Episode Six: House of Cards

Summary

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Fraudacious – Episode Six: House of Cards

Podcast: Fraudacious
Host: Novel, in association with BBC Studios
Date: April 6, 2026

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Overview

This episode, "House of Cards," delves into the unraveling world of the charismatic and mysterious Ekaterina Barrett, a self-styled Russian socialite whose lavish lifestyle dazzled and deceived those around her. With former friends and clients now pressing criminal charges, and creditors circling as her financial empire faces collapse, reporter Vicki Baker and her collaborators pursue new leads from Monaco to London to uncover how Barrett's entire world of wealth, power, and trust is on the verge of toppling. This chapter focuses especially on a new theft case in Monaco, Bridget Hutchcroft’s unrelenting fight for justice, and the exploration of Ekaterina’s motivations as the legal net tightens.

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Key Discussion Points and Major Insights

1. Another Victim: Marine's Encounter in Monaco

• Marine, personal stylist, recounts being charmed and later deceived by Ekaterina in late 2024.
  • Initial meeting was friendly and flattering, with Ekaterina showing wealth and connections (01:07–03:28).
  • Ekaterina pressures Marine into providing a €1,000 cash "deposit" for an exclusive Hermès event — a pattern of manufactured urgency (03:49–04:19).
  • Marine leaves her bag unattended; Ekaterina takes another €1,550 from her Hermes handbag (05:11–05:24).
  • When confronted, Ekaterina deflects with bravado:

    "Darling, they don’t steal 1,000 children. If I steal, I steal millions."
    —Ekaterina Barrett (as recounted by Marine), 05:38

  • Marine presses criminal charges “out of principle,” believing Ekaterina to be dangerous (13:38).

2. The Legal Net Tightens

• Bridget Hutchcroft’s ongoing battle to recover over £1.6 million intensifies:
  • Ekaterina hasn't repaid loans, failed to pay court-ordered penalties, and is now facing imminent eviction from her Monte Carlo apartment due to defaulted mortgage (07:00–08:00).
  • Bridget must apply (at further personal cost) for the court to enforce consequences for Ekaterina's contempt — justice comes at a steep price:

    "Well, is that justice? No, it’s disgusting. I mean, it’s shocking. Shocking."
    —Roger, Bridget’s friend, 08:00

3. Monaco Court Proceedings — The Last Facade Falls

• Ekaterina faces trial for two thefts:
  • Charge 1: December 2024 — theft of €1,000+ Balenciaga boots from a luxury store, captured on CCTV (09:32).
  • Charge 2: September 2024 — the theft of €1,550 cash from Marine’s handbag at Hotel Metropole (10:36).
  • Her defense: complete denial and claim that Marine gave "permission" for the cash—disputed by the victim.
  • Outcome:

    "Ekaterina Barrett has been found guilty of both thefts ... €5,000 fine. No jail time, but a clear warning."
    —Ocean Zitteny (French Reporter), 12:16

  • The court acknowledges lack of prior Monaco convictions, insists on consequences to deter future offenses.

4. Why Do People Back Down? The Power of Litigation

• Multiple sources describe being threatened with “very frightening” legal responses after challenging Ekaterina (17:00).
• Law firms representing her — including prestigious Farah & Co. and Payne Hicks Beach — also become creditors, suing for hundreds of thousands in unpaid fees (17:00–19:09).
• Even legal professionals are left out of pocket, their prestige and resources unable to shield them from manipulation.

5. The Evaporation of the Illusion of Wealth

• Worst-case scenario for Bridget: The sale of Ekaterina's Monaco apartment will not yield compensation due to other creditors (mostly banks) with priority.
• The myth of Ekaterina's wealth—once "as rich as a Rothschild"—unravels as EFG International sues her for €10 million (22:00–23:00).
• Her last property asset is a flat in Israel, but it is complicated by her mother residing there (34:14).

6. The Face-to-Face

• Vicki travels to Monaco, attempts a direct approach with Ekaterina outside her residence (27:15–29:47).
  • Ekaterina, looking every inch the moneyed socialite, refuses to give an interview:

    “We have a lot of court cases at the moment.” —Ekaterina Barrett (paraphrased), 28:00

  • She threatens police involvement if followed, but betrays a fleeting warmth and magnetism in person.

7. Motives and Reflections

• Marine and Bridget speculate on Ekaterina’s psychology:
  • Thrill-seeking and compulsion are seen by Bridget as possible motivations beyond mere financial need:

    “I think it's a compulsion with her. I think she enjoys the thrill and that's why she didn't retire and hang up her ballet shoes.”
    —Bridget Hutchcroft, 16:17

  • Marine: "That's why I go all the way, because I know that she's dangerous." (13:38)
• The podcast reflects on the damage left in Ekaterina's wake—shaken trust, enormous legal bills, and the emotional toll on those duped.

8. The Cost of Justice

• Bridget’s total burden is now over £2 million (legal costs + original loan).
  • "I certainly wouldn’t do this ever, ever again … it’s a lot of money, isn’t it?" —Bridget Hutchcroft, 35:02
  • Roger and Bridget both express disillusionment with the justice system:

    "It's an arse. I don't trust our legal system. I don't think it's for the ordinary man and woman." —Bridget Hutchcroft, 35:45

9. What Remains

• Despite defeats, Bridget feels telling her story is a kind of victory:

  "I wanted her to be blown out of the water so that if anybody…they really know." —Bridget Hutchcroft, 37:24

• Both Bridget and Roger see Ekaterina’s power and reputation finally crumbling.
• Bridget, after eight years, has made her peace:

  "I don’t actually feel anything about her. She’s certainly not worthy of a sleepless night, you know, I find it quite pathetic, actually." —Bridget Hutchcroft, 39:59

• Life at Pandora Dress Agency continues. Bridget’s business and social circle are intact, her resolve and dignity preserved.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ekaterina’s audacious defense:
  “Darling, they don’t steal 1,000 children. If I steal, I steal millions.”
  —As recalled by Marine, 05:38
• On the financial and emotional cost:
  “Well, is that justice? No, it’s disgusting. I mean, it’s shocking. Shocking.”
  —Roger, 08:00
• On principle and warning others:
  “She was wrong to choose me… that’s why I go all the way, because I know that she's dangerous.”
  —Marine, 13:38
• On the system and legal attrition:
  "It's an arse. I don't trust our legal system. I don't think it's for the ordinary man and woman."
  —Bridget, 35:45
• Ekaterina’s enduring mystery:
  “I don’t know if she knows who she is. I’d be surprised.”
  —Bridget, 17:00
• On moving on:
  “She’s certainly not worthy of a sleepless night… I find it quite pathetic, actually.”
  —Bridget, 39:59

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:07–05:51] – Marine's story: Meeting, grooming, betrayal, and aftermath.
• [07:00–08:31] – Bridget and Roger discuss the escalating legal quagmire.
• [09:04–12:16] – Live updates from the Monaco theft trial; verdict delivered.
• [13:38–15:23] – Marine's principles in pressing charges and post-trial reflections.
• [16:17–17:00] – Bridget analyzes Ekaterina’s possible compulsions and psychological drivers.
• [17:00–19:09] – The pattern of legal threats, unpaid lawyers, and manipulation.
• [22:00–23:00] – The truth behind Ekaterina’s "empire": debts, auctions, and the fading illusion of wealth.
• [27:15–29:47] – Vicki’s attempt at a direct interview with Ekaterina in Monaco.
• [34:14–36:13] – Bridget’s and Roger’s reflection on legal system failures and ongoing tolls.
• [37:24–41:56] – Bridget’s reflections, closure, and the continuity of her life and business.

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Tone, Language & Style

The episode is investigative, relentless yet empathetic, blending hard legal and financial facts with the personal voices of victims, supporters, and bystanders. Moments of gallows humor and incredulity surface regularly, underscoring the absurdity and tragedy of the situation. Vicki Baker maintains measured curiosity and skepticism; Roger and Bridget alternate between weariness, indignation, and dry wit; Marine’s testimony includes candor and regret.

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Summary

Episode Six of “Fraudacious” peels away the last layers of Ekaterina Barrett’s glamorous facade. With criminal convictions in Monaco, high-profile creditors in pursuit, and her hold on luxury and power weakening, even the system itself appears powerless to deliver swift justice to her victims. Bridget’s story stands out as a cautionary tale about trust—how easily it’s manipulated by the promise of wealth, and how devastating the costs can be. Yet, against a backdrop of legal and financial devastation, the episode ends on a quietly resilient note: Bridget and her circle endure, their worlds rebalanced, even as Ekaterina’s house of cards finally tumbles.

Transcript

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[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

is a novel production for BBC Studios.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

When we met, she said, you're so

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

beautiful Marine is talking about her first encounter with Yekaterina Barrett in Monaco.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

I didn't feel like she's strange that she gave me compliments. You know, it was nice.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine is a personal stylist, so these sort of interactions come with her territory. She's in her mid-30s and extremely chic with perfect makeup and tousled honey blonde hair. And she is yet another unsuspecting party who was briefly lured into Yekaterina's orbit. Marine said she met Yekaterina at a local gathering. It was September 2024.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

I saw that she's a very kind woman. I was super kind to her as well and she just started to ask me like what do you do in life?

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

It felt like a pretty regular conversation with an older woman who was dripping in designer labels and could potentially be a new client.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

I started to explain her that I style people, but I also can get very hard to get items because I have connection in different stores and I have some shoppers in different countries like London, Milano and I can get anything that she would like to have.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine says it wasn't long before Ekaterina invited her to an event arranged by fashion house Hermes in London.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

Not to invite me financially, to invite me to join her trip. I said that I will take the ticket for myself and the hotel for myself. I thought that she's a cool woman who like all of my clients that just want my my service. And I said yeah, why not? But we will have to of course see, sit down to meet each other to talk to See how we can do it.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine reminded herself that this woman is a stranger. She wondered if there could be an ulterior motive.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

I thought to myself, let's meet in a place where I feel protected.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

They agreed to meet in the five star Hotel Metropole. It's discreetly tucked away beside the casino.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

We met in the lobby. She invited me to have lunch. So we had the lunch, but also we went to a very, very private room. If I'm not wrong, it was like the cigar area.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine says they talked about Israel, which is where she's from and where Yekaterina's mother lives.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

She gave the feeling that she is very, very wealthy woman. And she said that she has some family, very wealthy as well. That her mother, she has a house in Tel Aviv in Israel. She mentioned many times her mother. She showed me the photos. Look how beautiful view. She did a great job to make me believe and maybe to trust her.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine's initial reservations started to melt away. She says Ekaterina also showed her an email invitation to the Hermes event, and she asked Marine to commit to attending with her.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

She told me, how can I be sure that I will give your name to Hermes and you will be the one who will join me? Like, how can I know that you will not cancel in the last minute? I told her, listen, I have some cash here. Take €1,000.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine says it was unusual for her to have cash in her bag, but she had some on that particular day. She offered it as a deposit of sorts. It is very unusual to give cash to someone you just met. But these look like some telltale signs from Yakatarina's past behavior. The charm and the illusion of security building into pressure and urgency. Looking back on it, Marine can't believe she gave her money either.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

Stupid for my side to trust like that. But I said, take it like that. At least you know it's true. Maybe you will order the flight for me with the money I gave you.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine says she made it clear she was happy to pay her own way on this trip. Then she excused herself for a moment. She needed to give her apartment key to a friend who'd just popped into the hotel lobby.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

I left the bag on the sofa in front of her.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

And that's when Yekaterina saw the opportunity. She reached into Marine's Hermes handbag and found the envelope of cash she took.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

€1,550.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

That's on top of the money Marine had already willingly handed over to her. Marine was outraged when she realized money had been stolen from her bag. She confronted Yekaterina about it.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

She said, darling, they don't steal 1,000 children. If I steal, I steal millions.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

I'm Vicky Baker and from novel in association with BBC Studios, this is Fraudatious. Episode 6 house of cards. I know I need to head to Monaco myself to try to speak to Yekaterina and find out more about her recent exploits there, including an alleged theft from a handbag. But before I do, I spend some time trawling through all the information we've collated so far, all the court documents, all the interviews. At the start, this story was one woman against another. Bridget Hutchcroft versus Yekaterina Barrett. It's become so much more. It's 2025 now and the updates are coming in thick and fast. Bridget still hasn't got her money back, but it does seem that there are real signs that things are unraveling for Ekaterina. After acquiring the multi million pound apartment in Monte Carlo via Leo Lomart, she's failed to pay the mortgage, so she's facing imminent eviction. She also hasn't paid the penalty that she was supposed to pay to Bridget. After the contempt of court ruling, it's now possible that an arrest warrant could be issued against Ekaterina in the uk. Although Bridget has discovered this is not automatic. Even though Ekaterina received a criminal conviction and has broken the terms of the suspended sentence, it's down to Bridget to make an application to the judge to make her face the consequences. This means even more legal fees to get your Katarina back in court. Roger was livid about this when he told me.

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

I asked our lawyers what the approximate cost to get her back in court yet again. Oh, somewhere between 15 and 20,000 plus VAT, just to get her back. Assuming, of course, you can get her back. Not guaranteed either, is it? And then the judge can consider if she wants to enact the sentence or not. There you are. Well, is that justice? No, it's disgusting. I mean, it's shocking. Shocking.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

And in the meantime, it appears that Ekaterina has been up to no good in Monaco. I've had a tip off that she's facing a theft trial after Marine, the personal stylist, pressed charges over the handbag incident. After all the digging into Yekaterina's past, it feels vital that we get a full understanding of her very current situation. As the trial for the theft charge approaches, I've asked Ocean Zitteny, the French reporter who I've been working with, if she can head back to Monaco's High Court to find out more.

[Ocean Zitteny (French Reporter)]

Hey, quick update from Monaco's courthouse. So Ekaterina is sent here in person today. She's being represented by her lawyer. The judge didn't accept the request to postpone the hearing, so the trial is going ahead this afternoon. She's facing two charges here, Katerina.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Two, I was expecting. One linked to the cash allegedly swiped from Irene's handbag, so I'm surprised to hear about another.

[Ocean Zitteny (French Reporter)]

The first One is from December 2024. She's accused of stealing a pair of Balenciaga boots. CCTV shows her trying on clothes, going into the feeding rooms with the boots, then coming out without them, saying they didn't fit. She had a scarf over her bag and she left. The shop staff say the boots worth over thousand euros weren't found in the Fidig room. Her lawyer asking for full acquittal, saying there is no clear proof and she can easily afford them. He described her as a big client of Monaco luxury stores.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

I am shocked by this allegation. Yekaterina has always presented herself as a VIP client of these high end stores. So that's the first charge, the alleged theft of some designer boots. And it turns out it's the second charge that relates to the incident with Marine at the Metropole Hotel in September 2024.

[Ocean Zitteny (French Reporter)]

Ekaterina denies stealing the money. Her lawyer says she had permission to take it, but the victim says that's not true.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

It seems the case doesn't cover the thousand euros Marine voluntarily gave to Yekaterina as some form of deposit. And I can see why. Even if Maureen felt she was misled, this would be much harder to prove. But the allegation is still astounding. And even more so because the court is told that Ekaterina paid back almost all of the €1550. But Marine still chose to pursue the case out of principle.

[Ocean Zitteny (French Reporter)]

The verdict hasn't been delivered yet. The prosecutor is asking for €10,000 fine, no prison time, just to make sure Ekaterina doesn't re offend.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Having wrangled with all Ekaterina's deeply complicated court cases, her endless denials, her resilient counterclaims, her slippery language on the witness stand. Having spent so much time unpicking her tricksy financial dealings, having gone back decades to work out if she's legit or not, we are now in a courtroom in 2025 and it's come down to this. Such basic allegations. Shoplifting a pair of boots and pickpocketing from someone's handbag I find myself glued to my phone, waiting for OCN to send me another voice note with news of the verdict. And then I get a ping.

[Ocean Zitteny (French Reporter)]

Ekaterina Barrett has been found guilty of both thefts. The missing Balenciaga boots from December and The stolen cash, €1,550 from a young woman's bag at the Hotel Metropol. She's been given five. €5,000 fine. No jail time, but a clear warning, especially for someone with no prior convictions in France or Monaco.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Guilty. Ekaterina is a convicted thief in Monaco twice over. This feels like a new low, especially after all her past grandstanding. You'd think she'd be keeping her head down after her recent criminal conviction in the uk. Why not just enjoy her money and her freedom? But I'm also interested in the victim in this theft story. In court, it was said that she pursued the case out of principle. It is not easy taking on Yekaterina Barrett in a legal case. That's certainly something Bridget has learnt. I ask Ocean if she'd be willing to meet Marine after the trial to ask her some more questions about why she pressed charges. Marine suggests meeting in the restaurant of another five star hotel in Monte Carlo.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

She was wrong to choose me. She thought that I would be like young girl. I would not have let her to do something so bad. And that's why I go all the way, because I know that she's dangerous.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Marine sounds defiant now, but she says she questioned herself initially. When she first noticed the money had gone missing. She presumed she dropped it somehow. She didn't suspect Ekaterina. She says the penny only dropped after she called the manager of a local fashion store and told her who she'd had lunch with.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

She told me, marion, be careful. It's not good for your reputation. She cannot be your client. And also be careful for your private things, because she might steal from you as well.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

After this warning, Marine decided to contact the police, who she says quickly retrieved CCTV recordings from the hotel. Sure enough, the footage showed Yekaterina swiftly nabbing the cash from Marine's bag.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

It's also my lesson. In the beginning, I gave her money, which is not responsible. I will not teach my kids to be so fast and to trust the people.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

In one second, Marine light. Bridget says she was motivated to take action as a warning to others, although she also felt the money Ekaterina took from her was far from insignificant.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

It's the salary of a person. It could be the food for my kids, it could be the rent that I have to Pay someone.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Maureen says that when she confronted Ekaterina about it afterwards, the reaction was not what she expected.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

She still was begging to me, like, please come with me to London, don't cancel. So this is really unbelievable because I was looking at her and I said, I can't understand you.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

And it was during this post theft negotiation that, according to Marine, Yekaterina tried to dismiss the situation in a way that only Ekaterina could. By saying she doesn't stoop as low as stealing thousands. No, no, darling. If Ekaterina Barrett steals, she steals millions. It's one hell of a line. Is Yekaterina now openly bragging about her schemes? Bridget has told me before that she would die of embarrassment if she had been caught for just one of Ekaterina's transgressions. I hadn't really thought about this alternative though. Could Yekaterina actually be proud? I wonder what Brigitte will make of the news that Yekaterina has been caught red handed stealing boots and swiping cash in Monaco.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

It's just unbelievable. I think it's a compulsion with her. I think she enjoys the thrill and that's why she didn't retire and hang up her ballet shoes. She must get something out of it. Adrenaline.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Is Ekaterina stealing because she's run out of money and she needs to keep up appearances? Or because it's a buzz? If it's a buzz, could that also apply to some of the other parts of this story? The shopping sprees, the gambling, the unpaid debts. One question I really want to ask you, Katarina directly, is why? Why do you live like this? I'm not sure if she could answer.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

I don't know if she knows who she is. I'd be surprised.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Thinking of Bridget, thinking of Marine. I can see it takes a lot of guts to take on your Katarina Barrett. But that's not to say I don't fully understand those who don't want to take their personal cases with her any further. Through the course of this investigation, I've spoken with multiple people who've tried to raise a complaint against you, Katerina. And they've received what they call very frightening legal letters from her in return. All these people are unconnected to each other, but their stories have so many parallels. Ultimately they back down. They decide it's not worth the risk. But I've also heard rumors that Ekaterina hires these big gun lawyers. Sometimes ones with particularly tough reputations and eye wateringly expensive hourly rates. And then she doesn't pay them. I have found Multiple law firms who had to launch legal cases against Yekaterina Barrett after representing her. Payne Hicks Beach. Yekaterina's lawyers for her divorce took her to court for debts of more than 115,000 pounds. And Farah and Co, the lawyers that represented Yekaterina against Bridget and who are also the legal firm the UK royal family uses. They launched a claim against Ekaterina in 2022 for more than £236,000 in unpaid fees. Neither of these firms represent her now, but they aren't alone. There are multiple other law firms who have found themselves out of pocket after dealing with her. I find it incredible that this is possible. These court cases have a huge impact on other people's lives. I contacted Payne Hicks beach and Ferranco for comment. I didn't hear back. I'm on my way to Monaco to try to meet Ekaterina in person. But first I stop in a cafe in a small French town on the outskirts. I meet someone, a former casual employee of Ekaterina, who gives me a warning. Excuse my language, she says, but she's fucking dangerous, man.

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[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

A man straps himself into a car on the world's most dangerous racetrack. He whispers to himself, it's time to

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put my balls on the dashboard as

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

he starts the engine.

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In 15 minutes, he's in an ambulance, unconscious. In 15 years, he's a billionaire.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

This is Toto Wolff, Formula One's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive to Survive.

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[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Okay, so I can see the doorbell, the sort of intercom, the names, and I'm looking for Barrett. It's August 2025 and I'm standing outside Ekaterina's apartment block in Monaco. This is the multi million pound apartment we've heard so much about. The place that came to her via the Belgian steel magnate Leo Lomart. The place that Bridget has visited multiple times. This apartment has bought Ekaterina so, so Much credibility. Bridget had hoped at one point that the sale of this place would be the key to her getting her money back. But now that Ekaterina has missed the mortgage payments, it looks as though that's off the table. The apartment is set to be sold at auction. And with so many other people and institutions now pursuing Ekaterina for money, Bridget has been bumped down the list of creditors after, among others, EFG International. Remember the private Swiss bankers from EFG who Roger and Bridgette met for lunch at the brasserie? Remember they claimed one of the bankers offered them reassurance, saying Ekaterina Barrett was as rich as a Rothschild. Times have changed. EFG International are now pursuing Ekaterina Barrett for 10 million euros that they say she owes them. They provided the mortgage. EFG International declined to comment when I asked them about this. It's a very 70s 80s idea of luxury. I'm outside Yukatarina's apartment with our assistant producer, Valeria Rocker. It doesn't look crazy luxurious from the outside to me, but I imagine that inside is super nice. Yeah, the building has no luxury flourishes, really. It's sort of sandstone Y brick, big picture windows dotted around the building with kind of reflective glass. Valeria has been digging into this story alongside me and you can probably also hear literal digging. There's a huge tower going up in front of these apartments. It's not the most peaceful spot in Monaco, I'm sure. I'm not buzzing on the door right now. First, I want to give Ekaterina a chance to respond to a message I've sent. I think she's in town, but I can't be sure. My understanding is that she had to come back before the locks were changed. The bailiffs are due in 2023. Ekaterina put this apartment on sale. She listed it for 22 million euros, which I'm told is a figure that is highly ambitious. It didn't sell. If it had done, Brigitte would almost certainly have tried to make a claim on the money. I phoned a local estate agent here in Monte Carlo who told me this apartment block has always been known for being a bit dark on the inside and the area's newer buildings are now more desirable, given that Yekaterina has reportedly run it into a state of disrepair. Valuers have suggested it could now be worth 8 to 11 million pounds. In its favor is its location. It's in the Golden Square, which is a loose term used to describe any property in the vicinity of the Monte Carlo Casino. The place that's seen as Monaco's biggest draw. I've still got two gray tics on my WhatsApp message. Ekaterina doesn't seem to have read my text. I'm going to give her some more time to consider my request to talk. And the waiting time feels like a good opportunity to explore her world. I've never seen so many Lamborghinis in one place. They sit parked in a row directly outside the entrance of Monte Carlo Casino. They're all in garish colours, lime green and burnt orange. Many of them have customised number plates referencing superheroes and mythological beasts. This is my first time in Monaco. Despite what I've heard about it being a playground for the super rich and a renowned tax haven, I still wasn't quite prepared for the reverence of wealth, especially around Casino Square. This is Monte Carlo's heart. Throngs of tourists queue up to pass through security checks and get a glimpse inside the casino building. With its Belle Epoque, marble pillars and frescoed ceilings, it looks more like an opera house or a cathedral. I can't help but notice the bronze statue in the central atrium. A blindfolded woman carrying a horn of gold coins, which look like they're about to spill onto the floor. To me, it feels like a warning against gambling, but patrons apparently love it. They touch the gold coins for good luck. According to the sculptor, the statue is blind because you never know when good fortune arrives. And when it goes. It makes me think of Ekaterina, her risky approach to life, to money. Risks can pay off, or they can backfire on you spectacularly. By the next morning, Yekaterina still hasn't responded to my message, so we head back to her apartment block to see if we can catch her in person. It's 9am and the temperature's already rising. Our theory is if she's heading out for a walk, she might do it early, before it gets closer to 30 degrees. I don't hold out much hope. I wonder if she is inside, whether her glamorous standards have slipped. Maybe that's the reason for not coming out or replying. Or maybe she'll think I'm with the bailiffs. But then, through the greenery that surrounds the apartment complex, I spot what looks like a flash of bright red hair. And honestly, this is alarmingly instantaneous. I had imagined we'd end up waiting for hours, maybe entirely fruitlessly. Valeria and I raced down the hillside to the front of the building, still unpacking our microphones. It's her. Yekaterina Berrett. She's dressed in a long, bright white lace dress, wearing a full face of makeup and with a sun hat shading her face. She's standing with a woman who's dressed in what appears to be a black uniform. A nurse, perhaps, or some sort of home help. She's holding Ekaterina's arm. They both smile at me as I approach. Ekatrina hi. I wanted to speak to you. My name's Vicki Baker. I work for a podcast company. I can't broadcast Ekaterina's voice due to privacy laws in Monaco, but I can tell you she smiled openly at first before realizing I was press and saying a very firm no to interviews. Ekaterina and her companions start to walk away from me, arm in arm across the road. We have a lot of court cases at the moment. I try to call after her. She tells me she'll call the police if I follow her, so I stop still. But then, for a brief moment, she also stops in her tracks. We're now on opposite sides of a zebra crossing and she's smiling surprisingly warmly, considering she just threatened me with the police. She leans in, seemingly waiting to hear what I say next. Do you have any intention to pay back the debts that are outstanding? Do you have the money to do so? I'd love to know more about you. She turns to walk away, and then she's gone again, walking arm in arm through central Monte Carlo with the woman in black. That, I discover, is the noise I make as the woman I have so many questions for disappears out of view. From a reporter's perspective, it's a case of mixed feelings. I feel relieved to have found her and made my interview request in person, but it feels so frustrating to see her slip away again. We've come so far in unpicking her misdeeds across the decades and across Europe, we've built a picture of how she operates. But it still feels like there's so much I want to know about the bigger picture stuff, the stuff that's never discussed in a courtroom. Where did all this start, Yekaterina? Have you got any compassion for the people who say they've lost so much money to you? Do you get some sort of thrill from stealing and not paying bills? Where will you go next if you lose your apartment? And has it all been worth it? So we've made an approach. We've tried to to hear her side of the story. It was a. A very firm I don't want to speak. Which is disappointing. Valeria and I are debriefing on the pavement. There's a part of her that wants to talk. I don't know that for a fact. That's just the impression she gave me. And I do know that she likes attention. Like she stopped, she smiled a few times. She said she didn't want to speak, but she turned around to listen. Her eyes kind of slightly lit up when I first went down there. Like she's not averse to talking to people, to strangers. I think I might have glimpsed a flash of that magnetism, the hypnotic eyes that Bridget has spoken about. The way she locks into a gaze. I can imagine it can be quite powerful. I don't want to mythologize you, Katarina. There's a danger of that when you've heard so much about someone and you don't get the face to face time to truly understand them. I don't think I had much hope of a sit down interview where she would bare her soul. I'd hoped perhaps she might expand on the it's all lies comment she gave to the Daily mail back in 2023. But since then she's had criminal offences recorded in the UK and in Monaco. And she has so many legal troubles right now, including her battle to stay in the apartment, I'm not really surprised she's keeping quiet. When I get back to London, I email Yekaterina a full list of the allegations against her. I give her the opportunity to respond to what interviewees and sources have told me. We have gathered so many testimonies, all from different eras, jurisdictions and walks of life. Within a week, she emails back. She says the information gathered appears to rely on false and misleading information provided by hostile or malicious parties whose objective is to damage my reputation. The motivations behind this publication raise serious concerns about fairness, accuracy and responsible journalism. I offer her the chance to to provide further clarification or documentation to support her position. I don't hear back. I wonder, with debts mounting, theft convictions, lawyers chasing her for money and an eviction looming, is Ekaterina finally running out of road?

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[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

Hi.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Hi, Roger. How are you?

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

Good to you see.

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

See you.

[Whole Foods Market Announcer]

Good.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

It's now September 2025. I'm meeting Bridget and her good friend Roger in Pandora Dress Agency, where this story started eight years ago when Yekaterina came in looking for a dog sitter. It feels like the options are running out for Bridget in terms of getting her money back. With a payout from the Monaco apartment looking to be off the cards, one of the last hopes is forcing a sale of a flat that Yekaterina owns in Israel. They believe this could bring Bridget around £250,000. Roger, as always, is across the details.

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

That process has now moved on to the point where a receiver has been appointed to take possession of the apartment with the authority of the court. And that will have its own little pitfalls, of course, because technically, although it's Ekatrina's flat, she has her mother living in there. And that's going to be needed to be handled, I think, probably with a certain amount of cooperation of the local authorities.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Roger estimates that Bridget's total legal costs now stand at around £800,000. That figure is on top of the 1.6 million she's owed by Ekaterina for the loans. So in total, she's out of pocket by more than 2 million.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

I certainly wouldn't do this ever, ever again. I wouldn't chase somebody, you know, because it's a lot of money, isn't it?

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

That's the thing. The legal costs are just so enormous.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

Enormous, Absolutely enormous. More than you'd ever believe, to be honest.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

I asked Bridget how it feels to discover your Katarina is not paying her lawyers.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

In a way, I'm quite pleased because it's like bloody hell, you know, people who know their trade have allowed her to do that if they get stung. I had no chance because they're hardened, you know.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

How's it made you feel about the legal system?

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

It's an arse. I don't trust our legal system. I don't think it's for the ordinary man and woman.

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

I don't think any normal person could ever get credit for more than a few thousand from their lawyer. We never have. All the lawyers we have used in Monaco, in Liechtenstein, in the uk have never given us credit in terms of the work they provided.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

The trouble, according to Roger, is that when you start these proceedings, you can't abort the plan midway. You have to see things through. They were warned at the start that taking on your Katarina would be like opening Pandora's box. But they still had hope.

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

The biggest thing that Bridget had that I would say overwhelmingly sort of spurred her decision on, was the sense of justice. You still feel, I can't let this woman get away with it. You know, plenty did, by the way. Plenty of people let her get away with it. Even now, people let her get away with it. But Bridget, you know, I suppose in her instincts of sort of a fighter, was determined.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

I feel like Ekaterina has met her match with Bridget in many ways. If there's one thing that they have in common is that they go all in. Bridget has put everything into this case and Yekaterina has put everything into fighting it. So who's the winner at this point? While Bridget may not have her money back, she says that one certain victory comes through telling her story.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

I wanted her to be blown out of the water so that if anybody, whether they're a waiter or a lawyer or a so called friend, that they know, that they really know.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Ekaterina will be 70 next year. Isn't she ready to retire from this life of continuous financial and legal conflict? I know she's launched an appeal against the eviction. I know she's also appealed the theft charge relating to the missing cash from Marine's handbag. But it does feel like the house of cards is crumbling.

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

What is she going to do? Because there is going to come a day when she is kicked out of that apartment. The trappings that she's always enjoyed, you know, being able to shout at people because they were all too scared to shout back at her because they thought she was this super mega wealthy person. It's just amazing how people do that, isn't it? You know, people kowtow to people that they think have got this sort of financial power.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Roger has hit on an interesting point. The trappings aren't all material. They include power and that is also crumbling. Roger and Bridget have also found no evidence of a pot of gold or any sort of rainy day fund, but they still think it could exist somewhere. They don't think Ekaterina would run herself completely down to the wire.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

I'd be very shocked to find, you know, she ended up in jail somewhere, or she ended up starved to death or something. I think she's got a pot of something somewhere.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

I'm thinking back to how I came into this story when I saw pictures of Yekaterina in the press. Yekaterina with her three greyhounds, striding through Monaco dressed head to toe in designer gear, a possible multi millionaire, a potential con artist and very much a mystery. How well do I know her now? On a personal level, she may still be an enigma, but on an operational level, we know how she works. I've heard how Yekaterina has wrought havoc in people's lives, leaving them doubting themselves, unsure who to trust and stressed by legal battles. I asked Brigitte how she feels about Yekaterina. Now eight years on, I don't actually

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

feel anything about her. She's certainly not worthy of a sleepless night, you know, I find it quite pathetic, actually.

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

That's the good thing about you, Bridget. You see, you still don't feel bitterness or hatred or anger at all.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

Yeah, well, it certainly doesn't eat me at all. I may think of it, but I don't think it's more in a sort of abstract way. But certainly she hasn't stop me from being me, you know.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Something drew Yekaterina and Bridget together briefly, and their worlds have now been intertwined for far longer than either of them could have imagined. But it now feels like they're on very different trajectories. Is Yekaterina, by contrast, all alone with her dogs? I don't know. I don't know who she calls when she has problems. But I do know she's driven away a lot of people who've tried to help her over the years. How's life looking for you now?

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

Me? Fine. I'm good. Yeah, very good. My business is doing well. My family are all well. Roger's good. No, we've come out of it. We've never had a cross word. Everybody's supporting me, really.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

And with that, life at Pandora Dress Agency goes on.

[Marine (Personal Stylist)]

Hey there.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

How are you?

[Roger (Bridget's Friend)]

Good.

[Bridget Hutchcroft]

All right. Just sort of. Just have a look at your file. I can't remember where I put it.

[Vicki Baker (Narrator/Reporter)]

Audacious is produced by Novel in association with BBC Studios. For more from Novel, visit Novel Audio. The show is written and produced by me, Vicki Baker. The assistant producer is Valeria Rocca. The editor is Philippa Goodrich. Our fact checker is Dania Suleiman, production management. From Sheree Houston, Charlotte Wolf and Joe Savage. Sound design, mixing and scoring by Daniel Kempson. Narration recorded by Nick Thackeray Kron development by Sonny Marr, Jess Brown Swinburne, Anna Phelan and Willard Foxton. Additional production by Leona Hamid, Sacha Baker and Ziana Youssef. The series artwork is designed by Christina Lemkel. Our executive producer is Max o'. Brien. Craudaceous is a novel production for BBC Studios, the BBC's commercial subsidiary.