Ghosts of Agde | 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Mystic and The Mayor

Podcast: The Mystic and The Mayor
Host: Wondery
Episode: Ghosts of Agde | 1
Date: August 5, 2025

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Episode Overview

In the debut episode of The Mystic and The Mayor, hosts Anna Richardson and Leo Chic dive into the improbable and unsettling events that rocked the tranquil French coastal town of Agde. The episode explores how Mayor Gilles d’Ettore, seeking solace after the death of his father, turns to local mystic Sophia Martinez during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown. Their relationship, initially rooted in spiritual inquiry, spirals into town-wide scandal amid rumors, anonymous supernatural phone calls, and questions of abuse of power and exploitation. The hosts set out to investigate how grief, vulnerability, and belief can upend not just a single life—but an entire community’s sense of reality.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Setting the Scene: Agde’s Contrasts

• Agde is described as a picturesque, ancient town with cobbled streets, a cathedral, fisherman’s quarters, and a famous nudist (and swinger) resort.
  • "[Agde is] a town where time seems to hold its breath. ... But that would be a lot less interesting and a lot less true." — Leo Chic [00:25]
• Local resident Brigitte Michelange details the liberal, respectful ethos of Agde’s nudist quarters, reinforcing the unique, tolerant character of the town.
  • "When you're naked, no one knows whether you're a CEO, a surgeon, or a laborer.... A woman saying no is respected. ... There's a lot of tolerance and respect." — Brigitte Michelange [04:29]

Covid’s Impact & Mayor Gilles d’Ettore’s Personal Journey

• In spring 2020, Agde is brought to a standstill by Covid-19; the town’s mayor, Gilles d’Ettore, faces solitude and deep personal reflection.
• Gilles’s bond with his late father—who died before fulfilling his own mayoral ambitions—remains profound and unresolved for Gilles.
  • "[Gilles] drives around with his father's jacket in his car...on election day...he wears the jacket. ... It shows that behind the strength he shows...he can be quite fragile." — Jean Pierre Amarget [06:46]

The Mystic Enters: Sophia Martinez

• Gilles, feeling lost and yearning for connection, is introduced to Sophia Martinez, a local medium with an impressive client list (police, doctors, government officials).
  • "Word spread that she was really gifted...he was amazed at the first time." — Louise Colcombe [07:58]
• Sophia quickly wins Gilles’s trust; he openly recommends her, unwilling to hide his reliance on her psychic gifts.

The Allure (and Scepticism) of Mediums

• Anna Richardson shares her own familiarity with the paranormal, affirming a mixture of belief and scepticism.
  • "I've come across a lot of charlatans. ... Maybe two mediums...I just cannot explain what they're doing." — Anna Richardson [10:35]
• Leo, the sceptical journalist, recounts his own moving encounter with a medium, Valerie Gruget, who unexpectedly references his grandmother’s name, Margaret.
  • "My grandmother's name was Margaret. ... Already it was like, how did she know that?" — Leo Chic [12:16]
  • "It really felt like I'd spent time with my grandfather. ... Whether it's for real or not, it doesn't really matter because it's established as real in your mind." — Leo Chic [13:48]

Vulnerability, Grief, and Manipulation

• Both hosts reflect on how bereavement fuels people’s susceptibility to mediums and spiritual advisors.
  • "We're talking about people that are bereaved, they're grieving. And it's tantalizing...that I could just speak to that person that I love again. So I get it." — Anna Richardson [16:33]
• Leo gains insight into the power Sophia wielded over Gilles, explaining how vulnerability in grief can create dependence and belief.

The Mystery Deepens: Calls from ‘Beyond’

• As Agde recovers from lockdown, Gilles receives mysterious phone calls from a “No Caller ID”, with a voice identifying itself first as the Archangel Michael and then as his father.
  • Dramatized Call:
    • "I am the Archangel Michael...I have a message from your father." — Actor as Archangel Michael [17:19]
  • "This voice gradually entered my daily life. ... His answers seemed completely convincing." — Gilles d’Ettore (actor, quoting interview) [18:27]
• The nature of these calls grows increasingly intimate and strange—the “archangel” asks Gilles to call him “Papa,” blurring the lines between comfort and manipulation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Agde’s culture:
  "Naked in the sun, going swimming is a joy. ... If you want to swing, fine. ... There's a lot of tolerance and respect. It really is the place to be."
  — Brigitte Michelange [04:29]

• On the mayor’s grief:
  "He drives around with his father's jacket in his car, and on election day, ...he wears the jacket. ... it shows ... he can be quite fragile."
  — Jean Pierre Amarget [06:46]

• On psychic dependance:
  "He was so fond of her that he would talk to anyone about her and say, you should see her, you should see her. ... She was a princess and she used her magical stick or something on him."
  — Louise Colcombe [09:53]

• On the blurred line between reality and belief:
  "It really felt like I'd spent time with my grandfather. ... Whether it's for real or not, it doesn't really matter because it's established as real in your mind."
  — Leo Chic [13:48]

• When things turn sinister:
  "At some point, this person or thing...posing as the Archangel asks Gilles to call him Papa."
  — Leo Chic [19:19]

• Anna’s raw reaction:
  "What the fuck?"
  — Anna Richardson [19:44]

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Important Timestamps

• Agde’s Character and Divisions: [00:25] – [05:11]
• Covid Changes Everything: [05:11] – [07:14]
• Gilles & Sophia Meet: [07:14] – [08:54]
• Anna & Leo Discuss Mediumship & Scepticism: [09:11] – [11:30]
• Leo’s Personal Medium Experience: [11:42] – [13:48]
• Reflection on Grief and Vulnerability: [13:48] – [16:33]
• The Phone Calls Begin: [17:19] – [19:44]
• Escalation & The “Papa” Revelation: [19:44] – End

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Tone and Style

Throughout the episode, the tone shifts from picturesque and contemplative to investigative and, at times, unsettling. Anna brings warmth, wit, and a touch of dry English humour; Leo balances journalistic rigour with moments of introspective vulnerability. Their chemistry keeps the unfolding mystery engaging and the scepticism grounded.

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Episode Takeaways

• Agde is more than just a quaint town—it’s a microcosm of how personal grief and the allure of the supernatural can weave into politics and public life.
• The episode challenges listeners to reflect on their own beliefs about the afterlife, the power of grief, and the ease with which even the powerful can become vulnerable.
• Episode 1 sets the stage for deeper exploration of the relationship between Gilles and Sophia, the ripple effects on Agde, and the interplay between belief, manipulation, and power.

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Next Episode Preview:
Expect more revelations about the impact Gilles and Sophia’s entanglement has on the town—including bizarre public ceremonies, escalating rumours, and the growing sense that supernatural machinations might be colliding with the machinery of governance.

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Transcript

[Anna Richardson]

Binge all episodes of the mystic and the Mayor exclusively and ad free right now on Wondery. Plus, start your free trial in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or the Wondery app.

[Leo Chic]

On the southeastern coast of France, there's a town called Agde. It's been described as a town where time seems to hold its breath. It's an ancient town, one of the oldest in France, with a Roman Catholic cathedral and cobblestone alleyways. I guess I could tell you that this is a fairy tale about this town where the ocean breeze mixes with the scent of freshly baked baguettes and people sing to each other on their way to the market. But that would be a lot less interesting and a lot less true.

[Anna Richardson]

A story in Today from the south.

[Louise Colcombe]

Of France, a small town has been rocked by events involving the local mystique and the mayor.

[Anna Richardson]

French Town Reels from Fortune Teller Scandal.

[Jean Pierre Amarget]

Is it possible to be bewitched in one French town? That's the question on everybody's lips.

[Leo Chic]

Because behind the ivy covered walls and pastel painted facades of this coastal town, there are mysterious forces at work and they are just beg to be unleashed. I'm Leo Chic, a journalist based in London. I was partly raised in France. My dad is French and I speak the language. A story from the French media caught my eye and for the past year I've been investigating it. Now I want to share it, but I need a partner in crime.

[Anna Richardson]

I'm Anna Richardson, I'm a TV presenter, I'm a journalist and I think for the first time in my career, I'm sitting in a studio, the mic is live and I genuinely know absolutely nothing about this story.

[Leo Chic]

I've spent months in France and now I'm back in the uk, in the studio with you, Anna, and I cannot wait to tell you all about it.

[Anna Richardson]

And at this point I've got to tell you I'm 100% in because here's just a few things you should know about me. I. I'm a qualified Hypnotherapist. I've spent 30 years making shows about the paranormal. Weirdly, I'm a pretty damn good Tarot reader. Personally, I find them a useful tool in my life. So in a way, really this story found me.

[Leo Chic]

This is the mystic and the Mayor, Episode one. So I'm in the town centre. This is like the historic center. So they're all like, really? Yeah. Itty Beach Street. Got some information here. Built in 1651, just this specific house. So that gives an idea of how old things are. And it's Very charming. I just recorded the bells from a church. They're still ringing.

[Anna Richardson]

I mean, I've got to tell you, this place sounds like absolute heaven. It sounds idyllic. I'm just imagining amazing food, the cobbled streets, the history of it, and then sort of dozing on the beach and, you know, beautiful, crystal clear water that you then swim in. It sounds perfect.

[Leo Chic]

All of the things you said are true and doable. But I just want to give you a little bit more detail. Cause it's kind of three towns. So you've got this historic park. It's been a town since the 12th century. It has a Catholic cathedral, complete with a turret and a wraparound viewing platform. Then there's the fisherman's village. It's so beautiful. It's got these small, colorful houses that line the coast. And there's a harbor where fishermen bring in the fresh catch from the day. The third part attracts a very specific type of tourist.

[Anna Richardson]

Okay.

[Leo Chic]

It's known for its nudist village. Oh, it's known for being the swinging capital of Europe. No, here's local nudist Brigitte Michelange Natural.

[Brigitte Michelange]

The naturalist village is above all of living together, respecting each other. Naked in the sun, going swimming is a joy. That's what I like. Free spirits. When you're naked, no one knows whether you're a CEO, a surgeon or a laborer. If you want to swing, fine. You can accept or refuse. No one pushes beyond that. Even in nightclubs. If you want to stay in your couple or with friends, no one will bother you. A woman saying no is respected. The man won't insist. Everyone does what they want with their body. There's a lot of tolerance and respect. It really is the place to be.

[Leo Chic]

But in spring 2020, AGD was a very different place.

[Anna Richardson]

It's a milestone nobody wanted to reach.

[Brigitte Michelange]

France joins Italy, Spain and the US.

[Anna Richardson]

As the fourth country with more than 10,000 thousand recorded COVID 19 deaths.

[Leo Chic]

The streets were empty. Sails on boats in the harbour remained curled up and unused. The nudist beach was desolate, without a towel in sight. Swingers, fishermen and holiday makers all stayed at home. The man in charge of this hibernating town was Mayor Gilles de Tor. Gilles grew up in Agde and his family had been part of the community for for decades. He's married and worked as a policeman before getting involved in local politics. Gilles was elected more than 20 years ago. He is seen as a kind, amiable leader, one who makes himself available to his constituents. The older people in the town knew Gilles dad, who also dreamed of becoming mayor. In the 90s, he finally got his chance and launched a campaign. Locals say he was the favorite to win, but he died before the election took place. Five years later, Gilles picked up where his father left off. Running for mayor and stepping into the dream his father never got to live. The bond between Gilles and his father was strong. And as Jean Pierre Amarget, a journalist for the local paper Midi Libre, told me, he kept his father close even after death.

[Jean Pierre Amarget]

I have been told this story by several people. Gilles drives around with his father's jacket in his car, and on election day, every time they announce results, he wears the jacket. That makes me think there really was a connection that was broken when his father died. And Gilles didn't necessarily cope with that. It shows that behind the strength he shows to people in the town, he can be quite fragile.

[Leo Chic]

When COVID 19 shut down the world, AGD, like many places, became a lonely town. With time to reflect, long buried emotions came to the surface. And with many of the daily connections we all took for granted removed, Gilles made a decision. More than two decades after his dad's death, he wanted to be close to him again. He wanted to speak to his father. So Gilles went to meet a professional medium working locally, a mystic called Sophia.

[Louise Colcombe]

Okay, it's a policeman that introduced them.

[Leo Chic]

This is Louise Colcombe. She's a journalist for a French daily newspaper called Le Parisien. I asked her how the mystic and the mayor first met.

[Louise Colcombe]

She had many clients in the police officers, and the word spread that she was really gifted. And so from one people to another, the mayor, Gilles d', etat, was the next policeman. So obviously he got introduced to her, and he was amazed at the first time.

[Leo Chic]

Wow.

[Anna Richardson]

Okay, so in the midst of this, of lockdown, basically a very, very stressful time, Gilles meets a medium called Sophia. And she claims that she's able to communicate with the dead. But by all accounts, she's.

[Leo Chic]

Yeah, yeah, she was very, very highly recommended. And we know that by the time the two met, Sophia had been living in AGD for some years, and she'd established this client base that included people from the police, doctors, government workers.

[Anna Richardson]

Well, this is the thing, isn't it about, you know, any good psychic or medium is that it becomes a bit of an underground thing and word of mouth recommendation. And every single psychic or medium that I've ever worked with will say to me, my clients include judges, police, royalty.

[Leo Chic]

Why do you think that they're telling you that?

[Anna Richardson]

I think that the point I'm trying to make is that this becomes a sort of secretive underground recommendation thing where people publicly may say, I do not believe in this whatsoever. But then privately, people at the upper echelons of society are then going to see their local medium or psychic for whatever reason.

[Leo Chic]

That's really interesting. And I think that there's a degree of that happening here. So she saw people from all walks of life. I really don't think that she discriminated. And a lot of them seem to spread the word that she was gifted and she believed in her straight away. Here's Louise again.

[Louise Colcombe]

He was so fond of her that he would talk to anyone about her and say, you should see her, you should see her. He wasn't discreet about this. He really believed it and said, call her, call her. You'll see. She's incredible. She was a princess and she used her magical stick or something on him.

[Leo Chic]

So I actually have Sophia's own words from an interview she gave with Midi Libre. This quote is voiced by an actor.

[Anna Richardson]

Thanks to me, he was able to.

[Leo Chic]

Communicate with his late father. He experienced incredible things. As I found out more about this story, I wanted to experience a mystic for myself. Anna, what are your thoughts on mystics and mediums? Do you believe in them?

[Anna Richardson]

Now, that is a really big question. Weirdly, in my career, I have produced several shows around the paranormal. So I've worked with a lot of psychics and mediums, and I can honestly tell you that I reckon I've come across a lot of charlatans. I've met maybe two mediums in my life where I just cannot explain what they're doing. So do I believe in mediums? Yes.

[Leo Chic]

So you believe that they have mystical powers?

[Anna Richardson]

I would like to believe that there is something beyond this realm and that some people are able either to be able to read you or to have a connection in the collective unconscious where they can possibly speak to the beyond. That's my sort of person. I can't explain what some of them do, and I've witnessed it. That's all I can say.

[Leo Chic]

My gut reaction to the supernatural is to always try to look for an explanation.

[Anna Richardson]

Sure, then totally. I mean, journalists, we're both journalists, so we want to sort of have that skepticism and that search for the truth and say, hang on a minute. There's gotta be some kind of a fraud going on here. What's this all about? You just cannot explain it.

[Leo Chic]

I went to AGD and I actually. I met a medium there who made me really question my instincts.

[Anna Richardson]

Oh, really?

[Leo Chic]

This is Valerie Gruget, a professional Medium. When I told her I was skeptical and showed her a photo of my grandfather, her reading felt like guesswork. Until it didn't.

[Anna Richardson]

I think, here he's leaving space for your grandmother.

[Louise Colcombe]

I can hear Margaret. I don't know.

[Anna Richardson]

That's right, Margaret. Okay.

[Leo Chic]

My grandmother's name was Margaret. It came out of nowhere. Now, I always knew her as Peggy, but already it was like, how did she know that? And then she talked about the happiest time of his life, and it was in the place I grew up in until I was six.

[Anna Richardson]

Those really were the best years of his life.

[Leo Chic]

And then she gave me some advice.

[Louise Colcombe]

He says to keep going, that you'll go.

[Leo Chic]

We were sat in Valerie's car, and I was holding the mic, bawling my eyes out. After I saw Valerie, I called my mum.

[Anna Richardson]

Hello?

[Leo Chic]

Hey, can you hear. Can you hear me? I was just calling because I just spoke to your dad, basically.

[Anna Richardson]

Okay, what did babes have to say?

[Leo Chic]

Well, she didn't guess his name. I was very skeptical until the point where she was like, someone else is here, Margaret. And I was like, oh, wow. Okay. Yeah, obviously, I know who that is. Apparently, they reconnected after death, and they're actually still hanging out together. And your dad laid out the red carpet for her a bit and apologized for not appreciating your mom as much when they were alive. So there was a bit where I started crying. So it was a bit emotional.

[Anna Richardson]

They were very much a partnership, you know, that's very, very emotional for me.

[Leo Chic]

It feels like I've learned something new about my grandfather. It's gone into my mind as fact. That could all be invention. It's very. Actually more than likely that that was all just, you know, a figment of her mind and she believed it. And a figment of my mind because I believed it. And this kind of spiritual communion between me and her, the medium, whether it's for real or not, it doesn't really matter because it's established as real in your mind.

[Anna Richardson]

I have so many reactions listening to that. It pulls me in so many different directions, Leo. And the fact that this woman apparently is able to commune with your dead grandfather and then to pick up the name as well of your grandmother, you know, Margaret. But then my mind pings off in a different direction, which is immediately I'm going, well, hang on a minute. I know a Margaret that died last year. And also, every time I speak to a medium, they tell me, I've got Margaret here. So unless this is your grandmother, that's basically just Whispering in the ear of every single person that sees a medium. You know, I've got this kind of skeptical. A skeptical hat on.

[Leo Chic]

I love the idea of my grandmother. Her after death exploit is to haunt all mediums and make sure her name gets mentioned.

[Anna Richardson]

Just fuck with every single person that comes to see them. But, you know, it's intriguing on the other hand, because you think, well, how did she know that? How did she know your grandmother's name?

[Leo Chic]

I rack my brains for this because, like, I always wonder with Sofia, does she have special access to records? And I wondered it for Valerie, like, did she go on ancestry.com and like, you know, find names?

[Anna Richardson]

That's interesting that somebody could just. They know your full name. They can just go onto Ancestry and go, I've got your grandfathers here and know completely everything about them. However, in my experience, having worked with lots of psychics and mediums, pre Internet, as I say, I've come across maybe two people that have blown me away. Where I've gone, I don't know how. I have no idea how you've done this. So maybe Sophia, maybe she does have a gift. But I think there's a bigger question here, which is about vulnerability and you going in to see this particular medium and her picking up on your grandfather. You know, we're talking about bereavement, we're talking about loss, and that is always going to hit a nerve.

[Leo Chic]

And actually seeing Valerie, for me, it was a kind of. It was a revelation in terms of understanding the power a medium could have over someone. It kind of gave me a better understanding of what Gilles may have been feeling and why he went to go see Sophia. Because after leaving Valerie, it really felt like I'd spent time with my grandfather. And once the effect wore off, I took a step back and I started questioning if any of it was real. But the empathy that I have for Gillespie, it's kind of still there, for sure.

[Anna Richardson]

I mean, we're talking about people that are bereaved, they're grieving. And it's tantalizing, isn't it, to think that I could just speak to that person that I love again. So I get it.

[Leo Chic]

Gilles continued to see Sophia throughout lockdown. But then something changed, and soon things got a lot stranger. The town and the local government had made it through the worst of the pandemic, and they were slowly building back their economy. Gilles was working in his office. His phone rang. This was no ordinary work call, the screen said. No caller id. This is voiced by actors.

[Gilles de Tor (voiced by actor)]

Hello? Who is this? Who's calling me. I am the Archangel Michael. What? What do you mean? Where are you calling from? I am calling from the beyond. I have a message from your father.

[Anna Richardson]

I mean, Leo. Straight away, the minute I'm hearing no caller id, I feel my stomach drop, because nobody likes, you know, no caller id. But then the heavy breathing. I'm thinking, is this. Is this a stalker? Who is this weirdo? But then you hit me with, this is the Archangel Michael. I mean, look, I come from a church background. My dad's a vicar. I know a lot about angels. Archangel Michael does not sound like that.

[Leo Chic]

What does the Archangel Michael sound like?

[Anna Richardson]

Well, you know, that's between me and him.

[Leo Chic]

The calls came with increasing intensity and Gilles kept answering.

[Gilles de Tor (voiced by actor)]

Hello? Hello, Gilles.

[Leo Chic]

Here's an extract of an interview with Gilles from Centre Press Aviron, the regional newspaper for southern France. Here's Gilles, voiced by an actor.

[Gilles de Tor (voiced by actor)]

This voice gradually entered my daily life. He called me regularly and I asked him questions about the afterlife. Curious as I've always been about these questions, his answers seemed completely convincing.

[Anna Richardson]

Archangel Michael's now chatting to Gilles dad on the other side.

[Leo Chic]

Exactly. There are two things happening in Gilles life post pandemic. He is seeing Sophia, the medium, where he's getting in touch with his dad that way. But he's also receiving these no caller ID calls from the Archangel Michael, who also has messages from his dad.

[Anna Richardson]

So he's being hit in stereo, basically by what we're meant to believe is messages from beyond the grave from his father. Did he believe this voice? Were they welcome?

[Leo Chic]

I think welcome is a really complicated word because I think he really, really wanted to hear from his father. And I think that he genuinely believed that this was his father speaking to him. But what's more strange is that at some point, this person or thing posing as the Archangel asks Gilles to call him Papa.

[Anna Richardson]

What the fuck?

[Leo Chic]

The gravelly voice on the blocked ID was not only identifying itself as the Archangel Michael, but is now asking Gilles to refer to him like he's talking to his beloved father. On the next episode of the mystic and the Mayor. People in the town witness what happens when a political power and a supernatural power collide. It was like a religious ceremony, like a baptism. And the relationship between Gilles and Sophia is on show at a very lavish celebration.

[Louise Colcombe]

There's a long white carpet. She has an amazing dress.

[Anna Richardson]

The mystic and the Mayor was presented by me, Anna Richardson, and presented, researched.

[Leo Chic]

And produced by me, Leo Chiek.

[Anna Richardson]

The series was written and produced by Palama Kaufman. Our executive producers are Kelly Windsorbergin. And Elsa Rochester.

[Leo Chic]

Sound design is by Craig Edmondson.

[Anna Richardson]

The mystic and the Mayor is a co production between Audio Always and Bite youe Tongue Productions.

[Leo Chic]

I made multiple attempts to contact Gilles de Torre and Sophia Martinez through their lawyers, but they did not wish to speak on the record. The invitation to speak remains open to both of them, Gilles and Sophia and all defendants in the current investigation are presumed innocent until judgment.

[Anna Richardson]

Follow the mystic and the Mayor in the Wondry app. You can binge all episodes exclusively and ad free right now by joining Wondry plus in the Wondry app, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.