Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas - Hollywood & Crime

Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: "Hollywood & Crime" – Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas

Host: Jane McSorley (for “I Am Not Nicholas” clip)
Date: July 21, 2026
Episode Type: Clip/Preview Feature (from “I Am Not Nicholas” podcast)

Episode Overview

This episode of Hollywood & Crime features a special clip from Jane McSorley’s investigative podcast, I Am Not Nicholas. The segment introduces listeners to the twisting, high-profile case of Nicholas Rossi—a man arrested in a Glasgow Covid ward, accused by US authorities of being a wanted rapist, but who insists he is an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight. McSorley recounts her four-and-a-half-year dive into the mystery, with a taste of the bizarre real-life drama that followed.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Unbelievable Origin (00:00–01:10)

Jane McSorley recounts discovering the story:
- She was “scrolling the morning news back in January 2022” when she read about the arrest of a man in a Glasgow Covid ward.
- Police claimed he was fugitive Nicholas Rossi, wanted for rape in Utah; the man claimed he was Arthur Knight, an Irish orphan.
- Quote [00:14]: “I thought, this is unbelievable.”
The start of a years-long investigation:
- McSorley sets out to uncover the truth behind the contradictory identities, never expecting to follow the case for “over four and a half years.”

On-the-Ground Reporting & Encounters (01:11–01:54)

Door-knocking and interviews:
- Jane describes door-to-door efforts and unpredictable interviews.
- Quote [01:23]: “You just don’t know what’s going to happen when somebody answers that door.”
Notable revelations from interviews:
- Various interviewees express disbelief (“Oh my God. He’s not dead. No way.”) and describe strange behaviors and claims of mistaken identity.
- Conflicting character sketches emerge:
  - “[He] would lock me in the upstairs bathroom. All I had was the running water.”
  - “He has never hurt me, never touched me. He doesn’t abuse me.”

The Identity Controversy Unfolds (01:55–02:52)

McSorley’s confusion and intrigue:
- Struggles to fathom the “magnitude” of the situation and the “storm” it becomes.
- High on her priority list: see the man in person.
Arthur Knight’s court appearance:
- Jane and other journalists witness a surreal scene:
  - Quote [02:34]: “Arthur Knight is wheeled in. He was in a wheelchair and he had burgundy pajamas on. He had a burgundy matching dressing gown and he even had a burgundy cloth covering his entire head so you could not see his face. It was just like this burgundy mass on wheels.”
  - He wore “socks, no slippers,” looked frail and unwell.
  - Quote [02:49]: “I was with a group of journalists and we're all looking at each other thinking, what on earth is this story? What on earth is this man all about?”

In the Courtroom: Theatrics and Defiance (02:53–03:45)

Description of Arthur Knight/Nicholas Rossi in court:
- He was physically weak: “He’d had Covid very badly… in and out of intensive.”
- Appearance: “He looks like he could be 64. He’s small, he’s round, he’s hunched over. Greasy, lank hair… beard peppered with gray. Very pasty white… round black John Lennon style glasses.”
Behavior in court:
- Disrespect for court proceedings: “He repeatedly, repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor, his own lawyer, and shockingly, the sheriff, the judge.”
- The reveal:
  - The sheriff directly addresses him: “Are you Nicholas Rossi?”
  - Arthur Knight responds: “No, I’m Arthur Knight.”
  - McSorley notes he was reprimanded multiple times for his disruptions.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

On stumbling into the story:
“I immediately thought, this is unbelievable. A man had been arrested in a Glasgow Covid ward. Police were saying he was a fugitive called Nicholas Rossi, who was wanted for rape in Utah. But he was claiming to be an Irish orphan called Arthur Knight.”
– Jane McSorley (00:08)
On the uncertainty of interviews:
“You just don’t know what’s going to happen when somebody answers that door.”
– Jane McSorley (01:23)
On seeing Arthur Knight for the first time in court:
“It was just like this burgundy mass on wheels… I was with a group of journalists and we're all looking at each other thinking, what on earth is this story? What on earth is this man all about?”
– Jane McSorley (02:37 – 02:49)
On Arthur Knight’s court demeanor:
“He had complete disrespect for the court proceedings. He repeatedly, repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor, his own lawyer, and shockingly, the sheriff, the judge.”
– Jane McSorley (03:17)
On Knight’s claim of identity:
“He asks him, are you Nicholas Rossi? And he said, no, I'm Arthur Knight. And then he continued unabated.”
– Jane McSorley (03:36)

Key Timestamps

00:00–00:22: Jane McSorley introduces the story of Nicholas Rossi/Arthur Knight.
00:23–01:23: Description of investigating the story, initial disbelief, and starting the search.
01:24–02:11: Unexpected encounters in the investigation—interviews with neighbors and witnesses.
02:12–02:52: Decision to see Knight in person—his surreal courthouse appearance.
02:53–03:45: Knight’s behavior in court, his health, and the escalating drama.

Closing

The episode leaves listeners with a cliffhanger and a direct call:
“But are you curious to know how it ends? Follow I Am Not Nicholas on Audible…” (03:46)

Tone:
Jane McSorley’s delivery is inquisitive, energetic, and resolutely journalistic—full of curiosity, incredulity, and dogged pursuit. The story’s tone is suspenseful and laced with darkly comedic moments arising from the eccentricity of the subject.

For Listeners

This clip offers a taste of the bizarre, stranger-than-fiction tale at the heart of I Am Not Nicholas. With its dramatic characters and outlandish courtroom scenes, it’s an irresistible hook for true crime audiences drawn to cases of mistaken—or fabricated—identity at the intersection of international law, media spectacle, and human oddity.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Hi, I'm journalist Jane McSorley and I'm about to play you a clip from my podcast, I am not Nicholas. I came across this story as I was scrolling the morning News back in January 2022, and I immediately thought, this is unbelievable. A man had been arrested in a Glasgow Covid ward. Police were saying he was a fugitive called Nicholas Rossi, who was wanted for rape in Utah. But he was claiming to be an Irish orphan called Arthur Knight. I thought, I really want to look into this. And would you believe I ended up following this story for over four and a half years? Here's a taster. I wanted to ask if you knew the American man that lived here. I was seeing this as months and months of work. Hello, my name is Jane McSorley. Do you have just a few minutes now? And it has become practically a year. You just don't know what's going to happen when somebody answers that door. Oh. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He's not dead. No way. I knew he was still alive. I knew right away. It was very strange. It was very strange. He would lock me in the upstairs bathroom. All I had was the running water. He has never hurt me, never touched me. He doesn't abuse me. A case of mistaken identity. I mean, what on earth is going on? It really is an unfortunate situation. I cannot get my head around the magnitude of this. It is beginning to become a storm. Top of my list when I start work on the story in January 2022 is I want to see this man, Arthur Knight. Well, he claims to be Arthur Knight, an innocent Irishman living in Glasgow. The US authorities say he is really an American fugitive called Nicholas Rossi. I hear he's due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court a few days later for a bail hearing. The court is just a 10 minute bike ride away from my house and I'll be there. It was just the most unbelievable sight. I was outside the courtroom, Arthur Knight is wheeled in. He was in a wheelchair and he had burgundy pajamas on. He had a burgundy matching dressing gown and he even had a burgundy cloth covering his entire head so you could not see his face. It was just like this burgundy mass on wheels. He had socks on, he had no slippers on. So it was just that first image of him. I was blown away. I was with a group of journalists and we're all looking at each other thinking, what on earth is this story? What on earth is this man all about? So then we all get into the courtroom. He's got at least two paramedics there, there Must have been prison officers there. And Miranda, his wife, was there and the cloth is gone from his head. Clearly Arthur Knight wasn't well. You know, he'd had Covid very badly and he was in and out of intensive. He had a mask covering his nose and his mouth. He had oxygen going into his mask. He's 34. He looks like he could be 64. He's small, he's round, he's hunched over. He's got greasy lank hair. He's got this beard that's peppered with gray. He's very pasty white. He's got these round black John Lennon style glasses. He had complete disrespect for the court proceedings. He repeatedly, repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor, his own lawyer, and shockingly, the sheriff, the sheriff, the judge. And it started from the outset. He asks him, are you Nicholas Rossi? And he said, no, I'm Arthur Knight. And then he continued unabated. And he was told off by the sheriff at least twice, if not three or four times. So that's how it started. But are you curious to know how it ends? Follow I am Not Nicholas on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts for series one and series two. I am not the Trials. You can binge all episodes early and ad free by joining Audible on the Audible app or Apple Podcasts.