Podcast
What It Was Like
Hosted by Superreal · EN
Conversations with people who have lived through extreme events. Some stories are dark and twisted, others are light and funny. In all cases, we get an intimate portrait of 'what it was like' to be there.
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Hosted by Julian Morgans
This is a Superreal production
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
84episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Discovery of the Ebola Virus
3d ago00:37:50Summary readyIn 1976, a mysterious illness started killing people in Central Africa. Virus expert Joseph McCormick was flown in to work out what it was and how it spread. This is how the world came to learn of a frightening new virus called Ebola. In this ep, Joe describes how he later discovered that HIV had emerged from the very same corner of Africa. It's a conversation about evolution and how humans and viruses are more connected than you'd expect.Check out Joe’s book, co-written with his wife: Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How I Lost Everything to Leonardo DiCaprio
2w ago00:55:58Summary readyIn 1995, Dale Wheatley had just written and produced Don's Plum starring his friends Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. The film was quickly snapped up for a 3-picture deal. But then Leo decided he didn't want it released. Overnight, he and Tobey buried the film and dismantled Dale's friendships. As he explains, it’s a moment he’s never recovered from.You can watch Don's Plum on Dale’s YouTube hereDale's memoir, Too Real, is also available on his website hereFind us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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I Escaped an Abusive Polygamist Cult… and Became a Millionaire
3w ago00:59:52Summary readyPamela Jones was born into a fringe splinter group of Mormonism. By her early 30s she had nine children, while her husband had five other wives. But one day something inside her broke. In this ep, Pamela describes how she escaped — penniless and illiterate — and built a multimillion-dollar business and a whole new life.Hire Pamela to speak at your next event hereRead her incredible memoir, The Dirt Beneath Our Door: My Journey to Freedom after Escaping a Polygamous Mormon CultFind us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A Fatal Search for a Lost City of Gold in the Amazon
3w ago01:04:38Summary readyIn 1981, an Israeli backpacker named Yossi Ghinsberg met a man in Bolivia who told him about a lost city of riches buried in the jungle. Four of them went into the Amazon to search for the city. Two came out. Yossi tells us how he survived and what he learned about the darkness within.Hire Yossi to speak at your next event hereRead his incredible memoir, Jungle, hereFind us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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My Terrifying (and Oddly Funny) 25 Hours Kidnapped in New York
Jun 1300:58:13Summary readyOn the eve of his 38th birthday in 1998, a lawyer named Stanley Alpert was plucked off the street by three armed men. For the next 25 hours he sat blindfolded in a corner of their Brooklyn apartment, listening to their strange lives play out around him, and carefully absorbing their stories so he could have them jailed, should he ever escape.For more, check out Stan’s book The Birthday Party: A Memoir of SurvivalFind us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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I Discovered Snowtown's Bodies in Barrels (Classic)
Jun 700:48:05Summary readyIn May 1999, police found eight bodies decaying in barrels in a disused bank vault in Snowtown. Four men were eventually jailed for 12 murders. Former senior constable Gordon Drage was the first to discover the vault and tells us what he saw.. We're re-running this 2023 interview because the youngest of the four, James Vlassakis, has just been approved for parole. It’s a decision that’s being fought out in the South Australian Supreme Court.If you’re a subscriber, please contribute your episode ideas and questions here.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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I Was an Undercover Cop With a Death Wish
May 2900:48:46Summary readyTodd Maguire was happy-go-lucky Australian policeman until his girlfriend died by suicide and everything changed. From there, Todd became a heavy drinking undercover cop chasing life-and-death situations to bury his trauma. This is Todd’s story of going to hell but somehow finding his way back.Check out Todd’s memoir: Donny: An undercover cop with a deathwish.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How Do You Survive a Cyber-Stalking Cult?
May 2300:54:15Summary readyIn 2018, sci-fi writer Patrick Tomlinson posted a Tweet that attracted the attention of a group of far-right internet trolls. As their harassment escalated, Patrick called the police, who did nothing. Now, nearly eight years later, Patrick’s life has been upended via a campaign of doxing, swatting and relentless terrorising. On this ep, he explains how this nightmare can happen to anyone.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How I Became a Cult Recruiter
May 1501:00:18Summary readyIn 2019, Mattew Thomas thought he was joining a Bible study group. Instead, he was sucked into Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive Korean cult known for coercive control and bankrupting its members. Over the next four years, Matt lost himself and eventually became a recruiter tasked with drawing others in.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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I Committed a School Shooting
May 1001:02:59Summary readyIn 2004, Jon Romano brought a shotgun to school intending to take his own life. One person was injured before he was tackled to the ground. Today, Jon reflects on the path that led him there—and what he wishes he’d told the people around him sooner.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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