with BBC investigative journalist Sue Mitchell (To Catch a Scorpion). She has also presented an episode of The Documentary Podcast on BBC World Service English which explored why young people are having less sex.
Episode 1 will be released on the 24 of July on BBC Sounds, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sounds YouTube channel and wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
If you are outside the UK, it’s available wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
AR2