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Mar 2023
2m 11s

Welcome to... A Very British Cult

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Catrin Nye gets a mysterious call that plunges her into an unsettling world of self-help and cults. What happens when a life coach takes over your life?

In early 2019 Jeffrey Leigh-Jones from Portsmouth got a life coach. Someone to mentor him in life and help him realise his business ambitions. Two years later, Jeff had sold his house, his relationship was in pieces, and he had handed over tens of thousands of pounds. And he wasn’t the only one. In this eighteen-month investigation for the BBC, journalist Catrin Nye and her team expose control, intimidation and fear at a mysterious life coaching company taking over people’s lives and ripping families apart. As the investigation hots up, the group fights back, and there’s a surreal final showdown…

Listen to all eight episodes from Wednesday 5 April 2023. Reporter: Catrin Nye Written by: Jamie Bartlett and Catrin Nye Producers: Osman Iqbal, Natalie Truswell, Ed Main and Jo Adnitt Researcher: Aisha Doherty Executive producer: Ravin Sampat Sound engineer: James Bradshaw Original music by: Phil Channell Commissioner: Rhian Roberts

Up next
Apr 2023
1. Lighthouse
In November 2021 investigative journalist Catrin Nye got a call from Dawn. She said her boyfriend Jeff was trying to leave a cult. But this cult was also a life coaching company.Dawn said Jeff had handed over more than £100,000 to them and wasted years of his life. And what Dawn ... Show More
29m 2s
Apr 2023
2. The Daily Call
Jeff is being drawn deeper and deeper into a life coaching group called Lighthouse. He loves having a mentor and feels great about life. Now it’s time to take the next step, to go full time. But what exactly awaits Jeff, and what is it going to cost him?What happens when a life c ... Show More
28m 54s
Apr 2023
3. The Life Coach
Catrin is quite cynical about the concept of life coaching. She’s now spent months speaking with people who signed up to it and ended up in a cult. So, she has a session with one of Ireland’s most in-demand coaches to see if he can change her mind. Then Catrin meets Anthony, who ... Show More
29m 46s
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